It's been another busy and exciting month for Moments with Trees! We received super support from Norwich and Peterborough, BGL, YBS and our regular Conservation and Friends and Family Volunteers. We launched the Native Tree Trail and Top Trumps trail and booklet and we are excited to report the Willow Tunnel and Willow Maze have rooted and are in leaf! Do read on to find out more...
Volunteers
Norwich and Peterborough (YBS) March visit
A great team from Norwich and Peterborough came to support woodland management in Lynch Wood in March. They felled weaker trees and planted a selection of saplings - hazel, cherry, hornbeam and oak. This work adds variety to the woodland and with the risk of Chalara (ash dieback) we are ensuring there are trees to take their place if (or when) the ash trees in Lynch Wood succumb to the disease.
Norwich and Peterborough (YBS) April visit
Another team from Norwich and Peterborough came to help prepare the path of the willow tunnel. They worked very hard with mattocks to remove stubborn stumps and roots from the path. Others cleared around the sides of the tunnel to prevent summer growth taking over the tunnel. And they did all of this in the rain. The tunnel is nearly ready thanks to their hard work!
BGL
It was great to have another BGL team come to help thin a section of Lynch Wood. Here they removed weaker trees and a non-native cherry lorrel that was crowding an area. This work opens up the woodland and allows sunlight to reach the woodland floor. We were impressed with how quickly they could fell trees!
YBS Mortgage Team
Lynch Wood's YBS Mortgage Team came to finish the willow coppice on Ham Mere corner. The willow stools will grow this summer and we will be able to use the new shoots for a variety of purposes within the Park. They worked hard in rather muddy conditions on a damp day - thank you so much! We also had the pleasure of taking the team around the Native Tree Trail - we hope you are now able to identify some of the native trees we have around the Park.
Conservation Volunteers - chipping hazel
Our regular group of Conservation Volunteers came to clear the remaining hazel coppice in Lynch Plantation. The hazel that was not suitable for hurdles, hedge laying posts or walking sticks went through the chipper to provide a good mulch for the hazel stools that, in the right conditions, could grow up to two metres this summer. A huge thanks to our dedicated Conservation Volunteers who come every week to support the Park - always bringing smiles and a great sense of humour!
Friends and Family Volunteering
Our Friends and Family Volunteers spent time caring for the trees in the Native Tree Trail (weeding and mulching). It wasn't all hard work - they had time in their break to find out about the trees they were caring for. We hope they enjoyed a game of Tree Top Trumps when they got home. Thank you for your hard work caring for the trees and making the trail look beautiful.
Volunteer opportunities
We are taking corporate bookings, so do get in touch if your team would like to help with this work - tree planting and willow weaving!
Events
Tricks with Trees
During planting season, our superb volunteers helped us plant willow to create a maze and tunnel for our Visitors to enjoy. We have been waiting patiently for the sun to see if the willow will take root and bud. With great excitement we can announce... it has!
Willow Maze
Gareth and our Conservation Volunteers spent time tidying and strengthening the Willow Maze in Pop-up Play, Ferry Meadows. They also laid a soft bark to mark the path. We are extremely pleased with the end result and now the mud around this area has dried out, it is open to Visitors - do go and have a look!
Willow Tunnel
During the flooding, we struggled to access the Willow Tunnel in Bluebell Wood. When the water subsided, it was such a pleasant surprise to see how well the willow had taken. Being submerged in water worked wonders - every stake planted is in leaf! Our volunteers have made great progress in clearing the pathway of trip hazards and we are now awaiting wood chip to lay across the path. A huge thanks to everyone involved in the creation of this 100 metre tunnel - I hope you are as proud of it as we are!
Trails
Native Tree Trail
The Native Tree Trail and Top Trumps was launched this month. Visitors can now travel the trail and identify our native trees. There is an accompanying trail booklet available at the Visitor Centre and Gift Shop, where you can learn more about our native trees. Each tree has a card that compares the tree's maximum age and height, its uses, special skills and weaknesses - cut the cards out and Tree Top Trumps can be played (game instructions are included on the leaflet). Luckily, the box and hazel are no longer underwater, so do visit the trail, collect a trail booklet and learn about our amazing trees! We would love to receive your feedback about the trail, so if you do visit it would be wonderful if you could spare two minutes to complete an evaluation at the Visitor Centre - your feedback is valuable.
Brownies explore the Native Tree Trail
1st Orton Wistow Brownies came to explore the Native Tree Trail. They use the trail booklet to answer questions (Which tree can live for 1000 years? Which trees grow the tallest? etc.) and then they hit the trail to find the trees. The rain and puddles didn't stop these Brownies as they ran from tree to tree to find the ones they wanted. They asked such interesting questions and all left knowing a lot more about our native trees and the damage grey squirrels can inflict on them. If you know a group who would be interested in this activity, contact Hannah at hannah.keeley@neneparktrust.org.uk or 01733 308774.
Tree ID Trails in Lynch Wood and Woodston Reach
Tree Detectives
The trail takes you through Bluebell Wood highlighting some of the oldest and most notable trees in the area. Once you find a marked tree (see below), use your detective skills, study the tree and then refer to the poems and images on the leaflet to determine which tree is which. If you write your answers down and return to the Visitor Centre and Gift Shop, you can collect a prize!
Tree Detectives 2 will be launch at the end of July!
SCOG apple pressing and tasting event
Sunday 23rd September (10:30-12:30 and 13:30-15:30)
Stamford Community Orchard Group (SCOG) will be hosting a pressing event. It is a free event (thanks to HLF!) on processing and preserving apples and other tree fruit. So if you have any fruit trees, come and learn how to process and preserve the fruit as juice, cider, vinegar, wine, chutney etc. There will be samples to taste and a chance to start preserving your own fruit using SCOG's processing and preserving equipment. Participants can bring apples and containers.
The workshops will cover:
- Preserving apples for food and drink.
- Some of the principles and science.
- Drying and concentrating apples.
- Using a steam juicer with a range of tree fruit.
- Using hand-powered scratter.
- Pasteurising apple juice.
- Making cider and cider vinegar.
- Some great apple recipes.
Tree Hunt - walk from the city centre to Ferry Meadows for PECT's Green Festival
Saturday 11th August (10:00-13:00)
Follow an interesting, enjoyable and green route to Ferry Meadows from the city centre, supporting sustainable travel to the Park. We will be meeting those interested at a city centre location (TBC) at 10am to follow a picturesque route meeting impressive trees along the way. When walkers arrive at the Park, they can enjoy free refreshments and many exciting attractions for PECT's Green Festival. Contact Hannah at hannah.keeley@neneparktrust.org.uk to show your interest.
Photography exhibition
A great time to be capturing trees as they come into leaf and blossom! The deadline for entries is August 13th 2018. We are accepting pictures of individual trees, woodland scenes and images of tree parts - a close up of a tree's buds, blossom, bark and leaves... any image that highlights the beauty of trees!
All the Moments with Trees events and activities are free of charge and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (a big thanks to HLF and all National Lottery players!).
Veteran trees
It was awe-inspiring to spend time inside an ancient oak at the Cornbury Park Estate during Lockhart Garratt's excellent Veteran Tree Management workshop. Such a interesting day discussing and learning about the importance of veteran trees, how to identify a veteran and how best to manage them. Do look out for veterans in the Park - we have a few!