Workday leader Matthew reports:
..Well there was clearly something in the air on Sunday, as for the second time over this weekend, a strong turnout – 17 volunteers – descended, this time on a patch known as Burf Castle, part of the Dudmaston Estate to deploy their tree-planting skills.
An estimated 500 bare root saplings went into the ground….. So why we so productive this time? Our tree-planting skills were no doubt refreshed at the Christmas planting-session, meaning on Sunday we could just crack on.
Some were on a roll, having finished their task at Attingham only the day before. Maybe it was the presence of Laura, who has returned to the fold….
I think it was actually down to great teamwork, with division of labour working at its best.
Newly promoted Ranger Helen, with help from apprentice Mike, had already staked out the spots to be planted earlier in the week and so we could form groups to place the second stakes and tree-guards next to each planting hole (two bamboo stakes hold a green tree-guard in place). After a quick refresher on techniques to use – T-cut or slit; remember no air pocket; right depth; don’t let the sapling dry out – teams of two or three then worked down each row, planting oak, chestnut and rowan, with an emphasis on the oak.
Roving teams cut away any bramble ahead of a planting pair. Three brave souls armed with the tricky staple guns went round last of all, trying their best to embed more than one staple, fixing stake and guard, and to miss stapling their fingers.
The weather forecast was showers, and we did have the occasional downpour. A field with no trees unfortunately offers little protection from slanting rain – but at least on one patch, we were in the lee of the hill. It remained mild for February.
The morning session saw us complete the planting in the area which faces the nearby A-road. This meant we moved ’round the bend’ in the afternoon, to plant on a plot the other side of the Burf Castle ridge, facing open farmland to the west.
Burf Castle is so named as there is an Iron Age hillfort atop, with some earthworks still to be seen.
As we left, it was back over to Helen, to clear more scrub and mark out some new patches ready for our next visit in March – with Covid having slowed work down, there’s a bit of a planting backlog to catch up on.
Many thanks to Helen and all the volunteers for an enjoyable workday and for all the snacks.
Shropshire and Staffordshire National Trust Volunteers 