Another fine morning, and another fine turn out of enthusiastic Friends.
We had three tasks on the agenda today: repairing the Stairfoot Lane steps; litter picking; and tidying up the Hospice Woodland.
In total there were fourteen of us this morning, and we split into three groups. Your
Feb 2011
correspondent joined the party repairing the Stairfoot Lane steps.
The steps were first constructed by volunteers from the British Trust for Conservation in February 2011 and were funded by Leeds City Council. Before that, there were no steps – just a rather steep and muddy bank which was rather hazardous to negotiate, far steeper than this photograph would suggest (if you click on the photo you can see a bigger version by the way).
After six years two of wooden risers near the top of the steps had rotted away and with the assistance of materials provided by Leeds City Council, your band of gallants replaced them in half an hours work.
Having repaired the steps and generally tidying them up – removing leaves and clearing away accumulated mud, we returned to the car park 
where some of us set about clearing some flytipping. It is astonishing how the existence of a fence suggests to the human mind that if things are thrown over the fence, that somehow means that they are no longer a problem!
A light bulb moment for our team!
From the carpark to the Hospice Woodland to join the team clearing brambles smothering the trees, and to clear the paths.
Our task here was not to clear away all the brambles – they provide a wonderful habitat for small animals and for birds like whitethroats – but to remove them from trees, to widen footpaths and to clear them away from clumps of daffodils.
The Friends did a magnificent job. Yet again, another lovely morning, and it was wonderful to hear the birdsong – mainly great tits but your correspondent heard his first chiffchaff of the year!
Friends of Adel Woods 