This morning we woke to a clear blue sky and the first frost of the season. A perfect day for working in Adel Woods!
We had a good turn out, and while Sue and Steph went off litterpicking, seven of us helped Steve Joul clear saplings and brambles from Adel Bog.
It was the first time we had worked on Adel Bog since September 2019 and the first time that we have worked there so late in the year – we normally work there in the late Summer or early Autumn when there are still flowers in bloom and butterflies on the wing.
Adel Bog is a lovely spot. It is certainly one of my favourite “work parties”, and today we were blessed with beautiful weather.
The bog is a unique habitat in Adel Woods and we are trying to preserve it from turning into woodland – which could well have happened in the last ten years. Maps show that a hundred years ago the bog was much larger. The bog is also quite dry due to the surrounding trees and the invading saplings and brambles. Because we have not been able to work on the bog for a couple of years, there was a lot to do!
Today we focused on the western end of the bog, half of us concentrating on brambles and half of us focusing on saplings.
We were considerably assisted in removing the saplings by the use of three tree poppers. These are amazing tools which combine a gripping jaw with a lever and which enabled us to remove each sapling a lot faster than when using a mattock or spade. The result was that we were able to clear a great many saplings at the western end and on the northern side of the bog.
Of course there was still time to enjoy some of the wonders of nature…
We finished work at quarter past twelve, having achieved a tremendous amount. It is clear that with the use of tree poppers next time, we will be able to clear the remaining saplings when we work on the bog next year.
In case you are wondering, Steph and Sue had a successful morning, picking up four bags of litter around the village green and on Crag Lane.
Friends of Adel Woods 