Monthly Archives: July 2023

Wednesday, 19th July 2023: bracken pulling Wednesday (no 3)

Posted on July 19, 2023 | Leave a comment

Today was our final “Bracken Pulling Wednesday” on Adel Moor, and our fourth morning of working on the moor during July. Today we had an excellent team of six volunteers – and the next day a seventh who turned up a day late, but still did an excellent morning’s work on his own!

Over the years Friends of Adel Woods, the Leeds City Council Rangers and various other groups have done a lot of work on the moor to keep it in good shape. The difference that the work has made can be seen by comparing views below of the northern area of the moor with the south western area which has not received as much attention.

***The north eastern area of Adel Moor***

Adel Moor — ***The south western section of the moor: a profusion of heather, bracken, brambles and saplings***

Our aim during our four July events has been to reduce the amount of bracken to allow other plants such as heather, bilberry and gorse to thrive. Clearing saplings in the western section of the moor is a task for another day using tools like tree poppers and mattocks.

We focused today on clearing areas of bracken where heather or bilberry were still present under the canopy of bracken.

We started in the southern area of the moor where we expected (based on our work last Saturday) to find a lot of heather surviving under the bracken. However, we found that much of the ground under the bracken was bare. We therefore moved round to the south western area where we did find a lot of heather surviving under the bracken.

Friends of Adel Woods working on Adel Moor on 19th July 2023 — ***Getting stuck in!***

However, it was very clear that a lot of work needs to be done in the south western and western areas of the moor to clear saplings. There are a lot of young oak trees and birch trees.

Rosebay willow herb on Adel Moor, Leeds — ***Rose Bay Willowherb***

Juniper Polytrichum moss on Adel Moor on 19th July — ***Rose Bay Willowherb***

There is a modest amount of rose bay willow herb on the moor. We cleared some of this. It was considered rare until about 150 years ago but it has spread dramatically over the last hundred years probably due to the corridors provided by railways. After the second world war it was called “bomb weed” due to its tendency to appear in bomb sites. It has a beautiful flower.

During our bracken pulling we revealed a beautiful patch of star shaped moss -see the photo above. A quick look on an iPhone app told us it was Juniper Polytrichum Moss.

Thank you to all who have participated in bracken pulling during July – including the Meanwood Valley Volunteer Rangers who worked on the moor last Wednesday with David Preston.

Thank you to the person who found my New Zealand sun hat and hung it up on a tree. We found it on Friday and it is now safe and sound!

Saturday, 15th July 2023: working on Adel Moor and litterpicking

Posted on July 15, 2023 | Leave a comment

Our objectives this morning were litterpicking and continuing with our work on Adel Moor, reducing the amount of bracken, removing tree seedling and brambles.

Friends of Adel Woods working on Adel Moor on the 15th July 2023 — ***Adel Moor***

We had a small but select group of seven. One of us went off litterpicking along Crag Lane to the Stairfoot Lane car park and picked up just over a bag full of litter.

Friends of Adel Woods pulling bracken on Adel Moor on 15th July 2023 — ***Clearing bracken on Adel Moor***

The rest of us worked on Adel Moor. Today we were continuing with our work of reducing the amount of bracken on the moor, but also removing brambles and tree seedlings, saplings and rosebay willow herb.

Friends of Adel Woods clearing brambles from gorse on Adel Moor on 15th July 2023 — ***The chair of Friends of Adel Woods assisting Judith with a tough bramble***

We each found different things to do. Three of us focused on pulling bracken; one of us concentrated on clearing brambles and bracken from around the main clump of gorse; and two of us roamed over the moor, clearing up odd patches of bracken, rosebay willowherb and brambles among the heather.

One of the patches of bracken had a very healthy population of heather plants surviving beneath it – as can just about be seen in the before and after photographs below.

Bracken on Adel Moor on 15th July 2023 — ***A patch of bracken before – at 10.43 am…***

Friends of Adel Woods clearing bracken on Adel Moor on 15th July 2023 — ***…and after at 11.57 am*** ***revealing a healthy patch of heather***

It was another enjoyable morning on the moor. We worked through a couple of heavy rain showers but as we finished the sun came out. Some of the heather was just coming into flower.

***Adel Moor: Saturday 15th July 2023: 12.23 pm***

Wednesday, 12th July 2023: bracken pulling on Adel Moor – part 2

Posted on July 12, 2023 | Leave a comment

Today was the second of our three “bracken pulling Wednesdays” on Adel Moor led by Barbara. It coincided with a “bracken bashing” and sapling removal event by the Meanwood Valley Volunteer Rangers led by David Preston.

We all met at the Slabbering Baby entrance to Adel Woods on Buckstone Road at 10 am. There was a little confusion at the start as people didn’t realise there were two groups. However, the confusion was soon dispelled as the Volunteer Rangers had orange Hi-Vis jackets, while the Friends of Adel Woods had yellow ones.

***Friends of Adel Woods pulling bracken on Adel Moor***

The Friends of Adel Woods took up where we finished last Wednesday at the North Eastern end of the Moor, while the Volunteer Rangers worked a little way round to the East. It was a much cooler day than last Wednesday, but fine weather until about 11.30 when there was a brief but heavy shower.

There was a good turn out for both groups (twelve for FOAW) and soon large quantities of bracken were being transported to compost heaps in the woods to the sound of happy conversation.

***Meanwood Valley Volunteer Rangers working on Adel Moor with piles of bracken in the foreground***

The Volunteer Rangers were also clearing small saplings using a tree popper.

***The Volunteer Rangers stopping for a brief cuppa***

The Friends of Adel Woods worked until 12 and were able to clear a large patch of heather to reveal heather and a large amount of bilberries. There are before and after photos below. The Volunteer Rangers were to continue till 3 pm and had the misfortune to be caught by two torrential downpours!

Friends of Adel Woods on Adel Moor — ***Friends of Adel Woods surveying the completed job.***

Friends of Adel Woods, Adel Moor — ***Adel Moor: 12 noon on Wednesday the 12th July 2023***

If you would like to know more about why we clear bracken from Adel Moor, have a look at our blog post for 5 July 2023

Wednesday, 5th July 2023: bracken pulling on Adel Moor

Posted on July 5, 2023 | 1 comment

Today was the first of our three “Bracken Pulling Wednesdays” led by Barbara. The bracken in question is on Adel Moor.

Friends of Adel Moor working on Adel Moor on the 5th July 2023

It was a lovely morning and eleven of us met in Buckstone Road at 10 am. On reaching Adel Moor, we were rewarded by the site of a kestrel hovering over the moor. Surely, a good omen!

In case you are wondering why we pull up bracken, it is because, if left to its own devices, it will out-compete other plants and create a mono-culture – as can be seen from the photographs. Adel Moor is a habitat worth preserving: it is the last bit of heathland in Leeds and home to plants like heather and bilberry and a population of lizards (of which we know there have been three sightings this year).

Friends of Adel Woods working on Adel Moor on the 5th July 2023

Last August Barbara led three bracken pulling Wednesdays and it is gratifying to see that the area we focused on last year is still largely clear of bracken.