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Four happy Friends, the morning after the night before.  Last night it was Old Leo’s Rugby Club’s Fireworks Party and a group of us gathered for an hour to collect litter from the field and surrounding woods.

We wanted the woods to look their best for this afternoon’s nature walk – see the next post!

Great news arrived in today’s post:  FOAW is now a member of the BTCV (the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers)!

Four more bags of rubbish and numerous stretches of path cleared of encroaching holly.  Our intrepid and weary volunteers can sleep well tonight, satisfied with a job well done!

On a beautiful morning a group of happy Friends set to clearing paths at the top end of Alwoodley Plantation where they had become overgrown with holly.  We also picked up two binliners of rubbish.  Unfortunately, rather a lot of rubbish has appeared since our litter pick three weeks ago and there is much more to be gathered.

Thanks are due to the Parks and Countryside department of Leeds City Council – particularly Steve Joul and Jenny Watts – for the loan of excellent loppers, shears and litterpickers.

Thanks are also due to Tina for bringing us a sharps box.

In glorious sunshine, a record turn out of 20 Friends met at 10am in the carpark of Old Leo’s carpark. .

After taking a group photograph, we set off in different directions – some of us clearing the carpark of litter, some tidying up the litter which had accumulated on Crag Lane since our last litter pick, and the rest of us heading off in the direction of Adel Crag and Stairfoot Lane carpark.

By 11.45 we had gathered about 30 bags of litter, a plastic chair (out of the beck), a car wheel, and a large piece of yellow metal (about 5 feet by two feet in size).  This was in addition to 4 beer barrels which had been “flytipped” in the woods next to Crag Lane.

By this time it had started to spot with rain, and we made our way back to Old Leo’s.  By 12 it was throwing it down and about 10 of us sat down to a cup of tea and coffee, courtesy of Old Leo’s.

Over a hot drink I reported on my discussions on Friday with Steve Joul, and showed the group various maps of the woods which Leeds CC have provided. I reported that tasks which we can be getting on with are:  clearing paths which are becoming overgrown with holly; improving paths which become impassible in wet weather;  removing non-native plants, particularly Reed Sweetgrass, from the pond;  clearing Crag Lane; putting up bird boxes;  clearing the bank of the stream by Buckstone Grove.  Some of these tasks need special equipment, planning or money.  It was agreed that our next task will therefore be to clear paths which have become overgrown with holly. Litterpicking can be carried out at the same time as it is clear that litter is going to be an ongoing problem.

Thanks are due to everyone who took part.  Thanks are due to Fred who took most of our “booty” down to Meanswood Road tip.  Thanks are due to Leeds City Council for the loan of 10 litter pickers.  Thanks are due to Old Leo’s for the free tea and coffee.

Congratulations are due to David Hall who found the piece of yellow metal which is our  biggest piece of detritus so far.

On a fine evening, Steve Joul, a senior countryside ranger with Leeds City Council, led a walk around the woods to enable us to discuss the kinds of tasks the Friends can do.  Here he is seen inspecting a patch of Japanese knot weed.

We also inspected the bog area, the flax weaver’s pond and Adel Heath.

After a very interesting and enjoyable evening, the Friends retired to Old Leo’s bar to enjoy the air and a relaxing drink.

By general agreement it was a great evening and our thanks go to Steve.  Thanks also to Old Leo’s for their hospitality.

Thirteen of us met at Alwoodley Community Association and agreed to set up Friends of Adel Woods.  Eight intrepid adventurers agreed to sign the constitution, a chairman, secretary and treasurer were appointed, and it was agreed that we would kick things off with a litter picking event on Sunday 19 July.

Afterwards we enjoyed refreshments in the bar.

From 10am  till 12 noon, twelve of us went for a walk around Adel Woods (Crag Lane to Stairfoot Lane, down the stream to Seven Arches) to see the lay of the land and get some ideas of what we could do to look after the woods.  Afterwards, several of us retired to Old Leo’s for refreshments.

An enjoyable morning, and hopefully the start of new friendships.