Last Wednesday we went back to Blackness Castle and the sprout fields.
We started out with a full minibus (or at least a full list of names at any rate) – but this seemed to get whittled down to the extent that we only picked up 4 people!
Regardless, we set off into the fog.
Task for the day was to clear out the tree tubes of a hedge which was laid several years (?) back. This is an important part of tree planting – the aftercare! So we cleared out the grass and other vegetation…fortunately there was a noticable abscence of mice…
After lunch (which was spent inside – given the weather), I led the group on a nature walk round the area – through the woods and walking back along the beach. Despite the fact it is January there were a suprising number of plants about – including one which I couldn’t identify! (Turns out to be Lesser Celandine). It was really odd to see the beach covered in ice!
Then back to the pond – to cut back some elder trees. This was really awkward because the trees were all tangled together – meaning it was possible to cut a tree down and it still be suspended in the air! Well done to all for getting the trees down safely!
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