December bonfire and work day

First start a fire using wood from a fallen tree and farmyard rubbish such as coloured binder twine.

Baked potatoes had been prepared by Chris and Dave.  There were options for bacon, cheese and vegetarian, wrapped in foil, cooked at home in the oven, packed into sweet tins (sitting on wire netting).

Then placed into the fire.  The result was excellent crispy bacon wrapped baked potatoes - hot but not burnt.  Add sausage rolls from Alan, Chocolate Fudge from Sarah and lots of cakes from Ron.

Sarah and Ron checking one of the bird boxes next to the Hall o'the Heath orchard. 

The end......

December workday and food

A message from Colin

"Dear all,

I am sure you don't need reminding that it is baked potato Sunday this coming weekend!  I hope we can all attend since there is also a lot of work to do - check all nest boxes + a bit of strimming + a gate post to mend and possibly most important of all I want to take a team photo to help commemorate the winning of the NWIB award.

see you then

Colin"

Hall o'the Heath Pond

During the summer it was noted that the pond at Hall o'the Heath Farm had become overgrown with vegetation to the extent that you could walk across it.  The plan was to dredge half the pond and remove much of the strong growth.  Back in the autumn we had removed a post and wire fence so the cattle should now be able to graze down the the waters edge and keep future growth under control.  During November the pond was cleaned out with an excavator, we are now waiting for more rain to refill to cover the shallow edge of the pond.  In a wet year the water spills over the back edge of the pond through trees and into a drain, these pictures show the lowest level of water for many years after a mild and dry autumn.

HCV North West in Bloom Award

Haslington Conservation Volunteers picked up the Conservation and Environmental Award at the North West in Bloom 2011 in Southport.

Some of the Conservation Volunteers were present at the Haslington Best Kept Garden Awards on Saturday where the award was shared with the village.  [Pete, Ron, Richard, Chris & Dave]

Thanks to Dave for going to the Southport Awards to pick up the trophy.

More of the group with the award during the December work day at Hall o'the Heath Farm.  Colin with the certificate, and Dave Gilbert with the glass. 

Orchard Workday

The October workday took place in the Hall o'the Heath Farm orchard.  Tools provided via Alistair of the Cheshire East Ranger Service.  The plan was to cut back the hedges and overgrown grass and brambles to reduce competition for the fruit trees.  The crop of apples appears to have been quite good this year.

Dave hiding with his hedge trimmer behind one of the very fruitful apple trees.

Fruit on the new apple tree planted this Spring.

Ron gathering the grass and other strimmings to be fed to the waiting cattle.

Julian at work with the brush cutter on the strimmer.

A heavy crop of small apples, most of which will be left for the birds to feed on.

October work and field trip

Message from Ron...

"Hi Everyone,

We have a busy weekend starting with the field trip this Saturday, 1st October.  We'll be heading out to Lathkill Dale to walk the full length of the dale from Moneyash to Haddon and return, a distance of about 8 miles.  Walking boots are recommended.  Please be at Waterloo Road car park for a 9.00am start.

Next day, Sunday, October 2nd is a workday and we'll be at Hall o'the Heath for a general tidy-up of the orchard and hazel copse plus some work on the wildlife garden.  All being well, Alistair will join us.

See you soon,

Ron."

Hazel Tun

The fruit of the hazel ripening.  This forms the symbol for the Haslington Conservation Volunteers and several other Haslington based groups.  The hazel being the probable source of our village name - see the Wikipedia entry for Haslington.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haslington

September workday

The September workday pictures seem to involve members in cages.  First Chris is reducing the undergrowth around an oak tree planted about 15 years ago.  Then Ron ends up in another cage cutting the barbed wire to ensure another oak tree has a chance of a stress free growth for the next 20 plus years. 

Colin and Dave were also busy with a ladder checking on many of the HCV bird boxes nearby - disturbing the odd squirrel.

September workday 4th Sept

A message from Colin about this weeks HCV task.

"Dear all,

 

Just a quick reminder that autumn starts on Thursday (although it feels like we have been in it for a few days!) and Sunday is our next workday.

 

We will be working at John Cowap's Hall Farm checking and adjusting the tree protection around all the trees we have planted, as well as trimming round the edges so that the trees do not get flailed when the hedge is done.  If numbers allow I would also like to check as many nest boxes as possible.

 

Hope to see you all then

 

best wishes

 

Colin"

July workday

A message from project leader Ron

"Hi everyone,


Hoping to see you all this Sunday for our workday. We will meet up as last time at Waterloo Road car park and walk up to Robert's field where we'll planting an oak tree and providing barrier protection. There will be a dead elder to remove to make a gap for the tree barrier.

Regards,

Ron. "
 
So see you at 09:00 on the car park.

June Workday

The June workday starts at 09:00 on June 5th 2011.
A message from Ron


"Just to remind you all that this Sunday is a Volunteers workday. We will be in Robert Leech's field fitting a gate on the footpath. We will meet, as usual, on Waterloo Road car park and walk up to the field. Colin will be picking up the gate and post from Hall o'the Heath and the rest of us will use the handcart and take all the necessary tools to the work site. We will need to remove the existing stile and we can make a start on that while Colin is at Hall o'the Heath.

Hope you can all make it."

See you there.

Bird Boxes 2011

Bird box making at the Zan Industrial Park with the Haslington Conservation Volunteers, April 2011.

Stage 1 was treating the timber with either green or brown fence preservative.  The planks were then cut up into appropriate lengths to form a kit of parts for each box.  This all happened prior to the Sunday work day.

Holes of either 30 or 32 mm were drilled in the front panel as the sides, base and front were screwed together onto the back piece.  The lids are held in position with short narrow strips of wood, to hold the lid squarely in position.

The boxes will need a quick second coat of preservative and they will be ready for sale on the village fun day.

Workday for April 10th

A message from Colin.

"A quick reminder that the next workday is this coming Sunday, the second Sunday of the month instead of the usual first.  The task is to make 20 nest boxes (or as many as possible in the time) ready for sale at the Village fun day in May. All materials have been delivered to Richard at the Zan Works and he and Dave are planning to do some prep work there beforehand.

Ron will almost certainly not be fit enough to attend and I am doubtful. It seems sensible on this occasion to assemble at the Zan Works directly on Sunday so unless you hear anything else on the topic, please be there around 09-00 or just after. "

I will try and be there to open up for 09:00.   Richard

February 2011 Workday

Message from Ron

"Hi Everyone,


I hope to see you on our next workday which is 6th February. We will be working on the hazel coppice in Robert Leech's field, off Waterloo Road. We will meet, as usual, at the car park at 9.00am and then walk down to the site. Colin and Sarah will not be with us and we will be working without a ranger. Christine Redstone from Alsager should be with us mid-morning to collect the coppiced hazel. Hope you can make it.

Regards,

Ron."

January 2011 Crewe Green Church hedge

The hedge alongside the churchyard extension at Crewe Green Church has been a project for the HCV for several years.  We have layed the hedge to ensure a strong thick barrier from the adjoining farmers field.  This year it was time for a severe trim, leaving selected hedgerow trees with sufficient space to grow into maturity.

Our Cheshire East ranger used his chainsaw to cut back the larger branches, whilst Chris trimmed the thinner growth.

The major task was clearing the cut branches from approx 100m of hedge.  The waste was moved the area next to the car park and reduced in volume by careful use of the chainsaw.

The view over the Green Gap towards Haslington.