GVCV TASK 25 APRIL 2021 – OVERBURY ESTATE

Like most farms now the Overbury Partnership is a mix of arable, sheep, forestry, leasing long term and holiday property, leasing conference and office space, a stud and in this case a children’s pre-school group – diversity being the key to survival.

The land is rich at around 100 feet in the Evesham valley, reducing to poor at 1,000 feet on Bredon Hill and so a range of crops and techniques are required across the farm.

There are three techniques showcased on the farm. The first is rotation such that the land is never left fallow. A mix species cover crop of radishes, clover, mustard etc is grown over the winter, which reduces soil erosion and which is grazed by the sheep, then a summer crop of grain or barley is sown through it, the residue of the cover crop being left on the surface as a mulch. The second technique is no-till cultivation; there is no disturbance of the deep levels of soil and fertilisers etc are contained within the upper layers. The third technique is automation; computer and satellite information is used to help control the  operation of seed drills, harvesters, sprayers etc all informed by bang up-to-date data from drones overflying the fields.

Overbury is a demonstration farm for LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) aimed to showcase best practice  in crop production, animal welfare and environmental protection.

On 25 Aril 2021 we were given two tasks; one group clearing scrub around a lake (the pond team) and the other group recovering used plastic sleeves from saplings planted in previous years (the hill team). Two separate work groups ensured we complied with Covid Regs on numbers.

The Pond team

The lake is an extensive man-made lined reservoir as a source for irrigation in summer. The excavated material was tipped around the perimeter so as to form a bank which was planted with trees including specifically willow. Over the years the remainder of the bank has been invaded by bramble, black thorn, nettles etc so that it is no longer possible to walk around the perimeter of the lake. Our job on 25 April was to remedy this, or at least make a start on the remedy.

We are well practiced at scrub bashing and the glorious weather that day made an accustomed task into a pleasure, at least until the afternoon when weary muscles reminded us – “first the pleasure, then the pain”.

In term of wildlife, we watched a Martin scouting the eaves of the grain store at the meeting point. Around the lake there were large numbers of Orange Tip butterflies, with a solitary Moorhen on the water and remains on the bank of some substantial fish, possibly taken by otters ?. We were shown a square of corrugated tin on the grounds, attractive to grass snakes in warm weather and an adjacent “nest” built to encourage the snakes to breed.

One of the farm hands (Gordon) stayed with us for the day (with his dog, Archie) and he talked to us about the lake and the farm, and he showed us the grass snake location.

By the end of the day we had formed a clear access around about 100 yards of the lake and could look back on a clearly visible achievement – very satisfying. This was an excellent introduction to GVCV for a first-time volunteer who turned out – she admitted to having enjoyed the experience and would turn out again – plucky girl.

A well earned break at lunch time and an opportunity to “catch some rays”

The bank cleared to just beyond the willow tree – a good start to a large overall task

The Hill team

A small group of 4 volunteers worked in a substantial copse planted approx 20 years ago collecting the plastic tree guards that originally protected and supported the growing saplings.

These discarded guards littered the woodland floor and many were still attached to the tree, trapped in the bark which had overgrown the bottom edges. These had to be painstakingly pulled away or cut free.

We collected 8 large sacks full. A useful job to get done and one for the farm manager to tick off his “to do, sometime” list.

The tree guards obviously served their purpose well because there is now a healthy close planted woodland copse, which may well require thinning out at some future time by GVCV.

 

The site is south-facing under a low cliff-face, a geological SSI containing Geological items of interest plus a preserved imprint of a dinosaurs foot.

The five of us did a good job on Sunday of clearing brambles and saplings.

The vegetation had grown back hugely in the intervening two years since we last visited – so much so that we’ll have to organise a follow-up task to complete the job.

Weather was cold, mainly dry but interrupted by bursts of sleet or soft hail – interesting but we all had a good day!

Another visit to this wonderful community site in Churchdown – with something for everyone including play area/skate park/allotments/ponds and orchard. Today half a dozen volunteers were active in the pond area (5 ponds and two reed beds), which is part of a flood alleviation or Sustainable Urban Drainage Scheme (SUDS). We were removing some of the reedmace/bulrush, water soldier and blanket weed this opens up the ponds allowing more light in and preventing build up of nutrients from rotting vegetation that sinks to the bottom.

It was a mixed day with sunshine and showers, not that it mattered us being immersed in water (well some of us were), testing out the new waders to full effect.

We almost completed the work but sadly a leak became apparent in the waders which stopped us splashing about in ponds. Fortunately this occurred in Pond E, the last one so we had managed t o remove about 25% of the reedmace – just 50% more to do in January when we return.

After a spot of lunch, making use of the picnic benches supplied and partaking of some mince pies (as you do this time of year), we adjourned to some brambles nearby to clear these away from the ditch and fence line. Again, to be continued…..

All in all a successful day out in the park.

1. Churchdown Park

The troops were called in to help Churchdown Parish Council plant some trees that would have been part of a community project. The first task was to put in nearly 200 saplings (whips), from The Woodland Trust, along the line of an original hedge by their pond area. This area is a little gem for the community – 5 small ponds, copse. orchard, playing field and children’s play area with skate park.

Here we put in a varied mix of native species, slit-planting with stakes and rabbit guard (to be removed in a few years time and recycled). Enough space to spread out too.

The crew made simple work of it and we were done here, in the winter sunshine, in no time at all. Well done everyone, can’t wait to see it all growing up.

Now for part 2…

2. John Daniels Park

So, after out lunch break by the ponds in Churchdown Park we set off to John Daniels Way to plant a double row hedge by the chain-link fence at the far end of the playing field.

The weather was definitely with us as we used up the rest of the trees (about 150 left) to plant and hopefully provide a screen to the fence and a habitat for insects, birds and mammals once established. Quite hard to plant into as thick clay so a bit of extra digging involved.

We didn’t quite have enough to go all the way along so hope to be back next year to finish this off. Thanks again to all the volunteers for their efforts.

GVCV TASK 29 NOVEMBER 2020 AT PUCKHAM WOODS

On Sunday 29 November 2020 GVCV worked on a farm at Puckham Woods for FWAGSW.

The Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group South West (FWAGSW) is a registered charity representing the region’s farmers and landowners in the delivery of wildlife conservation. They are part funded by Natural England and work with partner conservation organizations including the Wildlife Trust. In Gloucestershire they are heavily involved in Water with Integrated Local Delivery (WILD) projects restoring ditches, streams and rivers to aid the currently failing ecology and fish populations.

The work at Puckham today was extending an existing area of woodland, partly as replacement for a number of Ash trees which are diseased and will shortly have to be felled. A deal of conservation work has already been carried out in this location including formation of a chain of ponds in a valley with associated drainage channels and streams with hardcore beds to prevent erosion and to provide fording points. We are told that the plan is for a further 3,000 trees to be planted here and the first of them are already on site awaiting the gentle ministrations of volunteer groups.

One of the chain of ponds formed a part of the controlled drainage system, as well as a resource for wildlife.

The site at the start of the day – empty

The site at the end of the day – fully planted up.

Our first task was to move the trees, protective tubes and stability stakes from a stockpile in an adjant field to the planting location. The FWAGSW rep had already been on site and planted a set of bamboo markers to show the spacing of the trees , Further she had labelled each marker with the type of tree to be planted there. Then followed a period of people walking around the site shouting “I have a Prunus – find me a Prunus marker anyone” Eventually an appropriate tree was placed beside each of the markers, together with a protective plastic tube and a timber stake and the planting process could begin,

The first planting process is a slot in the ground cut with a spade

The protective tubes need to be screwed into the ground to exclude rodents etc

Such was the energy and enthusiasm of the volunteers that we cruised through the 100 trees, finishing well before lunchtime. After consulting with the landowner and the FWAGSW rep we extended our planting to adjacent areas, including some challenging locations on steep banks.

The mist was present all day, as can be seen in the photographs, and as time went by it became thicker and we were losing the light so we called an unusually early halt, having filled our quota, and all went home for a hot shower.

A return visit to this site, on Kemerton Estate land, where we have been removing certain trees and scrub from alongside a wild flower-rich verge. Much of the hawthorn and field maples were to be left on the line of an old wall.

Six valiant volunteers armed with loppers, bowsaws and shears made further headway into the task and now a fair strip of the verge is open to the sunlight and ready for the next growing season. We came across a large Crab Apple tree and tested the fruit – a little sharp but edible. This was left in situ along with plenty of berry bearing hawthorn and also some mistletoe that was packed with berries. Good for the winter thrushes and other birds.

Despite an odd shower the day was quite bright with good views towards the Avon Valley. We finished just in time as the rain became more persistent. still some left to do but we made3 good progress

GVCV TASK 15 NOVEMBER 2020 – STANWAY ASH WOOD

On Sunday 15 November 2020 GVCV worked in Stanway Ash Wood, Tewksbury for FWAGSW, continuing an ongoing task of coppicing a Hazel grove.. See the report from out first session at this location GVCV TASK 01 DECEMBER 2019 – STANWAY ASH WOOD for an overview of the site and the task.

Our raised platform and bundled stems as at the end of previous session. Compare with the greatly increased volume in the team photo taken at the end of the current session.

A textbook example of a coppiced stool – well done the man / woman who produced this.

We try to make first timers especially welcome, though some of them look like old hands from the start, finding a comfortable seat at lunch time.

A classic example of a two man job – one working and one watching.

The small diameter stems we cut we harvested for use but the coppicing process meant we also had to take out the larger stems. These must be of use, though we were not told for what, so we stacked them neatly for others to process. We did however utilise them as a dry seating during lunch.

A possibly greater issue is the large amount of brash which we are producing. On many sites we burn the brash which disposes of it, keeps us warm on frosty days and allows us to offer baked potatoes for lunch. Fires however are not permitted on this site.

This shot shows that we are actually achieving a cleared space in the grove – we just need to achieve an awful lot more of it.

A great team photo. A set of fulfilled volunteers standing proudly beside their achievement, a nearly full containment of Hazel bundles.

GVCV TASK 01 NOVEMBER 2020 – STANWAY ASH WOOD

On Sunday 01 November 2020 GVCV worked in Stanway Ash Wood, Tewksbury for FWAGSW.

The Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group South West (FWAGSW) is a registered charity representing the region’s farmers and landowners in the delivery of wildlife conservation. They are part funded by Natural England and work with partner conservation organizations including the Wildlife Trust. In Gloucestershire they are heavily involved in Water with Integrated Local Delivery (WILD) projects restoring ditches, streams and rivers to aid the currently failing ecology and fish populations.

Our specific task that day was to make continue the task we started last year, coppicing an area of the hazel, which had not been done for some 40 years previously. Specific birds, insects and mammals depend on young hazel and left untended the stems grow into substantial trees, producing a changed habitat, so regular coppicing is required to maintain the existing ecology.

The hazel we harvested will be used in the FWAGSW waterway restoration projects. We cut the stems into 5 foot lengths and tied them into manageable bundles. These bundles will be taken and fixed as reinforcement for the banks of waterways to help prevent erosion.

The Hazel bundles being placed to reinforce a stream bank

Rather than leaving the bundles on the ground, where they would quickly degrade we constructed a raised platform on which to stack them during our earlier task. Our construction was of a lightly lesser standard than the bridge over the river Kwai but it did exactly what we wanted of it.

Not all of the bundles we had previously created had been used and the un-used remainder had fallen apart as we had tied them with garden twine which is intended to disintegrate over time. During this task we re-tied those bundles using bailer twine which is weatherproof and rotproof and, in this case, luminous yellow.

The bundles as we left them last time

The remaining bundles from the last time as we found them this time

The old bundles re-tied with bailer twine and ready for use again..

As we were working at some distance from our previous location we constructed another platform to receive our new product. We did it faster this time, practice making perfect, and populated it with our new bundles.

Proud owner of a heap of brash, by-product of the harvested stems

Cutting the stems as low down on the stool as possible. Tough on the knees. Note the colour co-ordinated top, wellies and gloves, fashion always being high on GVCV list of priorities.

We achieved quite a lot during the morning but shortly after lunch the heavens opened and we had a wet finish, which left us physically dampened but with enthusiasm unabated. Bring on the next task day here!

Today we were working for the Kemerton Estate – an environmentally responsible farm and estate. Below Bredon Hill nr Westmancote removing small trees (except much of the Hawthorn and Field Maple as well as some Crab Apple/Wildings) and bramble that are encroaching on a wild flower-rich verge at the side of the Oat Hill track. We piled the cuttings into the nearby field in small piles so the estate can check for hedgehogs etc before burning the material. The aim is to increase the diversity of plants and maintain it as a verge. Still plenty more to do and hopefully we will return here next year.

Today the group visited Quedgeley reserve to reinstate the dead hedge by the pond (that had sadly been vandalised). The group (5 of us) were split between working by the pond and clearing plus weeding the hedge at main entrance to the reserve.

We used some wood that had been cut previously to make stakes and hammered these in to holes, making them very sturdy and hopefully difficult to uplift. then weaved in longer pieces to about 5 ft or so. Access is now round to the left rather than directly alongside edge of pond.

The hedge at front also got a make-over with about a metre or two being strimmed and under hedge weeded of nettle and bindweed. We added several inches (or centimetres) of chippings to try and suppress the weeds. The hedge (planted a few years ago) is doing very well, only 5 more years or so and we can lay it.