A woodland community group
Month: April 2017
Our next work party is on Saturday 6th May and we would be delighted to see any new volunteers. We meet at 10.00 am at the top of Intake Lane and work until 1.00 pm with a break midway. If you wish to come later check the “Welcome to Hagg Wood” notice board at the entrance to the wood, where a note will indicate where we are working in the wood. Bring gloves if you can, and wear stout shoes or wellies. All the necessary tools are provided.
Many visitors to Hagg Wood during the winter period, complained about the muddy paths. This was caused by the frequent heavy spells of rain that we experienced. This raised the water table level in the wood and resulted in flooding of paths. There is a need to create more ditches alongside the major paths to ensure that water can soak away more quickly. The Forestry Commission has been made aware of this problem and hopefully can provide a resource for the work to be carried out.
In the meantime, we have carried out some remedial work on raising the path levels in flood areas along the Millennium Path and Crater Track. We have also created an alternative “dry” track which runs alongside Crater Track to the junction with Keepers Way.
Here are some pictures of the work that was carried out during February and March 2017
If you are visiting the wood to view the bluebells most of the paths are relatively dry so there is no need to wear wellington boots.
Over the Easter period the wood took on all the joys of the Spring season. The wood anemones have flourished in recent years and are now quite stunning. The bluebells have spread to many different areas of the wood as a result of the thinning of the wood and the ongoing work of the volunteers. Primroses, foxgloves and cherry blossom are also adding colour to the wood.
In early April, 18 members of the Friends of Hagg Wood had a fascinating day out to Drax power station and the Skylark nature reserve. The latter is managed by the power station and provides a huge area of woodland where plant and animal life is a priority. In the reserve one can find one hundred species of wildlife on land that previously was wasteland. The visit to the massive power station gave us all an insight into the use of biomass fuel which is shipped from USA on a regular basis.
Our AGM takes place on Wednesday 24th May at 8pm in the Reading Rooms. Following the AGM we will have a talk by Jonathan Dent who is the Manager of St Nicholas Field nature reserve in York. This consists of a site that covers 24 acres and is only one mile from the city centre and is located between an industrial zone and a housing estate. Admission is free for members and a £1.50 charge for non- members.
On Saturday June 3rd we will be having a cycle ride to Ellerton church down the quiet lanes beyond Elvington. Meet at 11am at the play area on Intake Lane. Please bring a packed lunch.
Working parties continue as usual on Saturday mornings and will take place on May 6th, June 10th, July 8th and August 5th. Please meet at the end of Intake Lane at 10am – if you wish to come later check the notice board for a note that will indicate where we are working in the wood.
A group of twenty “friends” enjoyed a fantastic guided walk around the Skylark Centre and the adjacent Nature Reserve at Barlow Mound, which is a unique ecological setting with over 100 species of wildlife in the new natural environment which has now been transformed into an area of natural beauty. This was followed by an excellent lunch at the Comus Inn in Camblesforth, before starting a guided tour around the Drax Power Station in the afternoon to understand how electricity is generated.
A supply of bio-mass arriving by rail for off loading into the storage containers
At the bio-mass storage containers
Up close at the cooling towers
