Tuesday 25 August 2015

River Ecology Training: 25-08-2015

Today we were lucky enough to be able to attend another training session. This time 13 of us met with Paul to listen to Dan Turner and Caitlin Pearson from the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust. We spent the morning in the Council Chambers in Pateley Bridge learning about the work of the Trust and the many river improvement projects that it is involved in. 

Dan highlighted the many issues that can reduce the quality of rivers and then focused on the various strategies that can be used to reconnect rivers to their floodplains, reduce sedimentation and erosion, eradicate invasive species and ensure that fish are able to migrate to spawn. Caitlin focused on the invertebrates that live in rivers and how they can be used as indicators of river pollution levels. We were also introduced to kick sampling and walk over surveying.

Click HERE to access the powerpoint presentations used during the training session.

Following this input we tried to identify a number of invertebrates that had been captured before the session started in a kick sample. This was fascinating - and the use of two stereoscopic micoscopes helped us see the tiny creatures much more easily. 

Now then Terry and Osian - 
what exactly have you got there?

 Chris uses a turkey baster to suck out the 
interesting fauna from the debris. 
Or is she basting a stonefly nymph?

Left a bit. Right a bit. Stop.
Ah - there it is!

 
There it was indeed. Now - how many legs? 
Jointed or not? More than one tail? ....

After a pleasant lunch break in the churchyard we then headed out along the River Nidd, towards Wath, in order to do some practical work. We had a go at kick sampling, identifying and estimating the size of catch and carrying out a walk over survey. Lots of fun was had by all! 


The NCVs enjoy the sunshine 
(and Anita's home grown cherry tomatoes)

 The group set off for their afternoon practical session.

Graham and Jo have a go at kick sampling.....




The catch is transferred carefully to a tray.

Now - let's all have a look to see what we've caught.

The walk over survey clearly shows the effect of fencing on river bank vegetation.
Where sheep can reach the water's edge there is no Himalayn Balsam. 
Now - does that give anyone any ideas???

Playtime over, the NCVs head back home.

Thanks to Dan and Caitlin for the interesting, informative and enjoyable day.

Meanwhile - in Fishpond Wood another 5 NCVs continued the hard work of installing more of the orienteering posts....

Julia shifts the gravel....

...whilst the men stand by and watch her.

Now - is that in straight?.

Ros E.

Tuesday 18 August 2015

The NCVs' summer walk: 18-08-2015

Today was a day free of balsam pulling, bracken bashing and 'de-rhododendronisation' as it was the day of the annual NCV summer walk. Will kindly offered to lead the way and we all followed like sheep (although at some points Will was at the back and other NCVs took the lead - and not always in the right direction!) The weather was rather gloomy during the morning, and it rained all the way back after lunch, but we all enjoyed ourselves never the less. 

The circular walk began in Glasshouses. We stopped for a coffee break en route and then a tasty sandwich and chips lunch at the Half Moon Pub (courtesy of the AONB office - thanks for that!!) Here Paul was presented with his leaving gift - a photo book to help him remember his three years with us as he moves on to pastures new with the Woodland Trust. We wish him well for the future.

The photos below give you a flavour of the walk. 


A gang of 20 NCVs gather, ready for the off.

Along the River Nidd we went....


.... with one or two unable to resist pulling some balsam on the way.


At Smelthouses everyone waited for the last in the group to catch up...


...before setting off up the lovely wooded 
valley of Fell Beck.


Here we stopped for a coffee break...

...and then crossed the rickety, rackety bridge, 
keeping a watchful eye for the troll hiding underneath.


Up towards Brimham Rocks we admired the gaggle of geese....


...and the lovely (if dark) views.

There were many stiles along the way that slowed progress at regular intervals:



Some were very demanding in terms of actually reaching 
the wall - particularly for the tallest members of the group!


One led straight into a blackthorn forest - ouch!


We all enjoyed our lunchtime treat....

...wherever we sat.

Tony - will you please look at the camera? 


Ha Ha - got you!


Ladies - raise your chips to the AONB office who paid for them!

Paul is presented with his gift and thanked for 
all he has done over the last three years.


Paul and his photo book of memories.

On the way back everyone was judged on their crossing style 
as they traversed one particular stream on some very slippy rocks.

Back in Glasshouses the gang awaited the stragglers.

We now look forward to our Christmas walk!

Ros E.



Thursday 13 August 2015

Fishpond Wood: 11-08-2015

We all know about “de-rhododendronisation” but this was a relatively tame affair. Not the usual mass slaughter, more a reprise of previous visits to cull regeneration. Nevertheless a passing dog walker accused us of vandalism, an unkind remark that we bore with our usual stoicism.


New shoots are starting to sprout.

 
 Don't you dare!

Jan and Will prefer to deal with the slightly larger branches... 

...as they are much more tasty. 

But there was an additional task. While most of us tackled the re-growth, Paul worked with a small muscular group in hole digging tasks with the intention of planting 17 posts that would replace some unattractive geocache markers. Children lucky enough to spend time at Bewerley Park Outdoor Centre will be the beneficiaries. 

Work begins on inserting  geocache posts.

It's not so easy as it sounds...

...so forces have to be joined.

 Once in they look very smart.

Better than the old ones!

Lunchtime for the gang.

We, “the Vandals”, left the Postmen, “the Visigoths” to get  on with the work until we ran out of pre-cut rhodies early in the afternoon at which time there was a lull in activities with the Vandals unsure what to do next. Three serious students of flora were seen using their apps to identify nettle species.
How many petals? What about the leaf arrangement? 

Others slunk back to the Barn and as I was one of the slinkers I don’t know what happened next. But having seen the Visigoths at work it was obvious that they were having a difficult time and we may be back there again to continue with the geocache work.


Next week it’s the Summer Walk! This week there were twelve of us under Paul’s leadership, next week Will is in charge and the tempting thought of free food at a local pub should result in a good turnout.

Tony

An aside for interested readers:

The Fishpond Wood ice house is now fully renovated and looks wonderful. Living inside the house is a number of European cave spiders .
An additional job that some of the Vandals did this week was to bash the bracken around the ice house - no easy task! This obviously happened once the slinkers had slunk!!

All this bracken....

...was masking this lovely ice house.

Inside the spiders are patiently waiting for their prey.