Light at the end of the tunnel?

Posted byLiz @ HeggsPosted inNatural flood management, Tree planting, volunteering eventsTags:, , , , , , ,

It was no surprise to learn that the last 5 months have been the wettest on record for Yorkshire since 1872. The rain simply hasn’t stopped. We have had to redraw our flood plain boundaries; accommodate new springs and run off pathways; rethink our ford access contingency plan; and abandon a number of projects entirely. Yep, winter 2023-24 has certainly given us plenty to think about re the continuing trend of wetter and warmer weather (aka climate change). 

Scrapes full to bursting throughout winter.
The riparian landscape changed as often as the ebb and flow of the Arkle.
Ford crossings were impossible for much of the winter; and continue to fluctuate.
Spot the tide line of debris in the foreground. The Arkle frequently spilled over throughout winter.

We realise we’ve been pretty quiet too: Partly because ground conditions have made the volunteer projects we had in mind logistically impossible; partly because we’ve been gathering our thoughts after what feels like a hectic year of constant works, and comings and goings.

Progress has been made however: Groups of corporate and army volunteers spent a couple of rare sunny days up the fell, fettling windblown saplings and removing tree guards from more established trees. We’ve worked together with Sustainable Swaledale throughout the season, removing tubes from a neighbouring 9-acre plantation, and planting 30m of new hedging. Unnecessary internal fencing has been taken down, making the site more connective and wildlife-friendly. And a team from the OUSEWEM NFM project recorded tadpoles in several of our scrapes (which have been permanently full of water since November).

Volunteered members of Company 14 from Catterick Camp looking happy at clocking-off time.
30m of new hedgerow planted in the flood plain, courtesy of Sustainable Swaledale volunteers.
Volunteered gardeners from St John of God Hospitaller Services in front of newly de-tubed trees.
Some of the 30+ dumpy bags of tree tubes removed and ready to go for recycling.
View from our guided tour of the newly-planted woodland. Credit to Gray at Scenic View Gallery, Reeth.
Remnants of an old, 300m fenceline, ready for scrap collection.

So, what next? Spring has definitely sprung, and with it a renewed determination to make the most of the drier months ahead, when everything feels just that little bit easier. We’ve got a few exciting projects in the pipeline, along with some interesting volunteer days; so please keep an eye out for our calendar of events (coming soon).

How else can you get involved? If you’re walking or riding through the cluster in the coming weeks, we’d really appreciate your help by adding any nesting bird sightings to our iNaturalist project page. Kestrel, barn owl and tawny owl have also been seen hunting across the site recently: Please join us in logging all birds of prey you spot on the free BirdTrack app, which is used to determine local population sizes.

Until next time, happy spring! Liz, Martin & Andrew.

One of our thriving, one year-old saplings, planted on Fremington Edge during winter 2022-23. We will be doing a full beat up and survival count in May; ready to restock any losses in winter 2024-25.

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