Newport Canal

March 19, 2010 sees The Wrekin Forest Volunteers arriving at Newport Canal just along the towpath from the town centre greeted by a patch of newly opened Coltsfoot flowers.



And loads of new buds just bursting with life…
Pete gives us the rundown on what is expected today from this ever-growing band of happy, sometimes crazy volunteers and warning us that there is water about so if you’re going to fall in make sure you shout loudly as you do so!





Pete suggests we split into 2 groups; a team of tree-fellers or is that three-fellas - nope - there’s five!

    
And the rest of us are going to be planting 250 new trees! Just as well there's around 14 of us then!
Hang on! Where are the trees? Pete makes an urgent call to Andrew who assures us they’re on the way.


Trees (or whips) soon arrive and we throw them straight into the canal!



This, of course, is just to keep them happy and well-watered whilst we decide where to put them. Amongst the bunches are hawthorn, blackthorn, sallow and Guelder rose.

This is Lis and Linda planting one of the trees watched by Pete who is threatening to whip them if all 250 trees don’t go in! Wearing protective hat in case of reprisal.



Actually, I don’t know whether we're particularly sluggish, jovial or maybe just tired today but we very nearly run out of time - the final 100 going in during the last hour in a combined tree-planting frenzy!

Life as seen through a spade handle

All except Kevin who seemed to spend most of his time washing his boots in a bucket!

 

All in all, job well done with all 250 new trees planted (just!) and a small number of non-native trees and shrubs such as laurel and conifer removed.

Other interesting stuff from the day included this lovely little beast:-

  

Along with Andrena haemorhoa an early Mining Bee who stopped by to say hello and a weevil found by Liz; Notaris bimaculatus. I thought I had pics for both but it seems I don't - unless I've somehow managed to save the insects and lose the pics!

Catch you all soon - and look forward to seeing some of you at Muxton Marsh on the 9th for our first Moth night of the year.

Click the collage below for the Newport Canal slideshow




 
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