Buckthorn removal: plans for 2009) by Tony Denton 10 April 2009 Ravine access There will be a need for frequent access to the work area in the ravine to the south of the Centre. The path used last year was steep, slippery and very visible, a temptation for unauthorized explorers. The new path starts by the toolshed and is less obvious, also less steep, the only negative point being a need to duck under a tree branch. The bridge over the creek is now in place. Ravine work area The trees planted last year need to be tended and nurtured, and there is a plan to plant many more trees and shrubs. Buckthorn removal Sandy has committed everyone to help with the buckthorn elimination. This does not need to be as intimidating as it sounds. There are different activities involved in buckthorn removal, the hardest of which is the actual pulling of the stumps with a Weedwrench. To remove a large tree, a team is needed, one person on the puller (usually Ed, Al or me), a second person using loppers to cut branches and roots, then two or three (ideally) to clear away the branches and stack them. Which task anyone chooses to do, and for how long, is entirely up to the individual. A team effort is always satisfying, as is looking back and seeing what has been achieved. The other aspect of buckthorn elimination is killing the roots of trees which could not be pulled, for whatever reason. The stump has to be cut flush with the ground then covered with a piece of rubber pool-liner which is then pegged down. There are many stumps in the ravine and elsewhere which could not be covered last fall, and which must be done before they start sprouting. The buckthorn work season is limited by the need to avoid working in the woods at the time that birds are nesting, in order to avoid disturbing them, so it is important to get started now and make the most of the next few weeks. Today was perfect, apart from the mud, and anyone coming next week will be sure of finding something to do. This page was updated on 10 April 2009 © Fletcher Wildlife Garden Our e-mail address