Plock Wood balsam removal

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andy leach
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by andy leach »

Out early doors this morning monitoring nesting birds for the B.T.O nest recording scheme. As is the norm for me at this time of year. A good friend of mine Paul farnworth allso monitors nesting attemps. I spoke to him last night about going out this morning and I may call at plock wood to check on the blackcaps and garden warbler. Dont chuffin bother was his reply or word to that effect theres no bramble left. How bad can it be says I. HOW BAD IT LOOK LIKE IT BEEN NAJPALMED not a bramble stalk in sight NO NESTING there this year. Last year that bramble patch held breeding blackcap garden warbler wren blackbird robin and long tailed tit. Now nothing SINCE WHEN has plock wood been on lower burgh meadow.
Neil Southworth
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by Neil Southworth »

Andy, the area was cleared of Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam as part of the Lower Burgh Meadows Habitat Management Plan produced by Bowland Ecology for Chorley Borough Council. Apparently some of the brambles had to be cleared to get at the balsam.
Eddie Langrish
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by Eddie Langrish »

Hi Andy,
Assuming you mean the small area that the brambles have been cut down in, so as to get at the balsam.

Last July /August there was that much balsam shadowing the Brambles, that in two years there would not be any brambles in that area.
Now that the Balsam is going to be cleared over the next two years, the brambles will come back stronger.

There has been some smaller bramble areas in plock wood, cleared of balsam last year, with only a few that will need pulling this year ( very Carefully ) so as not to disturb wildlife using them.
You will also notice, Hundreds of square yards have been cleared of Balsam last year, where now you see native ground flora, again with a few balsam stragglers awaiting pulling this year.

Should you wish to look in the wood from the recycling depot to the pond at the Kissing gate, you will see that there has been a significant increase in Bramble and ground flora in that wooded area, only brought about by group members clearing the 40 to 50% coverage of Balsam that was in that wood, over the last 3 years.

As Neil says, we are following the Bowland ecology management plan with regards to Balsam removal.

Please also note, that when the meadow is cut next September, an area of Bramble that has been cut by the tractor every year, just as the bramble stand gets mature enough to allow birds to nest in it,( Paul Farnworth will know where I mean ) will not be cut this year, or future years, unless to eradicate Reed Canary Grass in them.

If anyone wishes to come round the meadow with me and group members, ask any questions you wish in relation to the improvements on the meadow.

On the other hand, if anyone wishes to help out in Plock wood with clearing the Balsam, our Public Balsam Bash Day is on Sunday June 7th, please make a note and come down to help us out, meet at the tip kissing gate at 10am.
The more the merrier, then we can really make a large improvement to the area and bring back Native growth.

Thanks Eddie
Eddie Langrish
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by Eddie Langrish »

Hi All,
Records show that to date this year Lower Burgh Meadow Conservation Group members have pulled 11.580 Balsam from this area and a test 1 square yard area was counted last week and held 1002 of 2 inch high Balsam.
The total area approximate average of 300 square yards ( 20 by 15 yards) equates to average 300,000 Balsam in the area. Lets not over load that figure, so lets say only 250,000 Balsam in Total.
Now, I am no expert on how many of these Balsam will mature to produce seeds, because lets face it, they are competing with each other for nutrients.

Ask yourselves 250,000 Balsam maturing in already severely depleted bramble area because of Balsam , which plant will win. Balsam ???

Please note, in the wood from tip to Pond, there is many 100's of square yards of Bramble, maturing nicely, since some bramble was cut down to access the Balsam and because of the balsam clearance completed.

I now hope this is fully understood.

Thanks for your patience Eddie :wink:
Eddie Langrish
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by Eddie Langrish »

Hi All,
Lower Burgh Meadow conservation group Records now show 21,160 balsam have been cleared from the area, only an other 228,840 to go.

Please make a note in your diaries and come and give us a lift when we are having the Balsam bash public day.
It is Sunday 7th June.
Meet at the tip kissing gate at 10am, bring your butties, a drink, strong footwear and cover for your arms etc as we will be carefully working among brambles ( which will have been surveyed for nesting birds the day before ) , not by hitting each bramble patch with a big stick to see if a bird fly's out, as some people do , but by standing away and observing.

We will also be working in Nettle areas, as well as easy open spaces.

If you do know you will be attending, please let me know, then I can send you the risk assessment that covers us for Balsam Bashing, which will save a bit of time on the day.

If on the other hand, you fancy pulling some by yourself before that date, please let me know the amount pulled and only count those pulled in the clearing, which is recognised by having a dead hedge that the group built by highering the crowns of the trees round the edge of the clearing, which once the area is cleared of Balsam, will allow the brambles to take over a bigger area than before.

If you pull any outside the clearing, please let us know approx. numbers , so we can record how many has grown in the areas we cleared from dense balsam growth last year.
Search http://www.lowerburghmeadowconservation ... m-bashing/ for before and after photos.

At this time of year the best way the group feels balsam can be counted, is to place a half inch long stick in your pocket, every time you reach 100, ( plenty sticks on the ground ) :D
Please however do not pull any in the marked square yard area, which since 1002 were counted when pulled initially, there has been 14 more germinations in that square yard since.

OOPPPs, better tell you where the work is taking place, go through the kissing gate near to the tip, walk up to where the fence come to the corner, just in front of you the path goes to the meadow, at this point turn right into the wood, walk about 100 mtrs into the wood and with a bit of luck, you will see the dead hedge and the clearing beyond, have fun pulling.

Thank you, Eddie Langrish
Eddie Langrish
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by Eddie Langrish »

HI ALl,
Should have said turn LEFT into wood :oops: Thanks Eddie
andy leach
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by andy leach »

It was felt by you (eddie langrish) that the use of the word najpalm was a bit to strong in reference to the removal of the bramble in plock wood. So maybe I should have been a bit more diplomatic with my choice of words (but then again diplomacy was never one of my strong points) so apologies for the use of the word najpalm with regards to the bramble removal.
Eddie Langrish
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by Eddie Langrish »

Hi Andy,
You have been miss informed, I feel that your whole posting has no diplomacy about it, your title for starters can be said to be aggressive, I also suggest you look up the various translations of Chuffin and the exaggeration that there are no brambles left in Plock wood is also wrong, and your definite jibe at Lower Burgh Meadow Conservation group with your last statement in your posting " SINCE WHEN has plock wood been on lower burgh meadow" very aggressive in my book.
Further apologies will be accepted.

When you sir, do not know the half of what's is going on, yet you have a copy of the Bowland management plan, so you must not of looked at it.
All you needed to do Andy, was give me a ring. ( with diplomacy )

Also what is upsetting is that you, Neil & I looked at the willow scrub area that you do your mist netting in only 2 weeks ago and between us came up with a great management plan for the area, using the Bowland ecologist management plan and making that area more safe & secluded for all wildlife concerned and for your mist netting. and keeping the model aircraft club happy as well.
Chorley Council have given us the go ahead and I would think the work will be done next Jan / February as per what we discussed at our meeting.


I also offered to you, that LBMCG will maintain the heights of the scrub you need 3.5 mtrs out from your mist net rides. you said you would let us know when and we could discuss and do job, once OK'd by Chorley council, I asked if they could be cut ( when Needed ) after flowering, so as not to cut off next years flowers, as they flower on last years growth.

I just don't know why you took the action you did.
Anyway, await your further posting and see you on the Balsam bash day on June 7th :?:

Cheers Eddie
Eddie Langrish
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by Eddie Langrish »

Hi All,
Lower Burgh Meadow conservation group had a work day today, doing various things on the meadow and woodland in line with the ecologist Management plan.
With regards to the clearing in Plock Wood, group members have now smashed through the 50 thousand barrier and the count now stands at 54,982 balsam pulled.

Can I please remind you all of our Public Balsam Bash event that we have held for the last 5 years in woodland round the meadows edge and as a result have cleared 400 yard by 100 yards of woodland, bringing it back to natural flora, including Brambles, Chorley Council has help us out twice by initially strimming an area, before the group and public have gone in to pull the stragglers, year in year out.

Please do make a note in your diary & come along, meet us at the kissing gate near to the recycling centre at 10 am on Sunday 7th June.

Thank you Eddie Langrish ( Really had a good work day today ) :D
Eddie Langrish
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by Eddie Langrish »

Hi All,
The group has a work day last Sunday, please see photos below. Thanks Eddie
Attachments
Cleared of Balsam 2014, Bramble stand Plock Wood Mid May 2015.jpg
Cleared of Balsam 2014, Bramble stand Plock Wood Mid May 2015.jpg (228.83 KiB) Viewed 8884 times
Initial Clearance 17-05-2015 plock wood clearing.jpg
Initial Clearance 17-05-2015 plock wood clearing.jpg (216.11 KiB) Viewed 8884 times
Balsam coverage example 18-05-2015.jpg
Balsam coverage example 18-05-2015.jpg (215.31 KiB) Viewed 8884 times
Eddie Langrish
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by Eddie Langrish »

Hi All,
Just a update on the Balsam bashing in the clearing and Plock wood itself.
Lower Burgh Meadow conservation group, have in the clearing pulled to date 81,583, scythed 98 square mtrs at 500 per square mtr, totals 130,583 eradicated in the clearing, only 50, 000 to finish, the group will be pulling/scything the others over the rest of summer, right up to mid October.
The brambles have started to put new shouts out, so fingers crossed, we can get at next years germination stragglers without cutting the bramble down again.

The public Balsam bash day of the 7th June was well attended, we pulled all the singletons from an area ( 1000 square mtrs ) we strimmed last year and cut down other large stands estimated covering 800 square mtrs, which we will be pulling the stragglers over the coming months to.

Click the link to see updates and read about the Balsam bashing http://www.lowerburghmeadowconservation ... m-bashing/

Cheers Eddie
Eddie Langrish
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by Eddie Langrish »

Hi All,
Just a up date on the balsam pulling in the clearing, the group has now pulled 151,224.

Cheers Eddie
tony
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by tony »

Hi Eddie
Just wanted to say what a fantastic job you and the group are doing with the Balsam.
I'm afraid I rarely read this section (probably like many other members) but i'm sure no one would mind if you posted advance notices of balsam bashing days in the recent sightings section.
That way hopefully a few other members will see it & join you (myself included, it might help me get fitter) :D
Thanks
Tony
Eddie Langrish
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by Eddie Langrish »

Hi Tony,
Thanks for your encouraging comment, yes, the group has cleared a lot of the stuff over the years, we are holding a work day tomorrow Sunday 26th July, actually in the clearing and surrounding areas, if the weather will let us.
If anyone wishes to help out, please have your arms and legs covered, as we will be working in brambles and nettles, carefully :lol:

Its great to see the native flora return, along with many more insects and the rest of the natural chain coming back to an area.
As well as having a few work days left this year, to tactal the stuff, we have already choosen areas for eradication next year.

I have PM'd you,

Thanks again Eddie
Eddie Langrish
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Plock Wood balsam removal

Post by Eddie Langrish »

Hi All,
On Sunday 26th July, members attended the groups work day and we have finally cleared the area we know as the Clearing in Plock wood, when we say finally, there is no Balsam to be seen, ( unless we missed one or two ) we know there will be other germinations this year and next spring, as its known that the seeds are viable for at least two years.
Members yesterday pulled out 1800 balsam around the hearts of Bramble & Fern, in amongst grasses etc.

The area will be checked periodically for the rest of the growing season ( until late October) and it is planned that in the winter, we cut & remove Ferns and nettle that have died back, ( leaving the bramble ) so we have easy access to those areas for pulling the stuff next year.

To date from mid March to now, group members have pulled 155,132 today the area is clear of balsam and we will get the rest of it over the next year.

Members are meeting this Wednesday & Thursday evening ( 29th/30th July) at the tip kissing gate at 6 pm, to pull balsam in plock wood, from other areas of Bramble, Nettle and clear areas, if you fancy attending, please let me know, as I need to send you risk assessment stuff etc, before you help out. and come with arms and legs covered.

Cheers Eddie :D
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