CROW (Conserve Reading on Wednesdays)
Wednesday, 16th July 2014
Paices Wood Country Park, Aldermaston ~ Scrub clearance

On a hot summer's day volunteers from CROW descended on Paices Wood to clear some of the birch and willow scrub which was growing around the ponds and excluding light.

Fantastic sky!

It was a grim moment and the rest of the team looked on while Terry and Alan worked out whose turn it was to insult the other. Sorry, no idea why everyone is looking so serious, it is too early in the task to be the moment when we found we had forgotten the milk, well there's always the longlife - uck!

Terry & Co. get down to clearing scrub.

The cut material was dragged to the fire site for burning at some future date.

With much of the scrub now cleared the reeds growing in the pond are now clearly visible.

Peter tackles a partly broken willow branch which had fallen on to the bank of the pond. If allowed to remain it would have taken root creating an even greater thicket at the pond's edge.

Lunch. Despite the heat the morning had passed quickly.

One of the cleared areas, before .....

..... and after

A final look at the main pond with much of the encroaching scrub now removed.

Thanks to all who joined us for the day, Barry, Chris, both John's, Judith, Mary, Mike, Peter, Terry and Alan.

Created: Saturday, 19th July 2014
Photographs: Mary Wallman