Our site today was alongside Calton Gill near the small village of Flasby just north of Skipton. Although the site is within view of the Grassington Road, there was no access for the minibus from this road so we were escorted, from a rendez-vous point in Gargrave, along a farm track on the other near Flasby. The minibus coped with the muddy conditions, which were just a taste of things to come.
The planting is part of the Aire flood defence scheme; increased tree cover will slow the low down-stream. We were planting a mix of oak, bird cherry, downy birch, willow and lime on the hillside by the gill. All the trees were protected from deer and rabbits. The planting area wasn’t too wet; but getting there we had a fair walk through mud and wet fields. We followed a different route back, flatter but still very wet. Between us and the regular Forest of Bradford volunteers we planted 300 trees, not bad considering the walking involved to access the site, and the early finish to allow for our regular Christmas visit to Naylor’s Brewery.