TTF in Callow

Today the Tuesday task force went to Callow hollow to do some Bracken slashing and bashing, it wont be the first time nor the last. A lot of bracken management takes place on the Long Mynd ranging from slashing to spraying and cutting by tractor or Robocutter, and the TTF play a big part in getting it all done.

Bracken

 Bracken cutting is going well with both tractor mowing and our Tuesday Task Force slashing; we will have it clear in no time.

 Recently Assistant Ranger Will has been mowing up near Minton and the Tuesday Task Force have been in Batch Valley.

Bracken Cutting

The tractor has its double wheels on and is ready to start cutting bracken! Every year we cut over 40ha in our efforts to reduce bracken, and on High Park you can really see a difference! The bracken there is much shorter compared to the bracken on the rest of the hill. You also get a great view of North Shropshire!

Bracken Bashing!

Rangers and TTF tried a new technique this morning for beating back bracken: beating it! They used bamboo canes to hit the top off young bracken shoots. This forces the plant to put more energy into growing than spreading, and although the area will need further bashing, it will hopefully have a significant impact on the bracken (and it was good for anger management too!)



Bracken V Heather

The battle between heather and bracken on the hill is fiercely fought, the National Trust being firmly on the side of heather. This picture shows how the recently burnt heather has grown back stronger than before, so thick that the bracken cannot grow in it. This is what we are aiming for on the rest of the hill.

A clear line, with bracken on the left and heather on the right

Fighting Bracken

The small hedgeplants in the Batch field are being threatened! Bracken has taken over and is shading out all our saplings and trying to ruin all our hard work! So over the past few weeks the TTF have been battling it out with the Bracken pulling out the roots to give the hedge room to breath.



Eileen, Barbara and Patrick wading through the Bracken





Last of the Bracken cutting

This week saw the last of the Bracken cutting took place on Minton Hill for this year. Overall this year there has been a total of 46 hectares cut across the Long Mynd by Nick Robinson, Dave Cowell and Tom Llewellyn.

There were some wonderful views seen from inside the tractor!

Bracken Control

Bracken Spraying took place at Duckley Nap last week as part of the bracken control measures on the hill. A large area was sprayed by the rangers and volunteers in the hope of reducing the spread of the invasive species. If the weather holds out, we aim to do more over the coming weeks, especially targeting the fields in Batch Valley.

John, Kate, Tom, Matt, Dave and Will suited up for spraying.

Another method of control is to cut the bracken with the mower on the back of the tractor. With the help of the double wheels to stabilise the tractor, large areas have been cut on Plush Hill and in The Rings. Bracken has also been pulled out along the replanted hedge line at the Batch to help the young trees survive.

Area of cut bracken.

Bracken Cutting

It is that time of year when we begin cutting bracken on the hill. On Friday, Nick the Assistant Ranger was helped by two volunteers to put the double wheels on the tractor which will improve stability when going over uneven and sloping terrain.Cutting will commence next week.



Les and John fitting the double wheels.



Bracken Cutting

This year we have cut nearly 17 hectares of bracken. This helps supress the growth of the invasive plant and provides better grazing for the livestock on the hill. It also means we can claim money from the Higher Level Stewardship scheme (HLS). The tractor is fitted with a flail mower, powered from the PTO. Twin wheels are also fitted to the tractor for safety and they allow for the Rangers to cut bracken on the steeper slopes. The amount of bracken cut was measured using a GPS device and then the data was transferred onto a computer for the records.