Maintaining Snakemoor

Many ramblers and dog walkers take great pleasure in walking around Snakemoor, Haddenham's own local nature reserve. So they will be thankful that there is a team of volunteers who generously give up their time to help maintain the area, to keep the walkways safe and clear, and maintain the wellbeing of trees, shrubs and many varieties of plants and flowers.

On Tuesday 28th January the latest work party composed of Jim Joiner, Ros Hawarth, Jim Robinson, Ernie Pusey, David Rankin, John Wilson, Martin Bygate, Bill & Janet Piers, Michael Whitney and Robyn Thorogood attended and achieved the following:

• An orchard well pruned under the direction of Ernie
• Removal of a few large split and unsafe trees with David on chainsaw ... and big John Wayne, on xylophone?
• Removal of Elder trees to make space for and the planting of a new Elm*
• Planted a Douglas Fir
• Moved an apple trees from the shade of an Oak
• Trimmed back the entrance path and cleared many fallen branches to wood piles.

Given that the rain was about to dampen proceedings, Chris Thorogood served soup to those who returned to Dormer Cottage.

* Enie Pusey kindly purchased the new Elm for Snakemoor. This is a Morfeo Elm from Ashridge Nurseries. It is a new hybrid with strong resistance to Dutch Elm disease Similar to our native Ulmus minor. Produces foodplant for the (threatened) White-letter Hair-streak butterfly. It is planted just off the bank near the station end of the ditch.