Unfortunately, due to the heavy snowfall across Wales this week, the ERC was closed so we spent the week working on our new projects from home.
Thursday 24 January 2013
Week 14: 21st - 24th January
Unfortunately, due to the heavy snowfall across Wales this week, the ERC was closed so we spent the week working on our new projects from home.
Thursday 17 January 2013
Week 13: 14th - 17th January (Sally)
Monday
As it's the first Monday of January that we're all in the office, we had are monthly team meeting to keep everyone up-to-date on plans and events that are coming up this month.
After lunch we visited two sites that have requested Gwent Wildlife Trust to enhance the area to benefit local wildlife.
First stop, Llanelly Hill, where an overgrown pond is in need of some serious TLC. The planning and organisation of this project has been assigned to me.
The next stop was Goytre House Wood. This site project has been assigned to Beth and roughly consists of bramble clearance along one of the boundary fences. Lesser spotted woodpeckers have been sighted in the area, so fingers crossed we'll be luck enough to spot one!
First stop, Llanelly Hill, where an overgrown pond is in need of some serious TLC. The planning and organisation of this project has been assigned to me.
The next stop was Goytre House Wood. This site project has been assigned to Beth and roughly consists of bramble clearance along one of the boundary fences. Lesser spotted woodpeckers have been sighted in the area, so fingers crossed we'll be luck enough to spot one!
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| Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Image - http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/lsw_tcm9-174179.jpg?width=530&height=298&crop=auto) |
Tuesday
Due to ill health I was absent from work today.
Beth took the opportunity to start working on her woodland management project in the office. She also created a very artistic display board for an upcoming event 'Brilliant Birds', which will be held at the ERC next Saturday (26th), all are welcome to join the team!
Michaël helped Tom, our reserve officer, transport tools from the ERC to the new storage unit.
Due to ill health I was absent from work today.
Beth took the opportunity to start working on her woodland management project in the office. She also created a very artistic display board for an upcoming event 'Brilliant Birds', which will be held at the ERC next Saturday (26th), all are welcome to join the team!
Michaël helped Tom, our reserve officer, transport tools from the ERC to the new storage unit.
Wednesday
I spent the morning in a meeting regarding the 'People & Wildlife Project'; this was to evaluate areas of the project. The 'People & Wildlife Project' allows a team to guide individuals of all ages and abilities in discovering wildlife and their environment in Rassau, Garnlydan, through Ebbw Vale, Waunlwyd and Cwm.
After lunch Becky (Community Education Officer), Tom (Reserve Officer) and I headed up to Silent Valley. We arranged the tool storage and installed a shiny new workbench! I was given the most important task....getting the storm kettle ready for some well deserved tea in the chilly temperatures! This job sounded pretty straight forward but flint fire starters take some getting use to. Luckily though, after some perseverance, we had a fire going.
After lunch Becky (Community Education Officer), Tom (Reserve Officer) and I headed up to Silent Valley. We arranged the tool storage and installed a shiny new workbench! I was given the most important task....getting the storm kettle ready for some well deserved tea in the chilly temperatures! This job sounded pretty straight forward but flint fire starters take some getting use to. Luckily though, after some perseverance, we had a fire going.
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| Lighting the storm kettle! |
Thursday
A chilly start to the day as a fresh dusting of snow was around the ERC. I set some of the morning aside to undertake my pond management project - although I did get distracted by a large noisy flock of Goldfinches and a Brambling on the feeders outside! I then decided to brave the temperature and take some lovely photographs of the snow around the grounds.
In the afternoon Michaël and I helped Tom with tree clearance in the ERC wood. The trees here were all planted, resulting in all species being similar ages. Thinning the trees creates a varied age structure and promotes growth of the woodland undergrowth. Tom began the job by logging up the dropped trees, we then move the branches into brash piles to be used to complete our dead hedge.
In the afternoon Michaël and I helped Tom with tree clearance in the ERC wood. The trees here were all planted, resulting in all species being similar ages. Thinning the trees creates a varied age structure and promotes growth of the woodland undergrowth. Tom began the job by logging up the dropped trees, we then move the branches into brash piles to be used to complete our dead hedge.
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| Dropped tree |
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| Brash pile ready for dead hedging |
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| ERC in the snow |
Friday 11 January 2013
Week 12: 7th - 10th January 2013 (Beth)
Monday
First day back to work and to kick off the new year, a male Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) was spotted on the ERC feeders!
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| Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) male in winter plumage. (Image: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/b/brambling/index.aspx) |
Myself and Sally spent the morning helping the Community Education Officer prepare various fun activities and creating quizzes for the upcoming 'Brilliant Birds' event here at the ERC on Saturday 26th January …Check out “2013 EVENTS!” under our ‘Blog Archive’ on the right hand side for more info!
In the afternoon we resumed our weekly Welsh lessons! This weeks topic was likes and dislikes:
"Dw i'n hoffi dysgu Cymraeg!" - I like learning Welsh!
"Beth mae hi'n hoffi wneud yn ei hamser sbâr?" - What does she like doing in her spare time?
Tuesday
Unfortunately I was ill today so was unable to come in to work..
Sally spent the day visiting local stores for equipment, completing general office tasks, and continuing to help the Community Education Officer with the preparation of activities for the 'Brilliant Birds' event.
Sally spent the day visiting local stores for equipment, completing general office tasks, and continuing to help the Community Education Officer with the preparation of activities for the 'Brilliant Birds' event.
Wednesday
Feeling much better today so back to work! We spent the whole day at the ERC; everyone busy with new year/back-to-work e-mails and meetings.
In the morning we all attended an informal meeting with a local ecologist, then myself and Sally carried out a tools stock check. Going through all the tools we compiled a list of items and quantities - an important (but time-consuming!) task.
After a lovely lunch break in the sunshine watching a flock of goldfinches devour the ERC bird feeders, I spent the afternoon doing various office tasks, organised a potential training course, and had a meeting with the reserve officer and our project leader.
In the morning we all attended an informal meeting with a local ecologist, then myself and Sally carried out a tools stock check. Going through all the tools we compiled a list of items and quantities - an important (but time-consuming!) task.
After a lovely lunch break in the sunshine watching a flock of goldfinches devour the ERC bird feeders, I spent the afternoon doing various office tasks, organised a potential training course, and had a meeting with the reserve officer and our project leader.
Thursday
Today both myself and Sally spent the day making a start on clearing bracken and bamble at Silent Valley - after passing our brushcutter course before Christmas, we were both eager to get some practice and this path-clearing task was the perfect opportunity!
Once we'd prepared all the tools and arrived at the reserve, the reserve officer explained what needed doing and, after re-capping on brushcutter and strimmer safety and checking our use of the machines, he left us to it.
We started by pulling all the grass and bracken away from the reserve boundary fence line so we could safely brushcut/strim the vegetation without damaging the fence. Firing up the machines we got to work clearing both sides of the path. Once cut, we raked all of the debris into large piles and moved it all off the trail. I then litter picked the area, we cleaned the machines, and tidied up.
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| Me brushcutting a tangle of brambles and bracken. |
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| Raking up the cut vegetation. |
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| Part of the path before clearance... |
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| Same part of the path after clearance... Certainly a difference! |
It was important to get this job done before the spring so that the path won't be overgrown later in the year!
2013 EVENTS!
• • • HAPPY NEW YEAR!! • • •
2013 is Gwent Wildlife Trust's 50th Anniversary!!
We have a whole list of wonderful events set up for this year...
So here's a few to put in your calendar!!.. All going on at either the Environmental Resource Centre (ERC) or Silent Valley Nature Reserve.
So here's a few to put in your calendar!!.. All going on at either the Environmental Resource Centre (ERC) or Silent Valley Nature Reserve.
Saturday 26th January » "Brilliant Birds" - CANCELLED!
11am - 3pm @ ERC
FREE for members; £3 per family for non-members.
Join the team in Ebbw Vale for a day of bird related fun! Enjoy hot drinks, welshcakes, and plenty of arts and crafts!
Friday 8th February » "Basic Hedgelaying for Beginners"
FREE!
Booking essential.
Come along and learn how to prepare a hedge for laying in a South Wales style!
Suitable footwear and clothing required.
Thursday 14th February » "Silent Valley Guided Walk"
10:30am - 12:30pm @ Silent Valley
FREE for members; £3 for non-members.
Booking essential.
Booking essential.
A delightful walk around the stunning valley-side woodland reserve of Silent Valley led by the reserves officer Tom. This walk does require a reasonable level of physical fitness and appropriate footwear and clothing.
*This event is weather-dependent so please contact us beforehand!
Wednesday 6th March » "Permaculture Basics"
10:30am - 3pm @ ERC
FREE for members; £5 for non-members.
Booking essential.
Heard a bit about permaculture and want to know more? This one day workshop will introduce you to the basic principles of permaculture and some of the techniques used to design sustainable systems to benefit people and wildlife. Lunch can be provided at an additional cost – please contact
us for more information.
Friday 15th March » "Basic Butterfly Identification"
10am - 2pm @ ERC (or nearby venue)
FREE!
Booking essential.
Discover the basics of identifying and recording butterfly species! This is ideal if you want
to start recording local species, with the opportunity to get involved in surveying at Silent Valley Nature Reserve over the summer. Refreshments provided but please bring a packed lunch!
Wednesday 10th April » "Gardening With Nature"
10:30am - 3pm @ ERC (or nearby venue)
FREE for members; £5 for non-members.
Booking essential.
Find out how following permaculture design principles and techniques can help to design a garden which can be very productive and beneficial to wildlife. Permaculture is based on observations of nature and how it works so ideal if you want to develop a more natural form of gardening.
Lunch can be provided at an additional cost – please contact us for more information.
Thursday 25th April » "Introduction to Woodland Management"
1:30pm - 4pm @ Silent Valley
FREE for members; £3 for non-members.
Booking essential.
This guided walk will introduce you to the basic concepts behind managing woodlands for people and wildlife. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear and bring refreshments.
Wednesday 8th May » "Gardening With Bees"
10:30am - 3pm @ ERC (or nearby venue)
FREE for members; £5 for non-members.
Booking essential.
Bees need our help! This one day workshop will introduce you to the needs of bees and demonstrate how you can help them on your patch - and you don't need acres of land, even a small windowbox can provide beneficial habitats for our buzzy friends!
Beneficial plants will be available for sale.
Lunch can be provided at an additional cost – please contact us for more information.
Wednesday 15th May » "Permaculture Design Tools & Techniques"
10:30am - 3pm @ ERC (or nearby venue)
FREE for members; £5 for non-members.
Booking essential.
Come along and learn the basic tools and techniques used to design sustainable projects such as gardens, workspaces, and lifestyles!
Lunch can be provided at an additional cost – please contact us for more information.
Friday 31st May » "Silent Valley Family Fun Day!"
11am - 3pm @ Silent Valley
FREE for members; £5 per family for non-members.Booking essential.
Fun for all the family in the great outdoors! Bring a picnic to enjoy among the trees or near the stream and enjoy the beautiful spring-time scenery at Silent Valley.
Thursday 20th June » "Dragons & Damsels"
10:30am - 3pm @ ERC (or nearby venue)
FREE for members; £5 for non-members.
Booking essential.
A wonderful opportunity to learn about these beautiful creatures and see them in their full glory!
*Weather permitting!
Thursday 1st August » "Woodfest!"
10:30am - 4:30pm @ Silent Valley
FREE! (donations welcome)
Help us celebrate 50 years of Gwent Wildlife Trust AND 100 years of the British Ecological Society at one of our biggest reserves – Silent Valley. Lots of fun and informative activities for everyone to enjoy, including green woodworking, sheepdog demonstrations, wildlife crafts, and guided walks!!Thursday 8th August » "Moth Mania"
9pm til LATE @ ERC
FREE for members; £3 for non-members.
Booking essential.
Join local naturalists to find out all sorts of interesting things about moths in Blaenau Gwent!
*Weather permitting.
Thursday 15th August » "Forest School Family Funday!"
10:30am - 3pm @ Silent Valley
FREE for members; £5 per family for non-members.Booking essential.
A fun-filled day exploring the woods, finding out who lives there and trying out new skills! Suitable for children from three years upwards with parents/guardians.
Suitable footwear & clothing required!
Thursday 22nd August » "Reptile Ramble"
11am - 2pm @ Silent Valley
FREE for members; £5 per family for non-members.
Booking essential.
Booking essential.
Join Tom and Rebecca on a guided walk to see what reptiles (and other interesting wildlife!) you can spot as you ramble around Silent Valley Nature Reserve.
Thursday 29th August » "Minibeast Adventures!"
Thursday 29th August » "Minibeast Adventures!"
10:30am - 3pm @ Silent Valley
FREE for members; £5 per family for non-members.
Booking essential.
Booking essential.
Come on an adventure looking for minibeasts amongst the trees, flowers and maybe the streams! Suitable clothing must be worn and under 16s to be accompanied by an adult.
Wednesday 4th September » "Farming & Conservation - A Traditional Welsh"
Wednesday 4th September » "Farming & Conservation - A Traditional Welsh"
10:00am - 2:30pm @ ERC (or nearby venue)
£6 (to include light lunch and refreshments)
Booking essential.
Booking essential.
For centuries, Wales has been shaped by small scale farming appropriate to the environment in which it was carried out. Discover this traditional approach to farming and how it can help inform our conservation efforts today!
Wednesday 4th September » "Bat & Moth Walk"
9pm til LATE @ Silent Valley
FREE for members; £3 non-members.
Booking essential.
Booking essential.
A fantastic opportunity to learn about the bats and moths that make Silent Valley Nature Reserve their home. After a guided walk with bat detectors, you will have the chance to see a variety of moths caught that evening.
*Weather permitting!
Tuesday 15th October » "All About Hedgehogs"
Tuesday 15th October » "All About Hedgehogs"
6pm - 8pm @ ERC (or nearby venue)
FREE! (donations welcome - split between GWT and Hedgehog Hospital).
Discover all you need to know about hedgehogs and how you can help them throughout the year, particularly through the winter. Keith will bring along a special guest for you to meet!
Discover all you need to know about hedgehogs and how you can help them throughout the year, particularly through the winter. Keith will bring along a special guest for you to meet!
Thursday 17th & 24th October » "Autumn Lectures - Uplands & Post-industrial Landscapes & Wildlife"
6pm - 8pm @ ERC (or nearby venue)
£5 for members; £8 for non-members per lecture (includes refreshments and a light buffet).
Booking essential.
Booking essential.
A series of talks led by local naturalists that highlight the unique nature of upland landscapes, including post-industrial habitats and the diverse wildlife that is colonising them.
Thursday 31st October » "Eastern Valleys Living Landscape - Putting It All Together"
Thursday 31st October » "Eastern Valleys Living Landscape - Putting It All Together"
6pm - 8pm @ ERC (or nearby venue)
£3 for members; £5 for non-members (includes refreshments and a light buffet).
Booking essential.
Booking essential.
Join us for an interesting talk about the outline of GWTs plans to develop a Living Landscape scheme for the Eastern Valleys region. Following on from the work of the People and Wildlife Project piloted in Blaenau Gwent, GWT has been developing a larger scale project spread over a wider geographical area.
Thursday 7th & 14th November » "Autumn Lectures - Uplands & Post-industrial Landscapes & Wildlife"
6pm - 8pm @ ERC (or nearby venue)
£5 for members; £8 for non-members per lecture (includes refreshments and a light buffet).
Booking essential.
Booking essential.
A series of talks led by local naturalists that highlight the unique nature of upland landscapes, including post-industrial habitats and the diverse wildlife that is colonising them.
LOCATIONS
Environmental Resource Centre » Steelworks Road, Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent. NP23 6AB
Silent Valley Nature Reserve » Cendl Terrace, Cwm (nr. Ebbw Vale). NP23 7RX. *Follow brown Nature Reserve signs - Reserve entrance and car park is at the top of Cendl Terrace.
PLEASE NOTE
*Spaces on events are limited so please book early!
**Some events may be subject to date/venue change - please ask when booking.
If you would like to book or want more information on any of the above events, please don't hesitate to contact us!
Gwent Wildlife Trust, Seddon House: 01600 740600
Environmental Resource Centre: 01495 307525
Sunday 30 December 2012
Week 11: 17th - 20th December
Monday
With Beth back in this week, all three of us spent the morning in the office, helping with odd jobs that need doing as it's the last week before Christmas!
We spent the afternoon in Welsh learning about the weather and enjoying mince pies and Cadbury's Roses!
"Mae hi'n oer heddiw" - It's cold today.
"Gobeithio bydd hi'n bwrw eira!" - I hope it snows!
"Mae hi'n oer heddiw" - It's cold today.
"Gobeithio bydd hi'n bwrw eira!" - I hope it snows!
Tuesday
Today the three of us spent the day at Silent Valley repairing a section of the 'Exclusion Zone' fence line. We began by unpinning the old wire from the fence posts and pulling it back out of the way. We then used a bar to create a hole in the ground deep enough to put a fence post in. Using a drivall we drove in the post - constanly checking it was straight using a large spirit level. We put in a bottom wire at ground level to prevent stock getting under the fence before stapling the main fencing wire across the posts. After this we added two top wires, tidied up any sharp ends, and tightened lengths of barbed wire that had come loose on the adjoinging length of fence.
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| Sally about to start unpinning the fence. |
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| Beth stapling the stock fence to one of the older posts. |
Wednesday
Today the three of us were joined by Alaw (GWT's Grazing Trainee) and two long term volunteers for the first day of a trimmer and brushcutter course!
We spent the morning going through health and safety and risk assessments, before moving on to look at the components of a trimmer and how to maintain it. Unfortunately it rained heavily for the entire day which meant that, even geared up in waterpoofs and safety gear, we only got to use the trimmers for a short time in the afternoon.
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| Beth doing brushcutter maintenance by filing down the chipped blade. |
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| Alaw filing a brushcutter blade. |
Thursday
The second and final day of our trimmer and brushcutter course......and yet another lovely day of rain!
Today we moved on to the brushcutters and spent the morning learning about the different heads that can be used with these machines and which heads are used to cut through various vegetation types. By the afternoon the rain had eased off enough for us to get out and use the brushcutters without getting soaked to the skin!
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| With guidance from the instructor, Beth starts up a brushcutter! |
At the end of the day we recapped on all the safety and maintenance aspects and finished the required paperwork before being given the great news that we had all passed!!
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
T Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! T
T Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! T
Week 10: 10th - 13th December
Monday
This morning we all carried out small tasks around the ERC including a good clean inside, a litter pick of the grounds (2 full bin bags!), and cleaning and refilling all the bird feeders.
The afternoon was spent learning some more Welsh. This week’s topic was discussing plans and also adding in some festive words!
"Ble dych chi'n mynd dros y penwythnos?" - Where are you going over the weekend?
"Dw i'n mynd i Gaerdydd" - I'm going to Cardiff.
"Nadolig Llawen!" - Merry Christmas!
Tuesday
Sally and Michaël spent today completing a fence line check of the fence running around the ‘Exclusion Zone’ in the reserve.
The removed any potential problems such as saplings growing too close to the fence and any overhanging branches. The sapling and small branches could be removed with a pruning/folding saw, however the larger branches and trees had to be left to Tom and his chainsaw......
Beth spent the day at Magor Marsh helping the reserve officer and some volunteers from the "Kaleidoscope Project" to continue burning through the piles of Willow. Luckily the weather held up and the fires go going really well! Sally and Michaël spent today completing a fence line check of the fence running around the ‘Exclusion Zone’ in the reserve.
The removed any potential problems such as saplings growing too close to the fence and any overhanging branches. The sapling and small branches could be removed with a pruning/folding saw, however the larger branches and trees had to be left to Tom and his chainsaw......
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| Burning Willow brash at Magor Marsh - hot stuff! |
Wednesday
Sally and Michaël spent the morning completing small bits of office work, then went out into the reserve in the afternoon to do a small fencing job. It was a simple job of completing an area that hadn’t been finished earlier in the year, however it was our first job without Tom’s supervision!! Firstly we had to knock a supporting strut into place as the fence line ran down a slope. We secured the strut with nails before attaching the stock wire. This was a little trickery than anticipated as we reused some old fence wire - nothing like a bit of recycling!
Thursday
With Beth still ill, Sally and Michaël spent the day repairing a stile at one end of the Blue Trail in Silent Valley. The stile had started come loose over months of battering by the elements, but was unfortunately made worse by some recent vandalism. The first task was to dig around the loose posts removing the soil and stones. We then had to refill in the holes as solidly as possible to make the stile secure for public use. This was done by “tamping” in large rocks/stones and the soil we had previously removed using a tamping bar.
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Sally and Michael repairing the loose stile at Silent Valley.
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| Michael 'tamping' down the soil and stones to secure the post. |
Week 9: 3rd - 6th December
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| A gorgeous crisp winter's day at Silent Valley Nature Reserve. |
Monday
As it’s the first Monday of the month, we spent the morning having our monthly team meeting.
Our weekly Welsh lesson filled the afternoon – this week’s topic was talking about family and friends.
"Brawd Megan dw i." - I'm Megan's brother.
"Dyma Kevin. Gŵr Helen yw e." - This is Kevin. He's Helen's husband.
Tuesday
Today we spent the day at
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| Beth digging one of the large trenches - muddy stuff! |
Wednesday
Today, the three of us spent the day at Magor Marsh.
We attended an event put on by the Trust called “Investigating Winter Wildlife”. There was a small display and talk about wild items you may find whilst out and about – deer antlers, various skulls, chewed acorns and hazelnuts – and then a guided walk was given around the reserve in which we searched for signs of water voles, bird watched from the hide, and looked at the various types of plantlife around at this time of year. It was a great event, very informative and lots of fun!
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| Lovely view from the bird hide at Magor Marsh. |
Wildlife SIghtings:
Magpie; Robin; Blackbird; Blue tit; Great tit; Woodpigeon; Jay; Kestrel; Greater-spotted woodpecker; Fieldfare; Redwing; Long-tailed tit; Buzzard; Coot; Little grebe; Moorhen; Mute swan; Mallard; Kingfisher; Grey heron; Snipe.
Thursday
Along one of the fence lines at the ERC, there were a few overhanging trees which had the potential to cause problems both on the ERC side of the fence, and on the public road on the other side. We spent the day helping the reserve officer to remove or reduce these trees before this could happen. After felling, all the smaller branches were cut off and stacked in a brash pile to be used at a later date for continuing the dead hedge in the ERC grounds. The larger trunks were cut down into logs which were then stacked and left, also to be used at a later date.
Michaël spent the day helping out at Pentwyn Farm felling some small trees, cutting up the brash, stacking it all into piles, and then beginning tree stump treatment to prevent any regrowth.
Friday
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