Wood sprites pile on the fuel

vast piles of wood need to disappear

The Sussex branch of Butterfly Conservation had a work party today at Rowland Wood, near Lewes. They acquired this wood last year to extend the territory for the Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary which is thriving in BC’s adjacent wood. We are creating open areas for the food plants to grow and wide rides to enable the females to extend the territory.

Wood had been cut down by professional woodsmen and piled up and our job was to burn it. A fire was started and nurtured, then we dragged the wood to it and fed it all morning. Once It was impossible to satisfy the fire’s appetite, it consumed everything very fast. There was a satisfying sound like sizzling bacon when we piled on birch braches.

I started at 8:30 and we finished at 1pm with baked potatoes that Michael, the organiser, had put in the ashes. Exhausting work, but very satisfying to see vast piles of wood disappear.

The temperature was perfect during the morning, cloudy but dry. The sun came out at midday and three buzzards wheeled overhead.

 the start

 everything must go!

 one of the rides that is being widened

everything has gone (well almost everything - we had to leave something for tomorrow's work party)