Was wonderful to work today  on the roadside verges project with Jennifer from Revitalising Redesdale –  Northumberland Wildlife Trust. Anne Middleton, Bill Burlton and I were leading small groups in identifying the plants in the churchyard before moving onto the verges.

Especially wonderful because I lived here for over 20 years and have lots of happy memories of events in St Cuthbert’s 13th century church. If you are visiting, check the altar cloth. Annabel and I worked with the boys in the Sunday School to create it – well Annabel and the boys did.

During that time Annabel and I also carried out a couple of botanical surveys after summer services and picnics with the Sunday School and congregation. It was lovely to see some old friends, to see the results of the scything project and to check whether the bulbous buttercup was thriving.

Then Jennifer said Carol (photo credit – church and rose-bay willowherb) and I could stay to watch Anne and Martin ring the young swallows nesting close by.

On top of the world between Teesdale and Weardale collecting data in collaboration with the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership. Phil’s dissertation is investigating the effect of management techniques on the revegetation of bare peat: brash spreading, Sphagnum and Eriophorum plugs, stone dams, coir rolls.

This shows the coir rolls, stone dams and brash

Phil is looking at the vegetated site, the photo looks south towards Teesdale

This photo looks nouth. If you zoom in onto the hillside in the distance you will see an orange flash. Phil thought the hill was on fire, I thought there was an invasion by a Whoverian orange fungus – then we remembered about Hush …

Hush is the art installation created by Steve Messam commissioned by the AONB. I was lucky enough to catch Steve’s presentation and visit the site during its short life between 19th July and 4th August 2019.

http://www.northpennines.org.uk/hush/

Environmental Science BSc and Masters students celebrating their success with Simon, Elisa and me. So happy for these wonderful students who are off to start their jobs or further studies. Gonna miss them!