Gob’s your uncle

2 Goodgymers spent the day with the Tree Musketeers at the 2nd Wick woodland management workshop. After gathering our tools and catering essentials from the tree nursery at Hackney Marshes we set off with 17 other volunteers across the road to the Wick woodland. We were given a detailed demonstration in tree felling technique then we set to work in pairs copping our chosen hazel trees. Using a combination of saws and billhooks we worked our way through the ‘puzzle’ of clearing the branches. Peter was the clear winner of the ‘who can cut the best gob’ competition and the branches fell one by one. All the cut branches were chopped and piled to make hedges for the woodland creatures to set up home. Lunch was a delicious homemade lentil soup and then we were back to it felling the last of the branches and cutting back the stumps, aided by the addition of the special saw. The last of the branches were stacked onto the hedges and it was back to base to pack away. There are another 4 sessions scheduled by the Tree Musketeers if any other goodgymers are interested, check out their website for future dates. http://sustainablehackney.org.uk/tm/programme