The Low Barns Volunteer Task Force
Welcome

Durham Wildlife Trust

Welcome to the Low Barns Volunteer Task Force photo gallery.

This gallery contains photos taken during tasks carried out by the Durham Wildlife Trust volunteers, staff, and VROs based at Low Barns.

We hope the photos in this gallery will give you a flavour of what's involved in volunteering with the Durham Wildlife Trust. It is also a great place to find out about upcoming tasks and training days!

Tasks run every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month!

We meet at Low Barns but pick ups are available depending on the task location.

If you're interested in finding out more then please contact Emma Pearson on 01388 488728 or epearson@durhamwt.co.uk

Gallery Stats
Hits (today):30
Hits (this week):165
Hits (this month):1620
Hits (this year):8093
Hits (all-time):100956
Collections:262
Top Photo

Trevor
(7 hits)
Trevor Whittle (1945-2010)
Most Recent Photo

A real heave ho
Training Days & Events
The Durham Wildlife Trust run regular training days to allow volunteers to understand the management principles underlying many of the practical tasks.

Wednesday 24th February
Rainton Meadows
Hedge laying

Come out for the day and learn the traditional art of hedge laying – a practice used to regenerate hedges to keep them stock proof and its also good for wildlife. Places are limited to 15 people so book asap! Meet 9.20am at Low Barns or 9.45am at Crook Market Place.

Wednesday 24th March
Salters Gate
Dry Stone Walling

We will be learning how to repair and rebuild sections of a dry stone wall, right in the middle of the Heart of Durham project area. This should be a very beneficial training day as we will be more likely to encounter having to repair a wall than build one from scratch. Places are limited to 15 people so book asap! Meet 9.20am at Low Barns, 9.45am at Crook Market Place or 9.55am at Tow Law (near Batsons/ bus turning circle.


Saltholme NR visit (April)
Badger ecology (May)
Butterfly transect and ID (16th June)
Dragonfly ID (28th July)
Lindisfarne trip (August)
Marine (September)
Fungal foray (October)
Otter ecology (November)

Places for training days are usually limited so book asap to guarantee your place. Contact Emma on 01388 488728 or epearson@durhamwt.co.uk
Groups
  • Access works
  • Baal Hill
  • Black Plantation
  • Bracken Spraying
  • Burnhope Pond
  • Derwent Reservoir
  • Grassland Management
  • Hannah's Meadow
  • Hawthorn Dene
  • Heart of Durham Site
  • Hedleyhope Fell
  • Hylton Dene
  • Longburnford Quarry
  • Low Barns
  • Malton
  • Miscellaneous
  • Northumbria Water Sites
  • Rabbit Bank Wood
  • Ragpath Heath
  • Rainton Meadows
  • Species Management
  • Stanley Moss
  • Training days
  • Tree Maintenance
  • Tree Planting
  • Tudhoe Mill Wood
  • Vegetation Management
  • VRO Best Bits
  • Wetland Management
  • Woodland & Scrub Management
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    Top Photographs This Week
    Trevor  Trevor Whittle (1945-2010)  (7)
    Where has your bubble gum gone Mark  Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Thu 4th Feb 2010)  (6)
    Cat  Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Thu 4th Feb 2010)  (6)
    You really can't hide behind that tree stu  Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Thu 4th Feb 2010)  (5)
    Lunch time  Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Thu 4th Feb 2010)  (5)
    Unloading subbase at Low Barns  Trevor Whittle (1945-2010)  (5)
    Jerry looking like he is about to explode  Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Thu 4th Feb 2010)  (5)
    A happy Cat  Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Thu 4th Feb 2010)  (4)
    Trevor on the quad  Trevor Whittle (1945-2010)  (4)
    10 A real heave ho  Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Thu 4th Feb 2010)  (3)
    Most Recent Collections
    Fri 5th Feb 10Trevor Whittle (1945-2010) (14 images)
    In memory of Trevor who will be deeply missed by his friends at Durham Wildlife Trust. Update: we gave Trevor a fantastic send off today, together with his family and friends from all parts of his life. Over 20 members of staff and volunteers whom Trevor worked with attended his funeral!
    Thu 4th Feb 10Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Thu 4th Feb 2010) (9 images)
    Today the team continued cutting, dragging and burning small trees on the Fell. It might have been another cold day up there but plenty of work was done to keep us warm. Welcome to new volunteer Sam!
    Wed 3rd Feb 10Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Wed 3rd Feb 2010) (15 images)
    A BIG team out today cutting, treating and burning the scattered trees and gorse on the Fell. Welcome to new volunteer Karine!
    Tue 2nd Feb 10Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Tue 2nd Feb 2010) (8 images)
    Today we returned to two fire sites to finish burning the remaining trees around them. The team worked really hard today despite the snow and fog. We got the job done! A warm welcome to new volunteer Denise.
    Fri 29th Jan 10Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Fri 29th Jan 2010) (20 images)
    With both of our VRO's not in today, Dougie stepped into the breach and helped to run the task. With a cold wind blowing on The Fell we had two fires to clear the cut material and began to remove trees on a new area. After a period of absence – welcome back Dennys and Madge!
    Thu 28th Jan 10Hilton Dene: Tree Felling & Chipping (Thu 28th Jan 2010) (20 images)
    The team travelled to Hilton Dene in Sunderland to help Morris (Hilton Dene Site Manager) fell trees to make way for a tree planting event. Morris also gave a chipper training session.
    Wed 27th Jan 10Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Wed 27th Jan 2010) (6 images)
    Continuing our work on the removal of scattered trees on the Fell. A large team of volunteers managed to gather up and burn loads of already cut material. Many thanks to all involved. A windy day and some steep working conditions. Free mars bar for the health and safety issue that needs bringing up in the next team briefing!
    Tue 26th Jan 10Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Tue 26th Jan 2010) (4 images)
    The first of many days in 2010 undertaking gorse and scattered tree removal on the Fell. Only 4 pics as the camera broke!
    Sat 23rd Jan 10Low Barns: Wetland Management (Sat 23rd Jan 2010) (16 images)
    A good Sat turn out this week! The Sat Team cut and treated scrub on the reedbed bank sides at the Larch Meadow and all the way round to the Northumbria Water Hide! Welcome to new vols Peter, Helen and Matthew. The end to a fantastic week - in fact one of our better weeks. We have had 31 people on task this week giving a total of 52 volunteer days! Thank you all very very much!
    Fri 22nd Jan 10Low Barns: Wetland Management (Fri 22nd Jan 2010) (16 images)
    Today was a continuation of the scrub management started yesterday on the north shore of Marston Lake. A good turn out of volunteers armed to the teeth with bow saws and loppers completed the clearance of scrub birch and willow. Many thanks to all involved.
    Thu 21st Jan 10Low Barns: Wetland Management (Thu 21st Jan 2010) (15 images)
    Today the team continued cutting scrub around the lake edge. It was a much warmer day than we have had recently and was made all the more enjoyable when the sun came out. We removed masses today with a great team including new volunteer Jonathan.
    Wed 20th Jan 10Low Barns: Meadow Restoration (Wed 20th Jan 2010) (9 images)
    Another day of meadow restoration in the area surrounding the South Hide. Great strides were made thanks to the largest team we've had since the snows came, and the addition of four new volunteers, Tony, Anthony, Dale and Daniel. Welcome to the crew lads.
    Tue 19th Jan 10Low Barns: Meadow Restoration (Tue 19th Jan 2010) (10 images)
    We spent another day on the meadow restoration project near the south hide. The air was crisp and the water frozen but we managed to remove masses of material, which will be placed in brash piles for wildlife. A warm welcome back to three of our volunteers Adam, Craig and Pooch.
    Fri 15th Jan 10Low Barns: Meadow Restoration (Fri 15th Jan 2010) (15 images)
    The team made a start clearing scrub from the edges of a new area of grassland today. Fantastic progress was made on the South Hide meadow. This grassland will also be fenced and grazed with ponies later in the year. The pics might not show it but there was loads of work carried out today!
    Thu 14th Jan 10Low Barns: Meadow Restoration (Thu 14th Jan 2010) (14 images)
    The team finished clearing the larch meadow today! Its now ready for fencing and pony grazing later this year. There are also some great snow pics in today’s collection too.
    Wed 13th Jan 10Low Barns: Meadow Restoration (Wed 13th Jan 2010) (10 images)
    The team continued to clear (burn and stack) the felled trees on the 'larch meadow' at Low Barns. We also had another lunch BBQ!
    Tue 12th Jan 10Low Barns: Meadow Restoration (Tue 12th Jan 2010) (5 images)
    The team spent the day felling trees to increase the area of an important grassland. The felling works will also provide access for a future fencing project. Once the fence is erected we will graze the grassland with ponies. Hoorah...no more cutting and raking this area ever again!
    Fri 8th Jan 10Snow at Hedleyhope Fell (Fri 8th Jan 2010) (35 images)
    All pics curtesy of Ben Halliday and Colin!
    Fri 8th Jan 10Snow at Ragpath Heath (Fri 8th Jan 2010) (14 images)
    All pics curtesy of Colin!
    Thu 7th Jan 10Snow at Malton (Thu 7th Jan 2010) (2 images)
    Only 2 but they are 'cool'! Supplied by a volunteer from the Rainton team. Sorry no name given - blame Lisa!
    Thu 7th Jan 10Snow at Low Barns (Thu 7th Jan 2010) (31 images)
    A few pics from around the reserve. All pics curtesy of Ben Halliday (Helen’s son). Thank you Ben!
    [ More collections ]
    Tasks This Week
    A mixed bag this week! On Tuesday and Saturday we will continue the BIG project of cutting, treating and burning scattered trees on the Fell.

    On Wednesday and Friday let’s try and make a big push to cut and treat the remaining scrub around Marston Lake at Low Barns. This will be a wet job so please bring wellies if you have them – we have plenty if you don’t!

    Sue will be leading the tree removal task at Burnhope Reservoir on Thursday.

    The minibus will be picking up Newcastle ConSoc in Durham for this week’s Saturday task so please meet at the top car park on Hedleyhope Fell at 10am.

    Tuesday 9th February
    Hedleyhope Fell
    Scattered tree & scrub management

    Wednesday 10th February
    Low Barns
    Wetland management

    Thursday 11th February
    Burnhope Reservoir
    Tree removal

    Friday 12th February
    Low Barns
    Wetland management

    Saturday 13th February
    Hedleyhope Fell
    Scattered tree & scrub management

    Pick up info

    For Tuesday Hedleyhope Fell task: 9.20am at Low Barns, 9.45am at Crook Market Place, 9.55am at Tow Law (near Batsons/ bus turning circle or 10am at the top car park on Hedleyhope Fell.

    For Wednesday Low Barns task: 9.45am at Crook Market Place or 10am at Low Barns.

    For Thursday Burnhope Reservoir task: 9.20am at Low Barns, 9.45am at Crook Market Place or 10.30am at Burnhope Reservoir.

    For Friday Low Barns task: 9.45am at Crook Market Place or 10am at Low Barns.

    For Saturday Hedleyhope Fell task: 10am at the top car park on Hedleyhope Fell.

    Travel by bus and not sure how to get to Low Barns or Crook? Then go to Traveline to get bus info.
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    Latest News From Craig
    Durham Wildlife Trust


    January & February

    There’s not much time left to carry out this year’s winter work programme. Hedleyhope Fell will remain the focus during the winter but once the water levels drop at Low Barns we will be spending some time clearing scrub from around the big lake.

    Once we get into late March and April we have loads of fencing to put up and remove and we might even resurface the footpaths at Low Barns after yet another flood!
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    Pick-up and reserve location info
  • Low Barns
  • Crook Pick-Up
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  • Rainton Meadows
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  • Hannah's Meadow
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  • Longburnford Quarry Pick-Up
  • Malton
  • Burnhope Pond
  • Ragpathside Heath
  • Rabbit Bank Wood
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    Head Office: Durham Wildlife Trust, Rainton Meadows, Chilton Moor, Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne & Wear DH4 6PU A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 1019263 Charity no. 501038