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 contact Emma Pearson on 01388 488728 or email Emma at epearson@durhamwt.co.uk

Gallery Stats
Hits (today):151
Hits (this week):298
Hits (this month):2443
Hits (this year):65967
Hits (all-time):82428
Collections:212
Top Photo

That looks like Dougies Millionaire's Shortbread!?
(5 hits)
Burnhope Reservoir: Small Tree Felling (Sat 7th Nov 2009)
Most Recent Photo

The fire dying down
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 25th November
Low Barns
Winter tree identification

DWT staff and Dougie Nisbet (ex Low Barns VRO) will lead the day. The main objective is to learn how to identify 15 tree species without any leaves. Sounds hard but it is the best way to learn! Meet 9.45am at Crook Market Place or 10.30am at Low Barns.

Friday 18th December
2pm at the Slug & Lettuce (Durham)
Volunteer Xmas Meal

Both the Low Barns and Rainton Meadows Volunteer Task Force will be out in Durham for an afternoon meal at the Trust’s expense! It’s a small way to thank you for all your hard work throughout the year. We have 35 places available so book asap with Emma!

Thursday 24th December
Low Barns
Volunteer Xmas BBQ

OK, so a BBQ in December is a little strange but it was great last year! You can also have a go at sprout conkers! Remember to bring food to add to the feast. No need to book just turn up and feel free to bring your partner or a friend. The BBQ starts at 12.30pm.

Places for training days are usually limited so book asap to guarantee your place. Ring Emma on 01388 488728 or email Emma at epearson@durhamwt.co.uk
Groups
  • Access works
  • Baal Hill
  • Black Plantation
  • Bracken Spraying
  • 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
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  • 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
  • Top Photographs This Week
    That looks like Dougies Millionaire's Shortbread!?  Burnhope Reservoir: Small Tree Felling (Sat 7th Nov 2009)  (5)
    We are not bored honest  Low Barns: Reedbed Management (Tue 13th Oct 2009)  (5)
    It is!  Burnhope Reservoir: Small Tree Felling (Sat 7th Nov 2009)  (5)
    It wasnt that bad was it!?  Burnhope Reservoir: Small Tree Felling (Sat 7th Nov 2009)  (5)
    Emma giving the task talk.  Low Barns: Reedbed Management (Tue 13th Oct 2009)  (4)
    Nic and Helen getting into the thick of it  Low Barns: Reedbed Management (Tue 13th Oct 2009)  (4)
    Sue's new trailor!   Burnhope Reservoir: Small Tree Felling (Sat 7th Nov 2009)  (4)
    New Vol Scott  Low Barns: Reedbed Management (Tue 13th Oct 2009)  (4)
    Sweet-grass being exterminated  Low Barns: Reedbed Management (Tue 13th Oct 2009)  (4)
    10 Excuse me do you think my hair suits me  Low Barns: Reedbed Management (Tue 13th Oct 2009)  (4)
    Most Recent Collections
    Tue 10th Nov 09Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered tree removal (Tues 10th Nov) (10 images) New
    One again we were on the fell removing small trees and having a fire. Todays fire was fab and at one point it took five of us just to keep it fed, as it was burning wood that quickly.
    Sun 8th Nov 09Sharon's Best Bits (22 images)
    Sharon aka Shazza is off to work on the dark side - a consultancy! However, by the looks of it she will be doing the same stuff (burning, cutting, pulling, loppering and generally more of the fun stuff!)...just this time she will be getting paid. Farewell Shazza and see you next at the volunteer xmas BBQ at Low Barns!
    Sat 7th Nov 09Burnhope Reservoir: Small Tree Felling (Sat 7th Nov 2009) (8 images) New
    A small Sat Team out today felling small trees on an important grassland site. Small is the appropriate word today! Come on Sat Team where have you all gone? :) 
    Fri 6th Nov 09Low Barns: Reedbed Management & Sharon's BBQ (Fri 6th Nov 2009) (70 images) New
    A brief session on scrub control around the margins of the reedbeds at Low Barns then BBQ time for Shazza's send off! We then finished the day off with sparklers!
    Thu 5th Nov 09Derwent Reservoir: Wetland Management (Thu 5th Nov 2009) (12 images)
    Another trip up to Derwent Reservoir to help Sue with some wetland management, on a beautiful November day.
    Wed 4th Nov 09Low Barns: Reedbed Management (Wed 4th Nov 2009) (9 images)
    Today we once again returned to the Wild Wetlands reed beds to continue removing Typha. We concentrated on three areas and managed to remove loads with the compact but hard working team. At times we were not sure if it was wetter in the water or on dry land due to the changeable weather.
    Tue 3rd Nov 09Hylton Dene: Litter Pick (Tue 3rd Nov 2009) (13 images)
    Today the Tuesday task force drove off into the unknown to Hylton Castle and Dene. We were helping Morris to litter pick various sites, then we had a wonderful private tour in the castle. Hylton castle belonged to the Hilton/Hylton family up untill 350yrs ago. It then had various occupiers including the National Coal Board who used it for storage until 1950. English Heritage is now responsable for the castle.
    Fri 30th Oct 09Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Fri 30th Oct 2009) (11 images)
    Todays team of volunteers visited Hedleyhope Fell to remove and burn the previously felled trees. With the help of Shazza on the quad they made good progress.
    Thu 29th Oct 09Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Thu 29th Oct 2009) (13 images)
    Work continued today on the Fell cutting and BURNING the scattered trees. The team made fantastic progress and got a load of the backlog burnt.
    Wed 28th Oct 09Rainton Meadows: Bird Ringing Training Day (Wed 28th Oct 2009) (27 images)
    Both the Rainton and Low Barns teams met today at Rainton Meadows to learn about the value of bird ringing for ornithological conservation. A big thank you to Martin Hughes for leading the day.
    Tue 27th Oct 09Hedleyhope Fell: Rush Cutting (Tue 27th Oct 2009) (13 images)
    A small Tuesday team started work on one of the areas identified for reintroducing the SPBF butterfly. In the fog and murkiness we managed to strim and rake an area of rushes to improve habitat conditions for the butterfly.
    Sat 24th Oct 09Low Barns: Scrub Management (Sat 24th Oct 2009) (13 images)
    On a very wet and yucky day Durham ConSoc joined the regular volunteers to remove willow from in front of the North hide at Low Barns.
    Fri 23rd Oct 09Malton: Scrub Management (Fri 23rd Oct 2009) (21 images)
    Today a small but perfectly formed team visited Malton to remove birch which had seeded in the grassland and heathland habitats on site.
    Fri 23rd Oct 09Craig's Favourites (Loads of Sites and Dates) (16 images)
    From time to time I do this. A small selection of some of the best pics (that I could find!).
    Thu 22nd Oct 09Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Thu 22nd Oct 2009) (17 images)
    The team continued the felling trees on Hedleyhope Fell. The team made fantastic progress on this rather large task!
    Wed 21st Oct 09Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Wed 21st Oct 2009) (21 images)
    Today was the second day of tree removal on the fell. We also had a fire which took some getting away but when it did plenty of material was burned.
    Tue 20th Oct 09Hedleyhope Fell: Scattered Tree Removal (Tue 20th Oct 2009) (25 images)
    The first day of scattered tree removal at Hedleyhope Fell. We will be spending many days over the winter on the Fell cutting and treating scattered trees and gorse patches to make sure the Fell remains open for the range of important species that currently live there!
    Fri 16th Oct 09Baal Hill: Woodland Management (Fri 16th Oct 2009) (13 images)
    Colin and Sharon were on their chainsaws today felling sycamore and beech as part of the ongoing management to remove these undesirable species. The wider team also made amazing progress felling 'smaller' trees with bowsaws!
    Thu 15th Oct 09Low Barns: Sycamore Felling (Thu 15th Oct 2009) (18 images)
    Emma and the VROs got their chainsaws out and felled sycamore and larch at Low Barns whilst the wider team felled and treated small sycamore with bowsaws.
    Wed 14th Oct 09Low Barns: Reedbed Management (Wed 14th Oct 2009) (22 images)
    Round two of Typha and Sweet-grass removal. An incredibly large team of vols descended upon the Wild Wetlands reedbed and made maasive inroads into the invasive species.
    Tue 13th Oct 09Low Barns: Reedbed Management (Tue 13th Oct 2009) (31 images)
    Today we put into practice some of the the things we learned at Leighton Moss. We removed Typha from Toad Beck and then Typha and Sweet-grass from the Wild Wetlands reedbed. It was a very wet (for some) and mucky day. We had two new vols and some students from Bishop Auckland college helping today.
    [ More collections ]
    Tasks This Week
    We will spend the full week (all 4 days) at Hedleyhope Fell cutting, treating and burning! It should be a fun week and we promise to supply baked potatoes every day!

    Finally, to end the week the Sunday Gang is out at Rainton Meadows.

    Tuesday 10th November
    Hedleyhope Fell
    Scattered tree felling and fire

    Wednesday 11th November
    Hedleyhope Fell
    Scattered tree felling and fire

    Thursday 12th November
    Hedleyhope Fell
    Scattered tree felling and fire

    Friday 13th November
    Hedleyhope Fell
    Scattered tree felling and fire

    Saturday 14th November
    NO TASK

    Sunday 15th November
    Rainton Meadows
    Sunday Gang


    Pick up info

    For Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday AND Friday Hedleyhope Fell task: 9.20am at Low Barns, 9.45am at Crook Market Place, 9.55am at bus shelter in Tow Law (near Batsons) or 10am at the top car park at Hedleyhope Fell.

    For Rainton Meadows Sunday Gang: 10am at Rainton Meadows.

    Maps and info for all sites can always be found in the links box below.

    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


    Winter

    Autumn is upon us and we are about to embark on our winter work programme. We’ll be that busy felling trees, clearing scrub and burning stuff – you wont have time to feel the cold!

    We will spend most of our time split between Low Barns, Hedleyhope Fell and Baal Hill. However, we will spend a few days undertaking woodland and scrub work on all sites.

    If you are thinking about joining the Task Force then please contact Emma Pearson on 01388 488728 or epearson@durhamwt.co.uk
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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