***UPDATED 2nd May 2018
Welcome to the God’s Way Volunteer Selection Project update.
Above is the contrast between the swale at the beginning of the working bee’s to being covered with duboisia mulch.
Above is the contrast between original swale and same swale present day, April 2018 (photos of same swale taken from different directions).
Thank you
Thank you to those of you who donate to God’s Way. We are grateful for your donations!
Thank you to the members and participants who worked on the swale lines and to those who took photographs during the day 9 of the Volunteer Selection Project.
Introduction
During the volunteer Selection Project participants spend time doing working bees on God’s Way Learning Centres.
Day 9 involved more work on road maintenance and preparing the swales to be filled with duboisia, wood chip and other matter. The activity involved finishing off the incomplete jobs from the previous working bee; flattening out existing matter in the swales; dismantling wood piles from the swale banks and adding them to the swale itself to be covered with matter and fill with water from the next rain event which will break down the matter more rapidly.
Information for day one of the working bee can be found at the following link:
Volunteer Selection Project – Day 7, Environment Learning Centre Working Bee Part 1
In this post (day 9) you will find photographs of the swale lines and work involved to prepare them to be filled with matter.
Day 9 photographs
Some of the swales
Environment Learning Centre swales April 2018
Environment Learning Centre swales April 2018
Environment Learning Centre swales April 2018
Putting the chopped branches from roadways into the swales
Completing the chop and drop – putting pruned branches and logs into the swales
stacking pruned material from roadway into swale
Collecting plastic from swales including sellotape from boxes, plastic that was mixed up in the cardboard or fruit and vegetable scraps. Plastic is a waste product that we have yet to find a sustainable solution to quickly break it down onsite.
Some plastic that was picked up from the trenches
Dismantling woodpiles and relocating them into the swales
Activity dismantle woodpiles involved removing hay from the swales, to be replaced once wood was placed into the swale. Making the matter in the swale flat. Laying cardboard flat, adding wood from woodpiles ensuring it is positioned so it doesn’t puncture vehicle tires. Replacing hay on the swales to cover the wood and cardboard.
Some of the woodpiles
Wood pile to be dismantled
Wood pile to be dismantled
Wood pile to be dismantled
Wood pile to be dismantled
Levering a large stump out of a swale (below)
woodpiles to be dismantled
Dismantling wood pile April 2018
Dismantling wood pile April 2018
Dismantling wood pile
Removing a protruding log with sharp root system
Laying wood flat in swales
dismantling a wood pile
Hay at the side of a swale waiting to cover the cardboard and dismantled woodpiles
laying wood flat into swales
wood laid flat in swales
The earth left after a woodpile was dismantled. This was covered with hay.
Spreading hay and laying cardboard flat
spreading hay
spreading hay
Hay spread over swale
Completed swale with cardboard and hay laid flat
Completed swale with cardboard and hay laid flat.
UPDATED 2nd May 2018
Since working bee part two was complete there has been some more work done on the swales. God’s Way is purchasing duboisia to fill the swales. Below are some photos of the swales beginning to be filled with duboisia.
Duboisia waiting to be pushed into the swale. Once the duboisia is pushed into the swale vehicles can drive along it to add more mulch
Duboisia filling up the first swale
From front,: different mulches, duboisia, hay wood, cardboard,
Duboisia filled swale
Road Maintenance at the front entrance to the Environment Learning Centre
Front entrance before wood chip
preliminary wood chip spreading by tipper
Jesus and Corny spread wood chip at front entrance
Wood chip at front entrance spread to prevent further erosion
Before and after front entrance images
Roadway contrast between working bee one and working bee two
The participants in the Selection Project will have one more working bee to finish off dismantling the woodpiles in the remaining swales before the end of the project.
God’s Way will have on going working bees at the Environment Learning Centre to maintain and upgrade tracks and roads that will be driven on and used regularly.
Until next time all the best,
Eloisa and the Volunteer Selection Project Team
God's Way 