A TEAM of volunteers from Skipton Building Society’s finance department joined local charity Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) for an afternoon of woodland management activities at Beamsley.

They set to work checking and straightening tree guards and stakes and replacing any damaged ones to provide maximum support for the developing trees planted at Howgill Side Wood in 2007.

Skipton Building Society volunteer Ben Procter said: “It certainly made a change to be putting our efforts into securing tree stakes with a lump hammer, rather than ‘pen-pushing’!

"I hope to have the opportunity to return to see how the trees are progressing and to help further with the maintenance of the woodland.”

Covering 14 hectares, Howgill Side Wood was planted with 13,400 native broadleaf trees and shrubs including Ash, Downy Birch, Hazel, Holly, Hawthorn, Rowan, Bird Cherry, Alder, Sessile Oak, Goat Willow and Grey Willow.

Chris Lodge, woodland officer at the YDMT, said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to the team from Skipton Building Society for so kindly giving their time and energy to help us with vital maintenance work at this young woodland."