Ok, I understand

Hamble Conservation Volunteers

Scrub Clearance

Maintaining the Common without recourse to fire or extensive grazing is a challenge.  To the uninitiated the task must appear relatively simple, with either a mechanized cutter or hand held strimmers cut back the growth and remove the debris.  Sadly it is not that simple.  We need to target specific plants such as Silver Birch leaving the other plants intact and if we were to cut down the saplings leaving the roots in place they would be back with alarming vigour next season.  At one time we had no option but to cut down the saplings by hand and treat the remaining roots individually with chemical.  Now we have 4 Canadian Pullerbears, essentially long levers with jaws, which can pull out the saplings roots and all.

Hard at work! Hard at work!