In the winter of 2008/9 we had the coldest but perhaps most rewarding work party ever. The bund had been built and the contractors had left site. Rabbitsare an issue in the park. We found the funds to install 150 metres of rabbit fencing on the outside face of the bund. On a dismal, freezing Sunday a dozen hardly souls assembled. The line of the fence was marked. A group of chaps went down the line pounding in posts at regular intervals along the line. Another party had the unenviable job of digging a trench in the heavy wet and cold mud. The trench would hold the foot of the rabbit fence. The trench soon turned into an open ditch with water running down the hill. The heavy machines had torn off the thin turf cover during the reclamation and in no time the hillside was a sticky with mud which gave no purchase for our boots.
As we turned the corner at the top of the slope we found out the cost of saving the trees. The trees had been dropped right where the rabbit fence needed to go. We manged to maintain a straight fence line with some heavy digging and persistence. The support wires were strung, tensioned and nailed into position. With hands so cold that the odd clout of the hammer on cold fingers was not felt...until later. The trench party were relieved of that duty only to be directed to cable tying the chicken wire to the support wires. The trench, now containing the foot of the netting, was back filled. This perhaps, was more taxing than digging it out. The two parties worked their way along the fence line to the top of the slope, round corner and onto the angle which lead down the last pitch to the corner of the existing allotment fencing.
I have to say we did a great job on the fence. A proper allotment community job. Some people could not stay all day. So we had a core of folks who did the whole supported by and early shift and a late shift. And YES the rabbit fence works!
