17 GG Yorkies and 1 Digby ran to St Nick's to join them for their Eco-Active day. We were met by the St Nicks crew who told us a bit about the importance of woodland management and coppicing with standards.

Standards, we don't have standards - Bad Jim Max

We split into two groups, collected our helmets, gloves and lots of sharp saws and headed into the woods. This was Maddy's first time sawing and she did a fantastic job, making quick work of a large fallen tree. Everyone was keen to get felling, and since York is short on any mountains, we made do with saws and loppers to clear a path of organised destruction.

TIMBER! - Christine

Mitch had found his groove, clearly his natural habitat is the woods, and after coming out of his den he donned a helmet and got stuck in bringing down the largest tree he could find. This one was going to take two of us and, always up for sawing something, Craig stepped in to help. After a Chuckle Brothers style "to me, to you" we were through but it turns out we had cut the tree too neatly. We'll take that as a win.

I really enjoy this sawing - Mitch

Everyone was working hard clearing the trees and moving them to form what had now been deemed the Semicircle of Doom. Meanwhile Digby decided that Max's running bag was a fun toy and pinched it. What followed was an entertaining episode of catch the pigeon (dog) as we chased after him.

After a few hours of lopping, sawing and raking we could finally see the wood for the trees and retired successful. How we got so much done?... I'm stumped.