This year we undertook two willow restoration projects the River Don catchment one at Alford and the other at Bandley both on the mainstem of the River Don.
Once again we would like to thank Leys Estate who have supplied surplus willow to the DonDSFB for these projects without which we couldn’t complete these projects.
The following article highlights the process from start to finish for these restoration tasks. Photo’s illustrate the harvesting of the willow in the winter months, planting and weaving in early spring, and the flush of summer growth. A series of before and after images illustrate how effective this approach is at restoring banksides and protecting from further erosion.
Willow posts are all cut and points added to them, ready to be planted into the bank to weave the willow around them.
Posts cut 
Posts ready to be transported over to the sites
The willow has all been cut and is ready to be bundled up and loaded onto the trailer for transportation over to the sites at Alford and Bandley.
As you can see these willow projects are undertaken in all sorts of weather and it wasn’t very pleasant this year.
Before and after repairs at the Alford site
Before repairs 
After repairs
Before and during repairs to the bank with willow weaving
Before repairs 
During repairs 
Willow weaving 
After repairs before summer growth
These are the photos taken recently from the Alford site following this summers growth.
Before and after at the Bandley site
Before repairs 
After repairs
Before repairs at the Bandley site
Before repairs
The above pictures were taken during the works
These photos were taken recently at the Bandley site. You can see the willow behind the reeds which have grown up in front of the willow terrace repair.
