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How to build a lollipop

Shown below is George Davidson's way of building a lollipop. His method is simpler than an earlier version which involved tying the logs with wires, see How to build a pyramid.
Please note that this lollipop was built in the Colchester County High School for Girls with the participation of the Lower Sixth Form students, under George's supervision.
George brought along Sonya Lindsell, who is also ranger at Highwoods Country Park, and the volunteer ranger Ernie Wells, all wearing their trade-mark green tops.

Photo taken 31 October 2007, by Maria Fremlin.

First a round pit was previously dug by the grounds staff, 1.3 meters diameter, and 0.5 meters deep. In the foreground are some of the tools used. From the left, spade, small rabbiting spade, long handled rabbiting spade, and long handled rabbiting spade with a tamper on the end. A mattock is missing.
Photo taken 31 October 2007, by Maria Fremlin.

English oak (Quercus robur) and sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) logs, at least one year old. Plus some old sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) fence posts, which went for the “stick” end. Interestingly, some of the oak logs had black fruiting bodies: black bulgar (Bulgaria inquinans).

Photo taken 31 October 2007, by Maria Fremlin.

The “stick” was dug out first with a spade to mark its outline, then a mattock to break up the soil and a long handled rabbiting spade as seen on the picture. The soil was extremely dry and compacted. We live in the driest part of the country and it has been a dry autumn. Photo taken 31 October 2007, by Maria Fremlin.

Next the hole was filled with plenty of woodchips. These were from shredded local hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) and elder (Sambucus nigra) trees, and were partially rotted already.

Woodchip layer being watered due to the extreme dryness of the soil. Photo taken 31 October 2007, by Maria Fremlin.

Posts being brought to the pit, and held in position by hand.

All hands on the posts now.

Soil being shovelled in the remaining gap.

George Davidson tamping down the soil with the tamper end of the long handed rabbiting spade with a tamper on the end. Photo taken 31 October 2007, by Maria Fremlin.

More careful tamping all round. This is a very important step, indeed this type of construction requires no wires around the logs at all. Compare it with this method.

Last step, a mulch of woodchips, plus some more watering.

Here it is the “lollipop”!
Its final dimensions are: total length 2.35 meters, pyramid diameter 1.10 meters.

This interesting project is the result of Mrs Rosanne Taylor, the Biology teacher, strong interest in stag beetles. Indeed the school is bang in the middle of a stag beetle hotspot.
Let's hope that future monitoring will yield interesting results.

UPDATES: unfortunately, this lollipop has not been colonised by stag beetles in spite of the fact that is has been mulched with woodchips several times. Moreover, in July 2012 a couple of mated females were released there; but a couple of months later the foxes did quite a bit of digging around the stumps... Not sure how much they have damaged. However, in 2013 there were no signs of stag beetle larvae, at all.
Good news! On June 11, 2014, while looking for emergence holes we have found a female stag beetle close by one of the logs. No emergence holes, though.

Contact: Maria Fremlin
First uploaded on December 1 2007
Last modified: Mon Aug 01 2016

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First a round pit was previously dug by the grounds staff, 1.3 meters diameter, and 0.5 meters deep. In the foreground are some of the tools used. From the left, spade, small rabbiting spade, long handled rabbiting spade, and long handled rabbiting spade with a tamper on the end. A mattock is missing.	English oak (Quercus robur) and sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) logs, at least one year old. Plus some old sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) fence posts, which went for the “stick” end. Interestingly, some of the oak logs had black fruiting bodies: black bulgar (Bulgaria inquinans).
The “stick” was dug out first with a spade to mark its outline, then a mattock to break up the soil and a long handled rabbiting spade as seen on the picture. The soil was extremely dry and compacted. We live in the driest part of the country and it has been a dry autumn.	Next the hole was filled with plenty of woodchips. These were from shredded local hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) and elder (Sambucus nigra) trees, and were partially rotted already.
Woodchip layer being watered due to the extreme dryness of the soil.	Posts being brought to the pit, and held in position by hand.
All hands on the posts now.	Soil being shovelled in the remaining gap.
George Davidson tamping down the soil with the tamper end of the long handed rabbiting spade with a tamper on the end.	More careful tamping all round. This is a very important step, indeed this type of construction requires no wires around the logs at all. Compare it with this method.
Last step, a mulch of woodchips, plus some more watering.	Here it is the “lollipop”! Its final dimensions are: total length 2.35 meters, pyramid diameter 1.10 meters.
This interesting project is the result of Mrs Rosanne Taylor, the Biology teacher, strong interest in stag beetles. Indeed the school is bang in the middle of a stag beetle hotspot. Let's hope that future monitoring will yield interesting results. UPDATES: unfortunately, this lollipop has not been colonised by stag beetles in spite of the fact that is has been mulched with woodchips several times. Moreover, in July 2012 a couple of mated females were released there; but a couple of months later the foxes did quite a bit of digging around the stumps... Not sure how much they have damaged. However, in 2013 there were no signs of stag beetle larvae, at all. Good news! On June 11, 2014, while looking for emergence holes we have found a female stag beetle close by one of the logs. No emergence holes, though.