Coppicing - Final 2025/2026 Session

Oxleas Wood

April 2026

From the coppicing training session in October through to the start of the bird nesting season in spring, this has been one of our most popular conservation activities. A total of 8 sessions took place, in addition to the initial training session, plus three special volunteering days with Barclays. A fantastic 660 recorded hours were spent on the project and we were also fortunate to receive many additional hours of support from dedicated volunteers who returned between sessions to help move coppicing materials around the site.

New skills were taught at this popular session.

And what a lot of new skills volunteers have acquired from our expert instructor and leaders during the project - all of which they have been able to cascade to other volunteers week by week.

Woodland Adventures with the products of Coppicing

Coppicing work itself finished some time ago to avoid stunting this year's growth. In the final stages of the project, volunteers focused on clearing the site of hazel posts and binders, brash piles, and other woodland materials left on the woodland floor. Much of this had recently been moved from its carefully stacked piles to various “den” sites around the coupe, following some enthusiastic holiday-time woodland adventures by local children and families.

With nesting season now underway and the hazel springing into growth, it is time to leave the area undisturbed and allow nature to take the lead. Our final sessions were, therefore, dedicated to tidying the woodland floor and ensuring that all remaining materials were put to good use.

Piles of brash were moved to dead hedges.

The brash piles were redistributed along existing dead hedges throughout the woodland. These will provide valuable shelter, nesting opportunities, and wildlife corridors for a wide range of woodland species, while gradually decomposing and returning nutrients to the soil.

Some of the hazel posts were used to create the outer structure of the new curved benches at the edge of the site. Filled with less useful waste wood, it provides another welcoming - and surprisingly comfortable - spot for walkers to pause, rest, listen to the birdsong, and enjoy the benefits of spending time in this beautiful natural setting.

The hazel post and waste benches are surprisingly comfortable.

A new volunteer!

The straightest hazel posts and binders have been carried up the hill to our storage area in Jack Wood, and reused in post-and-binder fences.

These structures help protect sensitive habitats from trampling and soil compaction, while we have also introduced them as firebreaks within dead hedges. Some of the waste was also carried to other places in the woodlands by keen helpers!

One of the most significant outcomes of this coppicing programme is the creation of a large, open area where sunlight can once again dapple the woodland floor. This creates excellent conditions for the recovery of ground flora and shrub-layer vegetation, particularly if the area remains free from excessive trampling.

We hope to start seeing the benefits of this work in the months and years ahead. It'll be fascinating to see how the coupe changes over the years!

Thank you to everyone who contributed their time, energy, and enthusiasm to this project—it has been a fantastic team effort and a valuable investment in the future health of the woodland.   

Hope to see you joining us for the 26-27 season!