Did you know...

...that April is Citizen Science Month?

You may have been out in the woodlands and seen groups of people walking very slowly around an area, peering closely at the canopy, then peering even more closely at the woodland floor? If so, what you have seen is Citizen Science in action with the start of our Woodland Condition Self-Assessment programme!

Staring up at the canopy

What is Woodland Condition Self-assessment?

A simple explanation of the Woodland Condition Self-Assessment is that a questionnaire is used by our volunteers in different parts of the woods to identify areas in need of some ecological improvement. A key aim of the Friends of Oxleas Woodlands is to conserve and improve the ecology of the woodlands and, of course, to do so effectively, we need to know which areas are thriving and which need some restoration.

Who implemented it?

Last year, The London Wildlife Trust delegated to TCV (The Conservation Volunteers) the task of creating a clear but focused Woodland Condition Self-Assessment Form to enable volunteer groups, like FOW, to identify the condition of their woodlands. We were delighted to be asked to help them with that activity - and the form is now finished and ready to use.

When is the best time to carry out the assessment?

The ideal time to carry out the assessment for an ancient woodland such as Oxleas Woodlands is between March and May when the ground is warming up, spring flowers and other vegetation are emerging, and we can identify ancient woodland indicator plants. So, now is the perfect time – and we have brilliant sunshine to start the process. What could be better?

What will the teams do?

It will be a learning experience for everyone! We will walk around a selected area, working collaboratively to identify different trees, shrubs, wildflowers, etc. then, afterwards, we will gather, discuss our findings, and complete the Woodland Condition Self-Assessment Form. This provides a score and an indication of whether that area needs some improvement. We can then use the Woodland Volunteer Toolkit to find practical activities which can help improve the area. Each Woodland Condition Self-assessment Session will take between two and three hours.

How can you get involved?

If you are out in the woodlands and see our teams at work, don’t be afraid to ask some questions. If this sounds like something you would like to participate in, or perhaps another citizen science project like butterfly or water monitoring, please contact: oxleas.volunteers@gmail.com to get more information.