Woodland Conservation Group - Fridays

Jack Wood

19th December 2025

What a fantastic day, Friday turned out to be, especially contrasting it with the appalling rain and wind we experienced the previous day.  Just as fantastic was the size of the group which gathered (17), particularly as we are so close to the Christmas festivities.  What a wonderful group of people we have in our community, willing to give up their time so freely to make a difference to these beautiful woodlands.

The focus for one group was to finish off the hedge at the opening from Oxleas Meadow along the lower path, which they did!  Great team-work took place, cutting posts, axing the ends to a point, bashing the posts into the ground then winding binders of holly between the posts to create a small barrier, protecting the area from trampling,- compaction and fragmentation.

Protecting the area from compaction and fragmentation - using natural materials

A second group battled the immense wall of bramble on the Green Chain Walk as the path rises to Oxleas Café.  While the group made a huge difference, doubling the width of the tarmac path in size, then cutting back a good metre plus from the path edge, there is still a huge amount of work to do if/when we get the chance in 2026.  The brambles have not yet been removed so once Spring comes, the brambles will begin to flourish again and, while the fruit is good for wildlife, we also need tiered layers of grasses and woodland plants, including nettles, if we are to create the ideal conditions for butterflies and other pollinators to complete their life-cycles.

Another couple of volunteers tackled the first flight of steps on the middle path, sweeping the masses of damp leaves off the wooden treads and stair edges, scraping off the mud and not only making the steps safer for walkers but also helping protect the wooden edges from the weather and extending their lives.

After such an excellent year of activities in and around Jack Wood, we felt our volunteers deserved a treat so we finished early, gathered in a sunny spot on Oxleas Meadow, and shared some festive treats, fun and laughter.

Year's activities over - some festive fun to finish!

Another year over, another year ahead to plan for.  We will be back for our first session of 2026 on the third Friday of January. 

Wishing our volunteers lots of fun and Christmas cheer, plus a well-deserved rest.  

Best wishes everyone and thank you for all your support.