Woodland Conservation Group (Tuesdays)
Shepherdleas Wood
Tuesday, 22nd September 2026
Getting Ahead!
Our aim for our September session was to get ahead of the autumn wind and rain that turn the paths into a muddy swamp around the Falconwood entrance to Shepherdleas Wood. This involved a range of activities, so it was all hands to the deck, splitting ourselves between three core activities.
Ditches, Bridges and Culverts
Much of the water in the woods flows into a culvert in this area via ditches, before leaving the woods beneath the road. Regular flooding occurs because of blocked ditches and blocked channels beneath the sleeper bridges. Shovels were soon in action, digging a channel beneath the bridge to allow rainwater to flow through. The ditch and culvert downstream were also partially blocked; logs, vegetation and litter were slowing the flow, causing water to back up onto the paths. Volunteers cut back brambles, holly saplings and other vegetation, before shovelling out rotted leaf litter and removing litter. Hopefully, this will do the trick!
Leaky dams are a great method of slowing down water flow and helping to retain water, so a few volunteers moved onto a nearby path to tackle the flooding that occurs there. They built a dam to slow the flow and hold water back in a ditch which regularly floods and sends water onto the Green Chain Walk. If the ditch fills now, the water should spread into the woodland floor, slowing its passage towards the path network.
Litter Picking
This area is a litter hotspot where waste is dropped onto the kerbs and verges and is then blown or dragged into a deep ditch running parallel with the road. Three volunteers worked all session in the ditch. They collected bottles, cans, food packets, ready-meal packaging and, as usual, numerous bags of dog poo! Once the easier-to-reach litter had been cleared, they then cut back the brambles and other vegetation in which older litter had become entangled and had broken down into small pieces. The woodland is now cleaner and much better for wildlife. What an improvement!
Entrance Clearance
The entrance to the woods here was becoming increasingly hard to access due to both fallen tree trunks, which are deliberately left close to their original location to benefit woodland wildlife, and the huge accumulation of rotted leaf litter mixed with general litter.
This is now covered with vegetation such as nettles, garlic mustard and brambles.
While the woodland is a great place for these wild plants, they have almost blocked some of the entry paths and are beginning to block the large access gate.
So, volunteers again got out their shovels and worked all session to clear the mulch and vegetation onto the side verges, where the plants can flourish without causing problems for woodland visitors.
What we thought were a few narrow paths entering from different angles turned out to be a huge area of tarmac. Again, what a difference we have made – and although it has not been completed yet, we hope it will make access to the woods easier and safer.
A great session where we will all be feeling the effort of the shovelling for a few days to come, I’m sure. The sun was shining and the temperatures were well above average for the time of year! Not only were we cheered by the weather, but also by the larger volunteer turnout – not only the regulars, but some old friends too, and a new attendee. And of course we are making a difference. What could be better!
Thanks everyone!
