Woodland Conservation Session

Friday 6th March

Jack Wood

Our first March woodland conservation session brought volunteers together for another productive morning of practical work to support the health and biodiversity of Oxleas Woodlands.

We began the session as a full group by visiting the area in Oxleas Wood that has been coppiced over the winter. Coppicing produces a great deal of smaller branches and flexible poles, and rather than letting this material go to waste we collected a supply and transported it back to a storage area in Jack Wood. These “waste” binders will be extremely useful later in the year when we build new post-and-binder fences to help protect sensitive areas of the woodland from trampling.

Once that task was complete, the group split into smaller teams to tackle several conservation priorities. One large team worked on removing young holly and holm oak saplings using our two tree poppers. While holly is native, it can become overly dominant if left unchecked, and holm oak is a vigorous non-native species. Both grow quickly and cast deep shade, reducing the amount of light reaching the woodland floor. This can prevent a rich variety of native woodland plants from growing, so carefully removing some of these saplings helps maintain a more diverse woodland structure.

The holly and holm oak we removed did not go to waste. Instead, the material was added to existing dead hedges in the area. These natural barriers help prevent the creation of “desire paths”—informal shortcuts that can fragment habitats and lead to soil compaction and erosion through repeated trampling. Dead hedges also provide excellent habitat for wildlife, offering shelter for birds, insects and small mammals while creating valuable corridors for creatures to move safely through the woodland.

Over time, the hedge material will gradually break down, returning valuable nutrients to the soil and completing the woodland’s natural cycle.

Another group focused on an important but delicate task—removing Spanish bluebells using hand forks. These garden escapees have spread from nearby gardens into the woodland where they compete with our native bluebells. Even more concerning, they can hybridise with native bluebells, gradually diluting the genetic integrity of this treasured ancient woodland indicator species. By removing Spanish bluebells where we find them, we help protect the future of the native bluebell populations that make our spring woodlands so special.

A big thank you to everyone who came along and contributed their time and energy. Sessions like this make a real difference in helping our woodlands remain healthy, diverse and resilient for years to come. 🌿