Woodland management

Archive for the ‘Woodland management’ Category

Congleton Hydro – path, bridge, balsam

Posted in Invasive species, Paths, Woodland management, tagged Congleton Hydro on October 18, 2025|

On Sunday 5 October we paid our second visit to Congleton Hydro. Our activities for the day included clearing a path through woodland and constructing a small bridge, building a dead hedge along an edge of the site, dealing with some late Himalayan balsam which hadn’t yet popped its seeds – and admiring some of the woodland fungi.

The hydro plant was out of action for some of the day due to a power cut in the local area the day before, but later we were pleased to see it operational again and were lucky too to get an impromptu talk from one of the volunteer engineers on the hydro project’s history over the past decade or so!

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Longford Park – and another year

Posted in Coppicing, Miscellaneous, Woodland management, tagged Friends of Longford Park on December 15, 2024|

To conclude 2024, we joined the Friends of Longford Park on Sunday 8 December. We helped with some winter maintenance of the park’s wildlife garden and adjacent areas – such as coppicing, removing excess shrub spread, and other general management. Many thanks to the Friends for the warm welcome (and for arranging a dry day: the rain arrived just as we finished!)!

As it was our final activity of the year we gathered a little later in the day for a seasonal and end-of-year get-together – mince pies and mulled wine aplenty. Cheers!

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Woodland work at Hollinwood

Posted in Miscellaneous, Woodland management, tagged Hollinwood Scout Camp on November 24, 2024|

On Sunday 17th November we very much enjoyed volunteering at Hollinwood Scout Camp, near Worsley, Salford.

The camp on this site was founded in 2017, so is relatively new and is still being developed. It had had to move from the site where RHS Bridgewater is now, where it had previously been located for many decades.

Hollinwood truly has the potential to be an amazing asset not just for the local Salford community but for the whole of Greater Manchester and the North West. Hollinwood has 30 beautiful acres of woodland and meadows where young people are able to run around and be outdoors.

The task was helping to develop an open-air holistic area in a glade within the trees, for the Scouts to relax and reflect in. The task included trimming the bottom of a large conifer and also removing an unwieldy tree! The branches were then dragged (getting the steps in!) to the far side of the beautiful woodland, to create a natural fence line.

We all had a picnic sheltered from the rain under the trimmed conifer tree….a perfect spot!

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Rhododendron at Spud Wood

Posted in Invasive species, Woodland management, tagged Friends of Spud Wood, Woodland Trust on October 28, 2024|

On Sunday 13 October we were again removing rhododendron from this Woodland Trust site, on behalf of the Friends group. This seemed to be the last main area of rhododendron in this particular patch, so a satisfying section to clear. The woodland floor can begin to recover from the effect of long coverage by rhododendron, although this will take some time – but in due course, all being well, the wood’s biodiversity will greatly improve!

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A new site: John o’ Jerusalem woodland

Posted in Invasive species, Woodland management, tagged Trafford Wildlife on February 17, 2024|

Last Sunday (16 February) we joined Trafford Wildlife at John o’ Jerusalem woodland, near Bowdon – a new location (new to us, that is!)! This is a site which Trafford Wildlife have only in the past several months become involved in looking after; it is a mature woodland, but one which has become overrun with rhododendron. Our task today was to help with the ongoing project of removing the invasive rhododendron, to bring more diversity back to the wood. Thanks to Trafford Wildlife volunteers for the welcome and the interesting introduction to this lovely site!

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Spud Wood to conclude 2023

Posted in Woodland management, tagged Friends of Spud Wood, Woodland Trust on December 3, 2023|

As has been the case in the last few years, our final activity for 2023 was to continue with the removal of invasive rhododendron from Spud Wood, a Woodland Trust site looked after by the Friends group. The few of us braving the cold enjoyed a lovely wintry woodland, complete with holly berries and frequently visiting robins, and made good progress in expanding the rhododendron-free areas.

Looking forward to 2024’s activities – first up, hedgelaying on the Middlewood Way on the 21 January…!

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Helping heather and hindering balsam

Posted in Heathland, Invasive species, Woodland management, tagged Trafford Wildlife on May 25, 2023|

On Sunday 14 May we were out with Trafford Wildlife at Birch Moss Covert. We were focussed on two activities: removing bracken from the heather area, and removing invasive Himalayan balsam from within the woodland. The area for the re-establishing of heather at this site is gradually and successfully being expanded, and the annual balsam-pulling has had a positive effect within the woodland where there is now much less of the invader.

Great to be out on an early summer’s day to contribute to these worthwhile efforts!

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2022 – short but sweet

Posted in Heathland, Invasive species, Woodland management, tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Friends of Spud Wood, Tegg's Nose Country Park, Woodland Trust on January 6, 2023|

Well, 2022 passed without much of an update from us. A hedgelaying activity early in the year had to be cancelled due to the weather conditions and then for one reason and another (mainly a shortage of everyone’s availability) we were not out again until November! However, we finished the year with two great Sundays: 13 November at Tegg’s Nose Country Park and 4 December at Spud Wood.

At Tegg’s Nose, we were working in a heathland habitat that is at risk of being overtaken by willow scrub. The rangers are trying to connect up heathland areas at the top of the park and the willow scrub shades out the heather and bilberry causing it to die back. We were blessed with a lovely bright day – perfect for enjoying the great views from this lovely site.

Invasive rhododendron was the problem we were tackling at Spud Wood. As last December, we worked on helping remove this well-established intruder and were able to make a good impact on a decent area. This should go some way to allowing the woodland to become a more diverse woodland habitat in the years ahead.

Naturally, the year ended that evening with a get-together around an outdoor fire (big thanks to Elaine and Dave for arranging), with food and drink aplenty!

We already have our dates arranged for January to March, so we’ll have more going on in 2023!

Volunteers working at Tegg's Nose country park

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Rhododendron-clearing at Spud Wood

Posted in Invasive species, Woodland management, tagged Friends of Spud Wood, Woodland Trust on December 13, 2021| 1 Comment »

SMCV’s final activity for 2021 yesterday was a day of clearing rhododendron at Spud Wood, on behalf of the Friends group. There was only a small band of volunteers (a few human and one canine) – presumably everyone else was shopping for Christmas, or similar – but we made a good impact on a tract of woodland over-run by rhododendron, and had the pleasure of winter sun filtering through the trees!

Getting started with rhododendron-clearing

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Coppicing in Spud Wood

Posted in Coppicing, Woodland management, tagged Friends of Spud Wood, Woodland Trust on March 15, 2020|

Today we were helping in a woodland a stone’s throw away from Lymm, called Spud Wood. As in the past, we were working with The Woodland Trust and the Friends of Spud Wood.

This is a relatively new mixed broadleaf woodland, planted in the late 1990s. It was planted on a former potato field – hence the name, which was suggested by local school children in a naming competition, and is a reminder of its historic use for growing Golden Wonder crisps!

We were coppicing hazel trees and, with the branches, creating a picturesque barrier along the edge of the wood, which cut off the ditch behind but should also prove a perfect habit for wildlife!

A great day out. The weather remained nice and dry apart from a short five-minute burst of rain.