Woodland Regen Project update

Robin Hall

Pictured below in January 2022 and April this year, there has been good progress with the regeneration of this area of woodland at Plaw Hatch. All the non-native invasive species, including Cherry Laurel, Rhododendron and some Norway Maple have been removed.

The Laurel in particular had formed a dense canopy which prevented the growth of other species. With this gone, there is now an opportunity for trees and other plants to grow in this ‘barren’ area. To help with this there are several ‘exclosures’ (circles of wire netting) which will prevent browsing by herbivores. This will allow the dormant underground seed-bank to grow unhindered and will hopefully allow native species to populate the site.

More recently there has been work to restore the original structures to manage the water flow through the site and this has led to the formation of a small pond.

All of this work has been carried out by an enthusiastic group of volunteers. There is now a core group who visit on the last Saturday of each month and periodically between these sessions. New volunteers are always welcome and it’s not all about work! The woods here on the farm are a peaceful place to visit and it is fascinating to see the ecology of the site develop after some big changes.