Getting rid of the deadwood...

Yesterday Carl and Paul were working in the wood at the back of Churchwood, planting some new trees to replace ones that had been felled at height. The old trees had to be removed as they were becoming rotten at the base which poses a significant safety hazard for people walking by.

 

The were chopped at a height to allow the trees to become deadwood and habitable for wildlife. A tree left like this can become a home to many different species, from fungi to insects to birds. It is a part of the university's biodiversity action plan to create habitats for wildlife, and by leaving trees like this in the woodland we are promoting our conservation and biodiversity efforts.
These trees were replaced with three beech saplings which should grow pretty quickly in this area with there being so much sunlight and open space now.

The old branches have been left in piles within this section of woodland to create habitat piles which can be very good for encouraging more wildlife into the area, such as hedgehogs, as they provide excellent shelter for the colder and wetter months.
Further up the woodland, Carl and Paul planted some more beech saplings to encourage more growth in an open area.

We have new ties now which attach the tree to the stake for support but are designed like a belt. This way we can easily slacken the tie as the tree grows rather than having to cut off the old tie to replace it with a new one. It shouldn't take long for the new trees to become established but we will be keeping an eye on them to make sure they are thriving.

(Photos taken by myself on Thursday 25th February)