We were tasked with a woodland management project on a large estate in Wadhurst East Sussex. Part of the Estate is a section of woodland which is around 20 acers and was planted with Norway Spruce, Douglas Fur and Western Hemlock by the forestry commission in 1960’s. This plantation was left and never revisited to be harvested for it’s timber. This meant the woodland became dark and over crowed due to the lack of management.
Our task was to start a thinning program starting along the woodland rides to open up the canopy to allow more light to reach the woodland floor. Rides will have much greater wildlife benefits if there is a gradual transition from a central grassy area, through taller herbaceous vegetation, brambles, and shrubs before reaching the trees. This creates much greater plant diversity.
Unfortunately, during this programme of works in February 2022 the UK was hit by storm Eunice, Plantation trees are often at risk from wind blow due to the shallow fibrous rooting nature of coniferous trees, and combined with our thinning program the woodland took a big hit meaning the loss of more trees than were planned to be felled. This left the woodland covered in tangled wind blowen trees which are complex and dangerous to deal with. But with the experience and knowledge of Will who is our arboricultural and forestry expert we managed to unpick the trees and process the timber so that is could still be profitable for the client selling the timber to the mill.
This autumn 2022 we are replanting the gaps in the woodland with 100â’s of native tree species to create better biodiversity within the woodland so that it will mature and be around for many generations who come to manage this woodland behind us. Although tree felling is often deemed as destructive it is sometimes necessary to help create well balanced wooded areas which in turn create homes for thousands of mammals, birds, invertebrates, fungi and mosses. At Birchwood we always go through a measured and well thought through process before considering the removal of any trees, as we understand the importance and benefits of biodiversity in our country side.
