WHAT DO THE TASKS INVOLVE?
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Coppicing
An ancient craft of woodland management, which involves cutting down trees in such a way, that they grow back bigger and better than before. Coppiced woods or copses are valuable ecosystems, however, many are now neglected and need our help to be rejuvenated. Invasive species control Invasive species are one of the biggest threats to the native UK biodiversity. We try our best to restore ecosystems by removing invasive species such as rhododendron and Japanese knotweed. To find out more on invasive species in the UK and what you could do to help, check out the NNSS. Fencing Fences are useful in enclosing certain areas e.g. coppices, preventing people and animals from entering delicate areas, and as a safety feature and guide on footpaths. We put up fences for all the above purposes. Footpaths Footpath improvement reduces problems of erosion by encouraging people to stay on a well maintained footpath and not trample other areas. Well maintained footpaths also give people greater access to the countryside. Typical footpath work includes digging drains, stabilizing paths, erecting fences and kissing gates, and building footbridges. Hedge-laying This involves thinning out an overgrown row of trees (i.e. hawthorn), and bending over the trunks so that shoots grow off the horizontal trunk. Vertical stakes are bashed in to make it animal proof while it grows, while the top is woven with bendy branches, like willow, to add support. Scrub clearance This involves beating the living daylights out of some over enthusiastic plant life, allowing rarer, more delicate species a fair share of the sunlight to re-establish diversity. This is an excellent way of both relieving exam stress and curing hangovers. ;) Turfing One of the best ways of increasing the diversity and variety of plant life in an area is to lay down turf from a more diverse region. The plants from the turf will then spread into the new area. We help to dig up the turf, transport it, and lay it down in the new area. Tussock pulling Tussocks or clumps of reeds/grasses are a problem in boggy areas where they draw up moisture, driving out the native bog-loving species, such as sphagnum moss. The tussocks are removed using mattocks, a pick-like tool with a flattened head. Tree planting This involves planting young trees in woodland areas or new hedgerows. Hedges provide habitat for small birds and rodents as well as binding the soil and acting as a wind-break to reduce erosion. Planting in woodland areas helps to protect and improve Britain's valuable woodland habitats. |