Volunteer Morning in Chill Wood Ancient Woodland, Iron Acton
Chill Wood Ancient Woodland, Iron Acton (meet at Tubbs Bottom weir)
Join us on Sunday 5th October at 10am for fresh air, community spirit, and hands-on care for our beautiful woodland! Together we will be clearing dominant brush species to allow for new tree growth.
Chill Wood is a designated area of semi-natural ancient woodland gifted to the Parish in the late 1970s. Since then, ecological surveys have indicated a decline of biodiversity among trees and flora in the woodland.
Ancient woodlands are the most complex land habitat in the UK, but only cover 2.5% of the country. We are fortunate to have public access to a piece of this precious ecosystem, and Friends of Chill Wood was set up by residents to care for it.
With the backing of the community and the parish council, we are on a mission to return Chill Wood to full health, so it can once again sustain a wide array of birds, mammals and invertebrates.
There are some fantastic specimens standing tall in our woodland, but Chill Wood still lacks a good understorey layer, and is at risk of declining further in the future if proper action is not taken.
By clearing the area of dominant species such as bramble and holly, we can enhance the wildlife value in the woodland and ensure we promote a healthy succession of trees and shrubs across the site.
We will also be able to assess the condition of saplings planted by Iron Acton Primary School in 2022, and prepare the site for a potential community-led planting effort this winter.
We meet at Tubbs Bottom weir at 10:00 for a briefing, before heading into the woods to familiarise ourselves with the area and the task at hand. Tea and biscuits will be enjoyed at 11:00. We anticipate being finished by midday.
The what3words for the meeting point is ///circulate.vocals.audible. Parking is available at Algars Manor from 9am.
Please wear sensible shoes and long-sleeved clothing as we will be working with brambles on uneven ground. Bring heavy-duty gardening gloves if you have them, but spare pairs will be provided.
Drop us an email below if you’re planning on joining us, or message us via our Facebook page.
