Earlier this year we put in an application for funding for a roadside hedge which will run about 625 metres from the northern end of Old Copse. We have just heard that we were successful in gaining funding, and are very pleased that our ideas have gained support. We aim to plant an informal hedge of native species along this eastern boundary . At present there is only a single and rather ugly 4’ high wire fence between the wood and the roadside verge. 25 years old now, it needs constant repair. It adds nothing to the diversity and is not even an effective barrier. We regularly get garden waste dumped over it, giving rise to non-native species taking hold, which must be removed. Denser roadside planting will help to discourage this. Photos below, taken last Spring, give an idea of the current bareness of the roadside boundary.
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We want to supplement existing sparse growth of honeysuckle and bramble with plants from the shrub layer such as hazel, holly and hawthorn, to create a more natural barrier along the roadside length of the wood. This planting will use the old fence as a support, and as it grows and thickens will greatly enhance the diversity and visual appeal of the woodland edge. It will provide valuable new habitat and food for birds and small mammals, both in the hedge and the adjoining woodland and contribute some much-needed understorey. The hedge will be an effective visual and sound barrier from traffic, and help prevent littering and fly-tipping. It will also look a great deal better than a wire fence.
So, many thanks to Sussex Lund for providing the funding for our hedging project and supporting our ongoing work of restoring Old Copse.
We could have applied to the Forestry Commission for funding for the hedge but decided to ask Sussex Lund which specifically funds projects in the Sussex Weald. This was partly because we already have annual funding from the Forestry Commission under the English Woodland Grant Scheme and also because we wanted to establish contact with other organisations.
We try and use volunteers to help us in the wood, and whenever possible people who can handle machinery so that we don't have to. So far we've avoided the need to buy expensive equipment. The grant money we receive each year can be spent on re- stocking the wood with native trees. Though the plants are relatively cheap, costs soon mount up when tree guards, stakes and rolls of wire are included in the price. We endeavour to keep these costs to a minimum , by making our own stakes and using recycled tree tubes as much as possible.
Rampant growth this year due to the good summer and the increased light levels in the wood, means that we are having to consider cutting and/or mowing the rides and glades to keep the bramble and other unwanted vegetation under control, and to encourage more diverse ground flora. We took welcome advice from Jim Smith-Wright, Ancient Woodland Restoration Project officer for the Woodland Trust . He suggested a number of machines to do the job, from strimmers to brush cutters to reciprocating, or scythe mowers which are a hand pushed alternative for level terrain. Jim also gave useful advice on the when, what, and how to cut , and what to do with the 'arisings'. The Small Woodland Owners facebook page is also useful when it comes to machinery, and a request for information always attracts a great deal of advice. What we'll probably do is to try out a few alternatives either by hiring or borrowing a range of machines, and decide which one works best for us.
We want to supplement existing sparse growth of honeysuckle and bramble with plants from the shrub layer such as hazel, holly and hawthorn, to create a more natural barrier along the roadside length of the wood. This planting will use the old fence as a support, and as it grows and thickens will greatly enhance the diversity and visual appeal of the woodland edge. It will provide valuable new habitat and food for birds and small mammals, both in the hedge and the adjoining woodland and contribute some much-needed understorey. The hedge will be an effective visual and sound barrier from traffic, and help prevent littering and fly-tipping. It will also look a great deal better than a wire fence.
So, many thanks to Sussex Lund for providing the funding for our hedging project and supporting our ongoing work of restoring Old Copse.
We could have applied to the Forestry Commission for funding for the hedge but decided to ask Sussex Lund which specifically funds projects in the Sussex Weald. This was partly because we already have annual funding from the Forestry Commission under the English Woodland Grant Scheme and also because we wanted to establish contact with other organisations.
We try and use volunteers to help us in the wood, and whenever possible people who can handle machinery so that we don't have to. So far we've avoided the need to buy expensive equipment. The grant money we receive each year can be spent on re- stocking the wood with native trees. Though the plants are relatively cheap, costs soon mount up when tree guards, stakes and rolls of wire are included in the price. We endeavour to keep these costs to a minimum , by making our own stakes and using recycled tree tubes as much as possible.
Rampant growth this year due to the good summer and the increased light levels in the wood, means that we are having to consider cutting and/or mowing the rides and glades to keep the bramble and other unwanted vegetation under control, and to encourage more diverse ground flora. We took welcome advice from Jim Smith-Wright, Ancient Woodland Restoration Project officer for the Woodland Trust . He suggested a number of machines to do the job, from strimmers to brush cutters to reciprocating, or scythe mowers which are a hand pushed alternative for level terrain. Jim also gave useful advice on the when, what, and how to cut , and what to do with the 'arisings'. The Small Woodland Owners facebook page is also useful when it comes to machinery, and a request for information always attracts a great deal of advice. What we'll probably do is to try out a few alternatives either by hiring or borrowing a range of machines, and decide which one works best for us.
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