LATEST NEWS FROM SHARPHILL WOOD

By Jo Miller
January’s work party saw the last of the whips planted. Thank you to all that took part in the planting of the whips. It was also the fourth anniversary, to the day, of the first friends meeting to set up the group.
We are now looking forward to the next four years. February saw the group working hard to catch up those jobs that were put aside to get the planting done, some of which need to be completed before spring kicks in.The breeding season starts and the undergrowth gets too deep. Our focus for February was removing the old chicken wire fencing that is still lurking in the undergrowth in some parts of the wood, replacing some of the damaged path edging, spreading more wood chip and litter picking. We also did some coppicing of the Wych Elm, as set out in the woods management plan, to encourage new growth. Thirteen young oak saplings were also planted. A group of scouts attended the work party on the 26th February and took part in some of the jobs.
We have also organised regular surveys to take place in the wood throughout the year on an on-going basis, covering all creatures that spend time in or round the wood and will be posting the results on our website. This is to monitor the health of the flora and fauna in and round the wood, not only prior to any building work, but during and after to help maintain the wellbeing of the wood for future generations.
Our first survey of the year, ‘The Nest Box Survey’, is now available on the website. The website also has a sightings section on the blog page, so if you would like to report sightings of any creatures in or around the wood please do. Our work parties take place the fourth Sunday of each month, except for August and December.
If you are interested in taking part in our work parties or getting involved in the group, please contact us via email sharphillwood@yahoo.co.uk, or the website sharphillwood.org.