ANCIENT woodland in Warwickshire is set to benefit from a decade-long project.
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is aiming to make the county’s 12 woodlands better protected and more resilient to pests, diseases and climate change.
The trust will begin its ten-year management plan starting with Snitterfield Bushes near Stratford and Oakley Wood near Leamington.
At Snitterfield, the focus will be on thinning out ash trees, many which have been devastated by the disease ash dieback – which can prove dangerous to people and property.
The trust plans to thin the trees and replace with an alternative native species to provide resilience and long-term protection.
At Oakley Wood, the trust is will replace non-native conifers – planted after the Second World War to remedy timber shortages – with a more diverse selection of native trees. A third of trees will be removed and several clearings will be created to provide light and space for the new trees to grow. Tree planting in the wood will begin this winter with help from the Friends of Oakley Wood.
The trust will partner with woodland owners, Warwick District Council and work over a ten year period to replace the conifers with native species.
Visit www.warwickshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/WoodlandManagement for more information
