We are a small group of volunteers who have come together as a ‘Friends Group’ to assist with nature conservation in Northaw Great Wood. We meet each Friday morning, 9.30am to 1.00pm, to carry out practical work in the Wood, including tree planting and clearance, improving public access, wildlife surveys, monitoring nest-boxes and other tasks to assist the Management Plan for the Wood. We also meet on the first Sunday in each month, 9.30am to 1.00pm.
The scope of our activities embraces:
- Nature Conservation
- Habitat Management
- Wildlife Surveys
- Footpath and Access Maintenance
- Community Relations
Although we are very informal, we have formed ourselves into an association, ‘The Friends of Northaw Great Wood’, so that we might be able to create funds to aid this work. We also meet socially every 2 months.
Achievements
Since we were set up, we have accomplished many improvements in the Wood, including:
- Way-mark posts and signage improved
- Paths widened
- Coloured trails re-routed
- Glades restored
- Pond restored
- Guided walks arranged
- Non-native Rhododendron reduced
- Oak saplings planted
- Wildlife and vegetation surveys carried out
- Surplus wood sold for fire logs
- Memorial benches built
- New benches and picnic tables assembled and installed
Trail Widening
Many paths in the wood had become very overgrown and narrow. This tended to make the paths muddy. The group has carried many projects to widen paths and two are shown here.
Northern section of Blue Trail
Before:-
April 2010
By August 2010, the summer canopy has closed in.
View in June 2018
Several years have passed since we cleared this section, but the pathway is much wider and lighter. But on the left, the birch is vigorously regenerating – nothing stands still!
Eastern arm of Yellow Trail beyond Grimes Brook
Before in July 2011:
Now (June 2018):
A wider angle view at the same spot shows just how much vegetation was removed to make the path brighter:-
Pond Restoration
Above, Pond before restoration and below, after.
