Volunteer, Pete Mason says: “With climate change high on everyone’s agenda, woodland is a valuable resource that needs maintaining to fulfill its full potential.
“During the winter months we carry out vital conservation work to improve natural regrowth and maximise carbon capture. We want to train more volunteers to work with us and learn new skills in the process that could be used on other local sites as well.”
The group currently concentrates its efforts on a 20-acre native wood at Morchard Bishop where coppicing work over the past two winters has seen the return of wildlife and flowers as well as the regeneration of coppiced hazel.
Volunteer John Craythorne joined the group last year.
He said: “I didn’t have any experience of working in woodland before and happily you don’t need a chainsaw to be part of the group.
“Simple hand tools like a bow saw or loppers can be used or just human power in clearing cut wood from the forest floor. It’s good to be part of a group, and just lovely to be out in the fresh air even in the winter”.
The open morning at Old Landscore School, Threshers, Crediton runs from 10am to 1pm with various speakers on hedgerows, woodland, climate change and related ecology.
For more information visit Sustainable Crediton’s website: https://sustainablecrediton.org.uk or email Pete Mason at: [email protected] .