Well, as it poured with rain throughout Saturday night, I expected that we would all get pretty wet
during our task at Birchwood Nature Park on the Sunday. We had already postponed it for a week
because of Storm Dennis, and it seemed that the weather hadn’t improved much. But … we were
very lucky as the rain stopped and we were able to do all the work in the dry, even enjoying some
sunshine.

​It is nine years since we were last at this little nature reserve at the end of Doddington Road, running
north beside the A46. Our task was to clear out unwanted willows from a small area of woodland,
leaving larget silver birch and hawthorn, and to use the cut material to create a brash (dead) hedge along
the edge of the wood, bordering the path.

I was delighted with the turnout, given the weather – eleven of us – and we managed to clear a
good-sized area and to build a lovely long stretch of hedge. Ruth, the senior ranger at Hartsholme
who oversees the management of Birchwood, thanked us saying ‘it looks fantastic’. Al, the volunteer coordinator, says a big thank you too.

The reserve is well used by local dog walkers and that was the only disappointment – the quantity of
dog mess everywhere, particularly as there is a dog waste bin in the reserve. So no excuses!!
​
Jude