Living Woods volunteers have been working at Priestfield and Longclose Woods, near Burnopfield and Hamsterley Mill. And another group of volunteers at has been in action at Shilbottle Woods which are near Alnwick.
At Priestfield Wood, volunteers have had two very successful Charcoal burns this year. They have also been busy thinning sycamore, and beech regeneration and coppicing hazel. A local Scout group has also visited the wood to work on their Forestry Badge, and it’s hoped they will be back to complete the badge after Christmas.
Making charcoal in Priestfield Woods
Living Woods volunteers have been working at Priestfield for two years now, taking on the role that was carried out by the Land of Oak and Iron team who had worked in the wood for the previous five years.
At Longclose Woods, volunteers have been busy thinning both soft woods and coppicing hazel. Soft wood thinning has been done around oak trees, and all hazel coppice stools are being protected by brash baskets. And at Shilbottle volunteers have been working to clear away old tree guards and removing old redundant rabbit fencing. Thinning around fallen trees has also been done and some dead hedging has been done using thinned material.