Blog Archive (1) Posts Made in December 2024

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Creating a Woodmeadow

Thursday, December 19th 2024

Recently, individuals volunteering at Foxglove Covert through the Personnel Recovery Centre have begun working on a patch of land which is to be turned into a woodmeadow as part of Plantlife's Growing Community Connections project. A woodmeadow is a combination of wildflower meadow and woodland which can support a high variety of plant and animal species.

At Foxglove Covert, a patch of land next to the access track leading to the Field Centre is being turned into one such woodmeadow. The land was previously heathland, but no longer supports any heather. Instead, grasses, some wildflowers, and a variety of tree species including old hawthorns and young birch and willow saplings are present. If left alone, the willow and birch would take over, and a dense woodland would likely develop. Therefore, these saplings need to be removed; roots and all!

This November and December, the work has begun with digging up tree saplings and gorse which are starting to take over the area. It is tough and muddy work, but everyone all got stuck in and massive progress has been made in just a couple of sessions.

Removing the saplings and scrub will ensure patches of the land are available for meadow wildflowers to flourish. Meanwhile, the older hawthorn trees will continue to grow, and berry bearing trees such as rowan will be transplanted. These trees will cast some shade, where shade tolerant wildflowers such as Wood Anemone (Anemonoides nemorosa) and Dog Violet (Viola riviniana) will be transplanted.

Over the next few years, this patch of land will be transformed into a mosaic of meadow wildflowers and shady, wooded areas. It will become a flourishing woodmeadow which supports a range of plants, which in turn support a variety of invertebrates and birds.

Thanks to everyone for their hard work so far! There may be a long way to go, but we hope who gets involved with the project will be able to return over time and appreciate how their work helped to develop an area of beautiful and rich biodiversity which serves wildlife and visitors to Foxglove Covert.

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