This March groups of home-taught children have been helping the Wood Wardens with conservation work in our woods.

Each month Neal Holmes Smith, one of the Wood Wardens, takes children in home-taught families on 'nature walks'.  When possible this will involve some simple practical conservation work.

This month the children, aged between 3 and 10, visited Sherrardspark Wood accompanied by their mothers.

They came to an area we have recently coppiced and helped to build 'deer baskets'.  Wooden stakes are driven into the ground in a circle surrounding a coppiced stump.  Cuttings from felled trees and holly bushes ('brash') are then woven into and out of the stakes to make a dense circular enclosure which keeps out any muntjac deer and protects new growth from browsing.

As well as learning about woodland management and helping to maintain Sherrardspark Wood the children (not to mention their mothers and the Wood Wardens) had a great time.

We encourage all local schools to visit the woodland.  If you would like to know more please get in touch with us; you can do that through the 'contact us' page on this website.