Snail Wood members visit local community project

On the evening of 5th September, members of the Snail Wood Steering Griup visited Little Downham Community Orchard.

The reserve comprises of Pingle Wood (1.01ha), Myles Meadow (3.09ha), Holts Meadow (1.90ha) and Holts Spinney (0.77ha) with a total area of 6.77ha in all.

Pingle Wood was acquired in 1995 and was transformed into a new woodland planted by the local community comprising of native trees - Ash, Alder, Hawthorn and Guelder Rose. Myles Meadow was also aquired in 1995 and is seasonally grazed by local farmers. Holts Meadow was aquired in 2000 and hosts a pond with Elm and Blackthorn and Holts Spinney is a secondary woodland of Ash and Field Maples. Notable wildlife are Water Vole, Scarce Cahser, Bullfinch and Dropworth.

The group met with members of the Little Downham Project and found the visit inspiring! Lots of ideas and tips were exchanged and gave the Snail Wood Group inspiration for future projects.

Snail Wood Awarded Grant Aid

In August, Snail Wood received the fantastic news that their grant application to the Forestry Commission had been approved. The Snail Wood project has received help towards the funding that will be needed to fell the existing Non-native poplar plantation and regenerate the area with Native Wet Woodland species.

The forestry commission made an exception with the amount of grant aid awarded due to the fact that we plan to create a Wet Woodland, which is one of the priority habitats in the Cambridgeshire Local Biodiversity Action Plan.

The proposals are that the poplars will be felled by Autumn 2006, and the area will be re-planted in two stages; in the Autumn/Winter of 2006 and the Spring of 2007. The species mix should comprise:

40% Alder
30% Ash
20% Woody Shrubs
10% Other Native Broad Leaved Species suitable to the area.

Replanting should be at a density of 1100 trees per hectare - that's 660 trees in our 0.6ha area!

The woody shrubs are to include Buckthorn, Guelder Rose, and Grey Willow. The final ten percent "Other Native Broad Leaved Species" will allow us to plant specimen species that may not seed in an area dominated by Ash and Alder naturally, but will be suited to and survive in the habitat type. They may include Aspen, Downy Birch and Pedunculate Oak. These specimens will be very useful for education purposes whilst improving the biodiversity of the woodland.

It is very exciting news, and we are now excitedly awaiting the arrival of our felling license in the post. (Any day now...) Then finally, we can start putting our plans into action!