Coppicing

Saturday 19th December 2020

It might not look like much but this is the first time that I have been coppicing! I went out with the Holt Copse volunteers all morning (we missed most of the rain!). We were coppicing some of the hazel which had probably been left for too long (hazel is supposed to be coppiced every 7 years). This made it hard work - a lot to saw through to get them down. Coppicing is effectively cutting the tree down to almost ground level, the tree then regenerates. It has been practiced in the UK for so long that a lot of wildlife thrive in coppiced woodland and need it for their habitat (dormice for example). It is now recognised as key to woodland management for wildlife conservation. Its also great fun as you get to cut things down and chop them up - very satisfying! As it was the last session before Christmas we also had mince pies and mulled wine. Late in the afternoon we heard we will be in Tier 4. I expect that means volunteering is off for the foreseeable future - glad to have got this one in today!