EIGHT woodlands in Solihull will benefit from conservation work this winter.
Solihull council’s Habitat and Nature Improvement Project aims to ensure 121 hectares of habitat, including woodlands, grasslands and wetlands will benefit from improvement works this winter.
Council chiefs say the latest woodland works as part of the long-running scheme will cover the equivalent of about 200 football pitches.
The scheme is part-funded by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which awards grants to reduce economic, environmental and social problems in urban areas.
Responding to residents concerns about previous projects, leaders say initially the woodland management work may look quite severe, but it is necessary in order to protect the long term future of the wood and its trees, plants and animals.
The council is seeking to assure residents that work undertaken by large machinery is to prepare habitats for future conservation before birds start nesting.
Council leaders say that without this management the quality and health of our woodlands would decline.
On Saturday (November 24) the council gave residents a chance to see how conservation work used to be done at the annual Oaks and Shires event.
The educational workshop showed how people managed woodlands for thousands of years using heavy horses and tools.
The event took place at Alcott Wood Local Nature Reserve in Chelmsley Wood.
To find out more about the Habitat and Nature Improvement Project visit https://socialsolihull.org.uk/peopleplacenature or email the team at [email protected]
