Weald & Blean Volunteering Update - April 2022

The Tuesday Team started the year at East Blean, where we have been working on opening up the rides. Over the last few years we have created a new ride heading East/West across the site by coppicing in scallops along the path. Each year taking a different scallop to build up a diverse structure along its length.

We moved over to Thornden Wood in February to work on the rides there and to open up the butterfly transect that had become very difficult to walk. With the Wilding Project happening on the West Blean Side of the road, we will be focussing our efforts on the Thornden wood end, west of the road from now on. Once the cutting season ended in beginning of April we have been focussing on fly tip removal and litter picking. So far we have removed two trailers full from the Woods.

The Friday Team spent January doing similar work ride creation at South Blean, Denstead Wood. Opening up a ride that hasn't been worked for at least a decade. In this part of the woods however, there is a huge amount of invasive rhododendron, which needs to have its root ball dug out with mattocks to stop it coming back. Removing rhodi is hard work, but very satisfying. In February we moved across the wood to Hunstead, where the Green Recovery project has opened up the bog, to continue removing the extensive rhododendron. The bog is looking amazing after the work and I can't wait to watch it develop over the years.

Many thanks to all the Blean volunteers!