Bottom Wood The Chiltern Society

The Dormice Project

Having now replaced dilapidated dormice nesting boxes and repositioned some existing ones, our current objective is to methodically check how boxes are used, to determine whether there are dormice using them and then, if necessary, to decide whether to relocate boxes for next year in order to spread our search area wider.

The 2011-2012 Work Programme

 

The Woodland Management Project

The autumn/winter work programme will include planting new trees in some of the areas that have been felled earlier in 2011 - 2012 Programme dates are:

2011: 9th October, 13th November, 11th December.
2012: 8th January, 12th February, 11th March, 15th April.

The October working party will start checking what needs to be done with the brash (off-cuts from tree felling).

Building two 4 x 4 metre square cages to monitor the impact of deer on vegetation inside and outside the cages – this requires annual photos in spring, One will possibly be in the valley bottom clearing and the second in the coppice block to protect a couple of the stools (of elm and hazel) so we can monitor if deer are browsing the regrowth.

Siting a new bench at the western end of Toothill.

Re-routing a footpath coming off Toothill to avoid some sensitive plant areas.

In the spring/summer we don't have the same amount of heavy work in managing the woodland but the dormice group will continue their monitoring and recording exercise. However, there are some things to be done that we will doing in the late summer months such as checking way mark signs to clearly identify the public rights of way (bridle ways and footpaths) and permissive paths a through the Wood.

THE PLACE & TIME TO MEET

The work party volunteers meet at the finger post on Old Dashwood Hill at 9.45, walk down to the information board in the Wood for 10 o'clock and finish work at around 1 o'clock.