Princethorpe Woodlands Large Area
Scheme
If we are to combat the threat of climate
change and safeguard the future of our native wildlife in
Warwickshire and indeed the whole of the UK, we need to think about
landscape scale conservation and the Princethorpe Large Area Scheme
is doing just that.
The Princethorpe Woodlands
Scheme has expanded its area North to take the
mosaic of habitats around Brandon Marsh/Piles Coppice and up
as far as Coombe Country Park. We'd like to work with even more
landowners to plant woodlands and wildlife friendly land, manage
exisiting woodlands, plant hedgerows and encourage landowners to
seek out grants for managing land for wildlife.
The scheme has a number of partners from
NGO's, charities, government departments and through quarterly
stakeholder meetings we can share goals, set targets and report on
progress. We work with landowners and woodland owners throughout
the scheme area and would like to make contact with anyone who owns
land, woodland or who has an interest in the land in the
scheme area.
Click the map below if you want to see an
enlarged version.
The Trust has made significant progress in
the last twelve months. We have worked with the Deer Initiative to install
deer exclosure plots at Wappenbury and Ryton Woods
to allow us to monitor the impact of deer browsing on both the
woodland flora and trees.
Our contractors at Wappenbury Wood are
making good use of the tracks to enable easier timber
extraction. This will result in low carbon fuel production as
a result of our woodland management and a contribution to the rural
economy. The newly improved track will receive the addition of a
walking surface in due course.
A private landowner in the scheme area who
planted 0.4 ha of native woodland reported to us that the trees are
doing well, with a high percentage of the trees are growing
vigorously. Nature Force (the Trust's
midweek volunteer team) planted the trees in February 2011. The
species mix included oak, ash and hazel to reflect the mix in
nearby Wappenbury Wood and Ryton
Wood.
Our management of Wappenbury
Wood, Ryton Wood and Old Nun Wood
(all in the Princethorpe complex) continues to improve the
condition of these woods. The existing extraction route at
Wappenbury Wood has been upgraded, which will allow us to
sustainably manage the woodland in the future. Some of the
wood that we chop down as part of conservation management will now
be extracted to roadside and sold to make woodchip. This woodchip
will then be used to fuel boilers like the one at our Brandon Marsh
Nature Centre.
We'll be leading a campaign to inform
local people and our members about our management of our woods in
the scheme area as people frequently have questions about how and
why we manage our woodlands in the way we do.
Butterfly
Conservation have established several butterfly
monitoring schemes to monitoring responses to management. 8
butterfly transects have been established including ones at Wappenbury
Wood, Weston and Waverley Wood, Ryton Wood and in Ryton Pools Country
Park. In addition, monthly moth monitoring occurs at 5 sites. In
response to active management the Purple Emperor butterflies
can now be located throughout all of the complex and Silver Washed
Fritillary is breeding in 4 woods and the White admiral in 9 woods.
Grizzled skipper, Dingy skipper and Green hairstreak have recently
colonised several locations in close proximity to the Butterfly
Conservation reserve Ryton Meadows - these sites
include Ryton Wood and Ryton Pools Country Park.
Hanson
Aggregates and Smiths Concrete are doing some very
positive landscape and restoration around their site in Bubbenhall.
A perimeter woodland will develop by planting and natural
regeneration around their site near Pagets Lane. Grassland on
the site is now being lightly grazed by Dexter cattle in an attempt
to improve species diversity. A programme of woodland management is
also planned for Bubbenhall Wood.
Warwickshire Dormouse
Group have been making good progress in the Princethorpe
Scheme area too, and have been surveying hedgerows to find out if
dormice are moving towards and away from woodlands where they are
known to be present.
The management of the Forestry
Commission woodlands in the scheme area continues too
with thinning and restoration to broadleaved trees in Weston and
Waverly Woods.
Carillion plc's 'Natural Habitat Fund'
supported the Trust to the tune of £5,000 to improve the condition
of Ryton Wood for the wood white butterfly. A mixture of volunteers
and contractors were used to manage grasslands and cut several
hectares of 'coppice with standards'. Eddie Asbery also made his TV
debut on Midlands Today as we had heavy horses extracting timber
that was felled in Ryton Wood - something we could not have done
without the Carillion grant.
