(17th January 2017)

The long pool north of the football pitch opposite the old Charlton School has become choked by reedmace. In line with Telford and Wrekin’s conservation plan the Friends are required to remove 50% of it over a period of 2 years to maintain a diverse habitat. Left to itself the pool would ultimately become a wood. There are two basic methods of reedmace removal – one is mechanical i.e. to use a JCB or similar, and the other is to use many hands in an unpleasant and hazardous environment. Using a JCB in this situation could cause damage to the environment and the Friends don’t have access to a great many hands, so they have devised a method using a 1000kg caravan winch, a fabricated grab hand and a canoe, to make light work of this task. Enjoy the video.

https://www.facebook.com/friendsofdlnr/

(9th January 2017)

Some of the Friends have been practicing the ancient art of coppicing in one of the woods on the reserve. As well as a vital source of materials for a variety of rural crafts, coppicing, is a recognised method of woodland management. A healthy wood, maximum diversity, maintains a good balance between its canopy, understory, field & ground layers. Conservation practices are used to maintain this balance, coppicing being one of them. The coppicing is carried out on an annual cycle moving through the wood and then returning to the first coppiced area in, let's say 7 years, to start the cycle again. Coppicing also rejuvenates the trees, some coppice stools are hundreds of years old and are an important genetic link back to ancient woodlands