Mastodawn

I went to the woods. I did feel a bit better amongst the trees, but the hike back up to my home has ruined all that and felt horrible (this is why I want to buy a house right beside woods).

I met this sight, which looks terrible. If I didn't know better, I'd assume the woods were being removed for some kind of development.

But I do know better. I know that this is the work of the Woodland Trust, and the wood is being saved, not killed. There are three major projects ongoing: remove the destructive rhododendrons, cut back the invasive conifers, and also unfortunately to remove a stand of diseased trees. In their place, native trees and ground plants will grow. Clearings will be encouraged to develop naturally, all the better for biodiversity.

This will be wonderful. It's a shame that so much destruction is required to get there. But needs must.

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Mar

@RolloTreadway this is so interesting. It does look desolate! I loved reading the back story. Do you know what trees will they plant? (I don't know what's native to your area).

Also, I had no idea that rhododendrons were invasive in the UK. Here in the Pacific Northwest there are native varieties- in fact it's Washington State flower. Our problem is English ivy 😅

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RolloTreadway Mar 22

@marsiposa Yes, over here rhododendrons are not merely invasive but actively harmful. They have a symbiotic relationship with a fungus that does the rhododendron no harm but kills other trees - the fungus thrives in the dark damp conditions beneath the rhododendron, it kills neighbouring plants, the rhododendron has room to spread.

I'm not sure exactly what trees will be growing instead. I know that a nearby patch of ancient woodland has oak, birch, beech, hornbeam, willow, hawthorn, lime. So I presume those? There are also elms in the area, they might put in more of those. I don't really know.

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Mar Mar 22

@RolloTreadway oh wow I had no idea about the fungus. What a complex problem, and no wonder they have to completely clear out the space.

I love hawthorn! .. And it's also invasive here 😅 (although not as bad as the rhododendron issue you describe).

We have mostly conifer forests, I don't think I've ever been to a deciduous forest with such variety of trees, it must be very pretty.