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*London, 16th February 2024* - On this crisp winter morning, TCV staff and Haringey's Nature Conservation Officer dedicated their time to lay hollies and hornbeam in Witches Coven, Queen’s Wood, contributing to the conservation and management of this cherished urban ancient woodland. 

Before laying the holly

Hedgelaying is an age-old technique that involves partially cutting and bending trees, and adding stakes to create a living hedge. The planning of the hedgelaying brought together the expertise of TCV staff, Russel Miller, Nature Conservation Officer, Friends of Queens Wood and Woodland Trust.  

Partially cutting the holly

At Queens Wood, the focus was on laying hollies and hornbeam around the edge of Witches Coven. This method not only provides a natural boundary to encourage ground flora to thrive and ensures sufficient space for people to enjoy the area, but also stimulates the growth and vigour of the hedging trees. The enhanced hedge structure will provide habitat, shelter, and food sources for a variety of wildlife, contributing to the overall biodiversity of this urban woodland.  

Bending the holly

The laid hedge also serves as an educational platform, with signage on hedgelaying placed around the hedge for visitors to the Witches Coven. It is crucial for everyone to respect the newly laid trees as they are still fragile and settling in.  

After laying the holly

As we approach the festive season, the Ancient Woodland Project team wishes you a tree-mendous holiday and a happy New Year!

Did you know that London is one of the greenest cities in Europe and boasts over 30 ancient woodland remnants?

Despite the winter chill, the vibrant green of mosses continues to grace our three ancient woodlands. Emeritus Professor Jeff Duckett, a London bryophyte expert, has identified the fascinating moss species thriving in the heart of almost every one of our ancient woodlands. Several of these contain over 50 moss species and 10 liverworts! Many of them have returned to London since the Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968.

Here are some common mosses you can spot in our woods:

Mnium hornum (Swan’s-neck Thyme-moss)

Cryphaea heteromalla (Lateral Cryphaea)

Hypnum cupressiforme (Cypress-leaved Plait-moss)

Grimmia pulvinata (Hedgehog Moss)

Fissidens taxifolius (Common Pocket-moss)

Calliergonella cuspidata (Pointed Spear-moss)

Brachythecium rutabulum (Rough-stalked Feather-moss)

Deputy Leader Cllr Mike Hakata joined officers and volunteers to pick up the Community Woodland Award at a Mayor of London-supported ceremony at City Hall organised by the Forestry Commission.

The awards, billed as the #TreeOscars, celebrate the work of individuals, communities and professionals to protect, improve and expand the capital’s tree and woodland cover.

Haringey Council’s Ancient Woodland Project is helping to preserve and restore Bluebell Wood, Coldfall Wood and Queen’s Wood, working alongside Friends’ groups, Woodland Trust and The Conservation Volunteers (TCV).

The co-produced programme of improvements has included an extensive survey on the conditions of the woods to deliver an ambitious, long-term plan to protect habitats, enhance biodiversity and increase resilience to climate change.

Cllr Mike Hakata, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Environment and Transport said:

The Ancient Woodland Project has been made possible thanks to a successful bid to the Rewild London Fund, which is supported by the Mayor of London in partnership with the London Wildlife Trust.

The Friends of three ancient woodlands, each with its unique charm and history, convened for a day that celebrated the successful completion of the first phase of the Ancient Woodland Project on September 6, 2023. It was a day filled with mutual exploration, shared insights, and, of course, delicious tea, biscuits and lunch.

These dedicated individuals, bound by their passion for preserving our natural heritage, took the opportunity to visit each other's woodlands, Bluebell Wood, Coldfall Wood, and Queens Wood. They inspected the conservation areas and exchanged invaluable ideas on woodland management. Sharing both the trials and triumphs of managing these woodlands, attendees found inspiration and motivation to continue their vital work.

A Glimpse into Conservation Areas

One of the highlights of the day was the inspection of conservation areas within each woodland. Attendees were delighted to witness new plant growth reclaiming the previously bare and compacted soil. It was a real reminder of the importance of preserving these ancient gems for generations to come.

Reflecting on the day's events, one participant, Sheila from Friends of Bluebell Wood, shared her thoughts:

The day would not have been complete without a shared meal. Attendees enjoyed a hearty meal together in the Queens Wood café, swapping stories and fostering new friendships. It was a time to relax, reflect, and recharge, surrounded by the very nature they had gathered to protect.

Find out more about future work for the Ancient Woodlands:

https://haringeyancientwoodland.commonplace.is/en-GB/proposals/funding-stream/step1

Get in touch with the Friends’ Group:

https://haringeyancientwoodland.commonplace.is/en-GB/proposals/how-to-get-involved/step1

The aim of Monitoring and Fixed Point Photography is to record the changes of ground flora in the fenced conservation areas with photos. A photo is taken at specified locations. This process is carried out four times annually (Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring). By documenting the changes, we capture visual evidence of changes in the project sites over time. This technique helps track habitat development, vegetation growth etc demonstrating the positive impact of introducing conservation areas. 

Here are the FPP photos and target notes from Friends of Bluebell Wood (The photos are cropped)

Compartment No1 (BW1) End of June 2023

Compartment No1 (BW2) End of June 2023

Nipplewort (Lapsana communis)

So far we’ve had 175 contributions, 134 new subscribers and 907 visitors, this is a good start and we’ve had some really valuable feedback, so thank you again to all those who have contributed. The data collected from the engagement, will help to inform the new Management Objectives for the Ancient Woodland Management Plan.

Here is an example of common themes cropping up:

Question: What do you like about our ancient woodland?

Answers in the format of word cloud:

As school holidays draw to a close, we’re hoping to engage with more young people throughout September, so please do encourage any youngsters you know to engage - they are the future. To Share, you can now use the link: https://haringeyancientwoodland.commonplace.is/

Visitors to the three ancient woodlands can also engage by scanning the QR code found on the recently installed signboards within the fenced conservation areas, which direct users to this site.

Look out for our next update on Monitoring and Fixed Point Photography!

Each quarter, through a citizen science approach the Friends of each woodland will take ‘Fixed Point Photography’.