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DEAN GREEN TEAM Wildlife Conservation Group in the Forest of Dean Gloucestershire |
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The Cyril Hart Arboretum
Arboretum day is on the first Thursday of every month
The Arboretum is named after local historian and forestry expert, Dr Cyril Hart. The collection started in 1910 and contains over 400 trees.
It is situated on the B4226 Coleford to Cinderford road close to the Speech House.
OS Grid Reference: SO624118
Volunteers meet at the Arboretum on the first Thursday of every month at 10am
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Volunteer Group Diary
5 March 2026
It felt like the first spring day today! The sun was shining and the temperature rose as we cleared fallen branches and bramble. We could see very young Bluebells starting to grow.
5 February 2026
Tree planting - A number of Rangers came over from Westonbirt Arboretum with some trees to be planted. Along with our Ranger they decided where the new trees were to be planted and we spent the day putting them in around the Arboretum.
The team are being told about the trees and why they are being planted here. In particular, there were four Pinus Nigra trees which can grow up to two feet a year and can live for over 500 years.
4 December 2025
More bramble and fallen branches clearing which explains our rather large fire! Our Rangers had provided us all with Fish and Chips as a 'thank you' for our volunteering over the past year - much appreciated by us all!
6 November 2025
There was a lot of general clearing in the Arboretum today. Small invasive trees along the old wall were taken down - lots of bramble was pulled up (we never get to the end of all the bramble!) - then a well earned rest!
2 October 2025
We had a large fire to burn off all the branches and leaves we collected. This image shows the very large Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) which had to be cut down recently as it had totally died and was in danger of falling in the winter storms. The other Monkey Puzzle trees are still standing and they have been there for over 100 years. Apparently, their life span can stretch to over 1000 years!
4 September 2025
Apart from a very heavy shower in the morning it was a lovely day. The Arboretum has had the grass cut!
Our main task today was to clear up after a massive branch had fallen from a very large Oak tree. We could see where it had ripped off quite high up the tree trunk. We removed all the smaller foliage along the fallen branch.
7 August 2025
We continued clearing the old wall at the back of the Arboretum. Again, it was too dry to burn off the clearings so we threw them over the fence. Masses of bramble which was very prickly!
3 July 2025
Another warm sunny day! We put brand new tree identification labels on the 45 young trees which we had planted in the last few months.
We also continued clearing the old wall.
5 June 2025
It is Foxglove season and they are growing along the old wall which we cleared for them! As it was raining, we managed to use a fire to burn off last month's debris.
1 May 2025
Today was the hottest 1st May ever recorded and the temperature went up to 26 degrees in the forest. Luckily, we were sheltered from the hot sun in the trees. It was definitely a NO FIRE day so we made an enormous pile of fallen branches, bramble and bracken which will be dealt with next month.
3 April 2025
Another beautiful spring day! This time we were clearing up an old Oak tree which had come down in the storms.
6 March 2025
It was such a beautiful spring day! There is still a lot of work to be done clearing and burning the branches from all the storm felled trees.
6 February 2025
Planting! We were supplied with 45 various trees from Forest Research for planting.
Information about an endangered tree named the 'No Parking' Whitebeam (Karpatiosorbus admonitor) can be found on our News page so Click here
16 January 2025
We delayed our visit to the Arboretum this month due to the ferocious storms blowing over the last few weeks. However, the carnage of trees which came down in the storms is now evident. It is such a shame to see fallen trees! We removed all the smaller branches from the trunks but there is still a lot of work to do. Contractors will be coming in to remove the giant trunks.
We are now in our 17th year of work at the Arboretum and have made real progress
To see the pictures from 2009 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2010 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2011 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2012 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2013 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2014 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2015 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2016 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2017 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2018 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2019 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2020 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2021 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2022 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2023 - Click here
To see the pictures from 2024 - Click here