DEAN GREEN TEAM Wildlife Conservation Group in the Forest of Dean Gloucestershire

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20 April 2017

Lightmoor Colliery Colliery Tip

Grid Ref SO64501191

 

This was our last full day out with the Dean Green Team for the season. There will be butterfly surveys during the summer until we start the new season in September. We did not do any cutting as the birds are in full song and busy making their nests. We were burning off the previously cut debris allowing the open butterfly corridor to flourish. There were very many little violets blooming on the site.

There are signs of many wild boar around this site and it is interesting to hear that, recently, a sounder of five female boar were seen near Foxes Bridge with no less than 44 little humbugs between them!

	The mass of cut branches are apparent as we started up the fire.
	We needed three fires as the site is on a very steep slope but the clearing is now looking good. There were a lot of wood explosions sounding very like gun shots from the fires. Apparently, this is caused by water retention in the branches.
	Looking up the slope as the team take a break.