Dean Green Team

Wildlife Conservation Group in the

Forest of Dean

Gloucestershire

24 January 2012

Woorgreen

Grid Ref SO630127

The area behind Woorgreen Lake and leading up to Crabtree Hill has been extensively cleared of conifer forest in the last few months. There have been some crescent shaped glades created which are now clear of trees but contain loads of cut brush. We are removing the brush and raking the ground down to bare earth and sandstone so that we can encourage wild flora to take hold. There is wild thyme along the verges as well as heather so we are hoping this will spread into the glades.

Here we have an example of how filthy we can get!

On the left our member of the team had been given a second hand

(although it looked new!) jacket to wear -

On the right is the effect after a few hours of

lifting, throwing and burning the soggy brush!

Getting the first fire started. Although it might appear that there is not a lot of

brush in the surrounding area it is, in fact,

about 2 feet deep and very soggy underneath.

Two fires are burning fiercely. The team scraped up the debris

to leave a clear surface for wild flowers to proliferate.