Heathland restoration

 

The face of the forest is changing at quite a pace as restoration programmes undo the works of previous generation in pursuit of a more balanced and environmentally sensitive forestry.  I've been pleased with these programmes so far and am excited to see the current ones develop. That said, change still takes a time getting used to, and if honest a bit of me mourns the loss of the forest I've known. All is transient though, only change is eternal.

Denny's all opened up

Denny enclosure's all opened up, swathes of mainly coniferous woodlands have been clear cut and the ground they stood completely cleared and graded; I'm excited to see how this landscape regenerates; the face of the forest is changing all over. This morning Denny enclosure's heathland restoration reminded me of the days on the Newbury bypass in the mid 90's; a damp and dank misty day, smoke from debris fires hanging is the air, and clumps of spared trees silhouetted on a scoured landscape; except today was devoid of people and machines, and the works being undertaken were for restorative rather than destructive ends. 

Park Hill Heathland restoration

As part of this morning's long roam we walked through Park Hill enclosure; we'd last passed this way back in January when signs proclaimed that the area was to undergo Heathland restoration. Well, that project appears well under way; cleared mainly coniferous timber lays neatly stacked on the sides of the enclosure's tracks; the landscape beyond cleared except for the occasional clump of or solitary deciduous tree; felling debris litters the cleared land, ready to be raked and burnt. It all looks a bit disruptive and messed up at the moment, though it wont be too many years before the restored heathland will be teeming with diverse flora, birds, reptiles and insects; and you'd never know it had ever been any different.