New Year Open Volunteering Day and Traditional Woodland Management

Ready to the start the new year with fresh air, exercise and supporting a charity? Join us at Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve, where we will be coppicing* hazel and using the cuttings to create deer guards to protect new growth from browsing deer. 

Rainton Meadows is Durham Wildlife Trust’s headquarters, a wetland reserve on the site of a former opencast mine. It was initially replanted by the mine’s owners before being given to Durham Wildlife Trust in 1997. We have continued to restore it for nature, notably through marginal wetland creation. Rarities spotted in the last year include a bittern and a small red-eyed damselfly.  

*Coppicing is the traditional practice of cutting certain trees at their base to create a stool in which fresh shoots will grow. This allows more light to reach the ground flora allowing a more diverse range of species to thrive. 

After lunch, we will delve into the benefits of coppicing and its history from straight-tusked elephants to supplying charcoal for the industrial revolution, finishing with nature conservation. 

No experience or prior knowledge is necessary with all, tools, training and PPE provided. Please bring a packed lunch, warm waterproof clothing appropriate to the weather and sturdy footwear as we may be working on uneven ground. 

The event runs from 10am until 2pm with a 30 minute lunch break. 

Host or Publisher Durham Wildlife Trust