Trust set to plant thousands of new trees at Sutton Coldfield wood
Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust has launched the next phase of its plans to replant trees that will improve habitat for plants and wildlife at Manorial Wood.
The charity is to plant English deciduous broadleaved trees at the woods, which is one of the Trust’s own private woodlands.
They say the entire site, also known as Dead Man's Wood in Worcester Lane, will be restocked in mid-March, with 4,500 trees of both UK-grown hardwoods and an intimate mix of conifers to aid the establishment of the crop, following the recently harvested Corsican Pine.
The Trust says this will increase the hardwood area of the wood by more than 50% of all trees, which will sequester carbon for decades and provide an improved habitat.
The decision to fell and replace previous trees caused fury among local residents but the Trust says the move came after seeking specialist forestry advice over the past two to three years, which revealed that the previous crop of Corsican Pine had reached its potential and would have gone into decline – causing increased safety issues and fire risks to nature and local residents, due to lack of vegetation and plants.
Tina Swani, chief executive of Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust, said: “This woodland was made up of Corsican pine, which was deliberately planted for harvesting to be cut down in a time when wood production mattered much more than habitat.
"Unfortunately, this means the woodland floor had become laden with pine needles and very little was growing and when the pine needles dry, they can become a real fire risk.
“In order to restore this area, we are planting the whole space with a greater number of English broadleaved trees – a mix of species – and we’re planting more trees than have been felled. This will help to increase the biodiversity in this wood, a richer mix of plant life on the woodland floor and a greater range of wildlife living in these woods.
“This project will greatly enhance the environment for generations, not just decades, to come. That, in turn, will create a much better environment for people, for the wildlife, and for quality of the air.”
Robert South, timber harvesting director at Bronwin and Abbey, said: “Landowners play a key role in the sustainable use of natural resources. Carbon neutral jobs, homes and communities will be delivered, through stewardship of the land, and a view to improving nature and biodiversity.”
Timber harvested from the site will be used in construction, fencing and power supplies, with products embedded with carbon and residues used for power and heat – reducing the need for fossil fuels.
