Tower and Town, February 2019

  (view the full edition)

Volunteering In Savernake Forest

Once a month, booted, weatherproofed and carrying a picnic lunch, I head for Eight Walks in Savernake forest to meet a small group of volunteers led by Nikki, our Forestry Commission Ranger.

Savernake is a very special place, a rich and varied habitat for plant and animal wildlife, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Planted Ancient Woodland Site (PAWS). It was old in 934 AD and very old now, as many of its famous veteran trees testify.

The Forestry Commission (recently renamed Forestry England) runs this volunteer group aiming to engage the local community in the care of the ancient woodland, help conserve the wildlife and ancient trees and maintain the forest as a wonderful place to visit. But Savernake is not only a nature reserve; we also need to understand how the care of veteran trees and associated wildlife is balanced with extracting high quality timber and growing new trees to provide timber for future generations.

Our group heads off to wherever Nikki has planned the day’s task: we select tools and begin work. The tasks depend on the season but include coppicing, haloing, clearing around ponds, tree planting, and litter picking. Short rotation coppicing, an ancient tradition, is the repeated cutting of hazel or other trees down to the stump or “stool”. The regrowth, originally meant as a renewable source of timber, creates prime habitat for butterflies and other wildlife. Haloing is the clearing of encroaching trees and undergrowth beneath the canopies of veteran trees. This helps prolong their life by removing competition and giving them space and light. It is ironic that to preserve the forest, we spend much of our time cutting things down! Another traditional practice is grazing by park cattle, hopefully to be re-introduced this year.

There is only so much a small group can do in such a large forest but every little helps and we believe we make a difference. And what benefits do the volunteers enjoy? Once or twice during our day we stop for cake and hot drinks brewed on a Kelly kettle. There are occasional educational sessions on butterflies, lichens or fungi. Above all, working in the beautiful surroundings of Savernake is a positive and rewarding activity, promoting good physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

If you are interested in joining the group, please contact Nikki at

Nikki.morgans@Forestryengland.uk.

Bruce Hayllar