Cath Cobbs Woods Volunteer Event Sat 31st May 2025 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

We had a lovely and productive morning in our beautiful Cath Cobb Woods yesterday. Our Ancient Woodlands are looking and sounding stunning with all the colourful flowers, the green canopy, busy pollinators and lots of birds singing their hearts out. We had a great turn-out with 19 volunteers, including one new person. Thank you all for helping look after local woods.

We had lots to do with a range of activities that included cutting back bramble, nettles and holly from along the paths inside the woods making them accessible and safer for all to walk through. We also kept the vegetation at bay by cutting back and sweeping along the footpath from the car park to Willowbrook Drive so its clear for the schoolchildren and public to walk through safely.

We litter picked throughout the woods and filled 10 bags with rubbish and also removed a few Nitrous Oxide canisters. We painted over the graffiti on the access gate. We are hoping to get some colourful nature related images painted here in the future.

We cleared a tree and many branches from a path after a fire had brought down a big tree that then damaged other trees.

The path is now clear and remaining trees and branches are secure. We made a dead hedge with the fallen and broken pieces which will become a great habitat for lots of insects.

We also planted a variety of wildflowers in our glade area to further increase the flower biodiversity here.

These included Red Campion, Purple Loosestrife, White Horehound, Hedge Bedstraw, Wood Speedwell, Strawberry Clover and Greater Stitchwort.

It was such a beautiful morning with so much to see , Honeysuckle, Red Campions, Ragged Robin's, Wood Avens and a few Cuckoo Flowers still about.

We saw a and a Red Headed Cardinal Beetle, Orange Spotted Plant Bug, Ladybird larvae & a Common Carder Bee.

We were also very lucky to not only listen to but also see a young Great Spotted Woodpecker. We could hear his constant calls but then got to see him popping his head out of the nest. A very special moment and a great reminder of how lucky we are to have these Woodlands and all the precious life in here but also how important it is for us to help protect it all