ON the 15th May from 2pm to 5pm at Park Wood, Monmouth, The Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw) is running a woodland management event to allow everyone who is interested to find out more about ancient woodland, its importance, and the urgency of restoring it. 

The event will take place in informal and friendly woodland settings and is aimed at woodland owners and those with an interest in owning or managing woodlands.     

Across Wales an incredible 17,000 hectares of irreplaceable ancient woodland is under threat, having been planted with non-native trees, usually conifers. That’s nearly one percent of the land area of Wales.

The Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw), with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), is running the UK’s largest ever project to help restore ancient woodland.

The Woodland Trust is hosting the events in conjunction with Small Woods Association, Gwent Wildlife Trust and private landowners. The aim is to demonstrate how to sustainably manage and restore planted ancient woodland alongside existing woodland management objectives, including conservation, timber production, stock shelter and game management.

Laura Shewring, the Trust’s Ancient Woodland Restoration Manager for Wales says: “Now is such an important time for restoring ancient woodland. We want to help woodland owners gain a better understanding of how to manage this important resource whilst also safeguarding these sites for future generations.”

“The Woodland Trust aims to work alongside woodland owners and forest managers to allow sensitive restoration of ancient woodland alongside more traditional forestry practices, sporting use or increased farm income as well as encouraging conservation and environmental benefits.”

Ancient woodland is the richest, most valuable habitat for wildlife we have, with unique ecosystems providing a home to hundreds of rare and vulnerable species but only a fraction of this important resource remains.  It’s unique combination of flora and fauna plus mainly undisturbed soils mean it can never be replanted, recreated or replaced. 

The Woodland Trust is working to engage with woodland owners in various priority areas in Wales.   

It is offering impartial support and guidance to enable owners to sustainably manage and restore ancient woodland sites which are currently planted with non-native species and so considered under threat. 

Coed Cadw owns over 100 woodland sites in Wales and so is drawing on its knowledge and expertise, as well as current research to explain why ancient woodland restoration is vital, particularly at this point in time. 

This is all part of an important UK-wide project run by the Woodland Trust aiming to ensure thousands of hectares of these ancient woodland sites will be in a process of restoration by the end of a four year project, which has been generously awarded £1.9 million in support by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

If you would like to know more please contact the Woodland Trust on 02920 027732, email [email protected] or visit the website: woodlandtrust.org.uk/restoration