On Sunday the 30th November, a group of employees from the United Parcel Service (UPS) took a break from their busy pre-Christmas deliveries, to help carry out some habitat maintenance at Roundshaw Woods.
The weather was on our side and the trees helped to shield us from the wind, as we set about our work. The first task was to clear a large patch of invasive snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) that is covering the ground layer in certain parts of the woodland. This alien species, native to North America, thrives in our climate and as a result can quickly spread through UK woodlands, out-competing native species, such as our bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta). So with loppers and gloves, we went about cutting and pulling out as much of it as possible, managing to clear a surprisingly large area.
As much as everyone one was enjoying themselves, tiredness and hunger eventually prevailed and so we called it a day, leaving happy with the work we had done.
Matt Pendry
Biodiversity Project Officer