Woodhaven, Frilford Heath SSSI, 15th June 2019

By Andrew -
We were back at Woodhaven for the second time this summer to tackle the Himalayan Balsam. We knew that there would be a lot to do as we had missed two years due to difficulties in contacting the new owner of the property.

There was light rain as we assembled, which soon cleared. We counted ourselves lucky after a week of torrential rain with very little respite. We were also pleased to welcome a new member, Ross.

We made our way to the SSSI site, which is overseen by Natural England. There were a number of orchids growing along the edge of the meadow. Orchids are one of the features which make the preservation of this site so important. We crossed the bridge and set up our base in the wood, then set off in different directions to pull up the balsam. Where it has been cleared, many native wild flowers are returning.

We were glad to stop for our break, then it was back to work. Another meadow revealed many more orchids, which you can see in the photos.

We realised that there was much more work to do and may arrange an unofficial evening session in a few weeks’ time, weather permitting. This was something we did a few years ago and was really worthwhile, so watch this space!
-Eleanor



Photos by Margaret:












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