The Habitat Restoration Co. were contracted in by a local resident to remove clusters of dead ash coppice at the bottom of several properties to remove danger of falling branches onto a nearby fence and to create an unobstructed view of the sea and Dodman Point in the distance.
Boswinger Farm,
Boswinger
The team arrived on site with a varying fleet of chainsaws, brush cutters and pole saws to complete the job, in sunny but extremely damp conditions under foot as the work area was situated in a boggy wetland area.
Of no surprise other species found in the location were Goat Willow, Alder and common Elder. What the team also found were Cornish Elm trees of varying maturity, not only surviving but thriving in an area clearly previously decimated by Dutch elm disease. Although the habitat value of the area was of relative low quality in general, great care and attention was taken to avoid any contact or disturbance to the Cornish Elm trees found, and assisted felling methods were adopted to do so.
The team went about first clearing the ground conditions as best they could, strimming clear access paths and open areas for refuelling stations and equipment storage. Of priority was clearing all the over-hanging branches and leaning standards across the existing fence lines, and they were removed using mechanical pole saws and assisted felling operations along the fence line.
Once the fence line was cleared and the possibility of damage, the team went about removing the remainder of the ash coppice stools. This was done methodically and at ground level. All brash and branches under 4 inches in diameter were cut and stacked into habitat piles across the site and be left to rot down. Moreover all timber 4 inches or more in diameter was cut and stacked into 5ft lengths and stacked in various locations across site easily accessible for extraction at a later date.
Once the initial project was completed, the ground was left to recover and dry after disruptive footfall and felling operations had churned it up. The team then moved onto a dead elm tree precariously positioned on a nearby hedgerow to complete the days work, as well as crown lifting a few willow trees to open up the view.
It was decided between The Habitat Restoration Co. and the client that a future project would be to pollard the willow standards left after nesting season during the winter months of 2024-25. The removal of the ash coppice had opened up the view nicely and it was decided that the view could be improved further by reducing the willow.
Moreover a restocking plan was devised along the marsh fringes to make sure all trees removed and felled will be replaced by sea salt and water tolerant flora such as alder, holm oak and hedging plants.