Summary of 2012

2012 marked the first full year of our ownership of the wood. Expert advice was to do nothing in the first year. Instead, observe the wood through the seasons. With no background experience of woodland management, this was good advice.

Some issues became apparent early.

Walkers and cyclists were opening up trespass routes away from the public footpaths, wearing away the vegetation and exposing the soil to erosion. Further, these trespass routes added to the disturbance experienced by birds and animals, with the risk of driving away sensitive species and reducing biodiversity.

The public footpaths themselves, whose maintenance is formally the responsibility of Surrey County Council, had received no attention for many years and were in places showing signs of serious erosion.