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Our work here
Highnam Woods is home to important birds, plants and invertebrates that rely on both traditional coppicing management and contrasting areas of mimimum management intervention. This has been heavily modified by human activity over the years, and the RSPB is working to restore its original character. The reserve will remain a popular woodland retreat for visitors.
Woodland work
We are enhancing the ancient woodland for the benefit of key woodland birds such as lesser spotted woodpecker. Our work includes removing non-native trees, while leaving native trees and other flora to develop naturally. We aim to establish a diverse age structure among the trees and to create more natural glades, dead wood and other key habitat features.
Scrub and coppice specialties
We will maintain scrub and coppice as habitat for breeding nightingales, aiming to support at least 20 singing males each year. We will thin out standard trees, while retaining 20% canopy cover. We will also rotivate tracks to provide enough disturbed ground for upright spurge, aiming to establish at least 2,000 flowering plants of this rare species.
Invertebrates
We are working to maintain a diversity of habitats for invertebrates. We will leave all dead and decaying timber for the benefit of dead wood species, and will maintain rides and glades by trimming and flailing. We will also leave 20 ha of woodland with minimum intervention.
Finding out more
We will continue to survey breeding birds, using our nestbox scheme and other recording techniques, and will carry out an invertebrate survey in 2008. We will also carry out annual counts and mapping of spurge, and will monitor the impact of deer and any changes in woodland wetness. Our findings will help us to manage the site.
People appeal
We will retain a modest infrastructure for up to 8,000 visitors per year, offering events such as guided walks and maintaining our bird feeding area at reception. Up to 10 volunteers will help us with this work. We will raise the reserve's profile in the local media, and will lead one or two Forestry Group visits per year, on request. We will also maximise our income from donations, funding and our nest box sponsorship scheme.
Our funders
This nature reserve is kindly supported by funds from Cory Environmental Trust in Britain and the Gloucestershire Environmental Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund (formerly the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme), as well as RSPB local groups and supporters.