We had our October volunteer day last Sunday, and it was lots of fun as well as hard work! Focusing on the area designated as the elfwoods’ forest campsite, we removed old tree stumps to aid in levelling the pitches, chopped firewood for our campers, and cleared piles of dead leaves and bracken. We were rewarded with grilled sausages, great company, new friendships, fresh air and a day in close contact with Nature.
We succeeded in removing three large stumps; which will be positioned in the forest to create new habitats for small mammals, insects, plants and fungi. The bracken and dead leaves were composted and will be used in the future to increase the fertility of areas with poorer soils.
After noticing that two of the old stumps we removed appeared to still be living, we were interested to learn from one of our volunteers that recent research has shown how neighbouring trees of the same species can funnel water and nutrients through an interconnected root system to keep a stump alive.
We hope to begin running volunteer days on a more regular basis shortly. Please contact us if you’d like to join us as a volunteer or visit our conservation and volunteering page to find out more.
Our forest campsite will allow visitors to enjoy the tranquility and wilderness of elfwoods; with each pitch set among trees bordering the heathland. To find out more about our plans, please visit our Camping & Cabins page or contact us to enquire about a stay.