Irreplaceable woodlands : some practical steps to restoring our wildlife heritage

Charles Flower is passionate about restoring the countryside.

He has spent many years working on and writing about the restoration of wild flowers to grasslands and has now turned his attention to ancient woodlands, many of which, though derelict, are treasure houses of diversity, an asset unrecognised by almost everyone including those in Government.

Yet with a little effort glades and rides, which may represent less than ten per cent of the wood, can be opened up with remarkable results.

Once light penetrates some wild flowers will reappear and attract back the insects, birds and animals that once flourished there.

What is more, over the last twenty years some 85,000 hectares of new broad-leaved woodland have been plantedin England most of it devoid of wildlife, a giant missed opportunity since this land, which greatly exceeds the area of the nature reserves of all the English Wildlife Trusts, is protected from agricultural agrochemicals and would provide the perfect breeding ground for wild flower diversity and the insect, bird and animal life associated with it.

Just as introducing the right methods was the key to creating successful wild flower headlands on agricultural land, introducing appropriate methods will establish wild flowers in new woods.

This book is not only a beautiful record of the ancient woodlands that, thanks to good management, have continued to thrive, it also constitutes a practical manual and provides inspiration for those working to preserve our existing ancient woodlands and those managing recently planted woods and planting the trees that will constitute our future woodland heritage.