It’s a gloriously sunny spring morning as I park my car at Monkwood to meet Dom, the Trust's western reserves officer, for my first site visit as the new Green Farm Engagement Officer. As our walk begins, we head north from the cark park along the footpath and Dom explains to me the ambitious vision originally set out to expand and restore Monkwood’s woodland onto the adjacent Green Farm.
Meandering up through Monkwood, the wood anemones and primroses lead the way. I already begin to see evidence of management as we pass a stretch of hazel stools, which volunteers have been busy coppicing this past winter. In these clearings the sunlight penetrates through to the woodland floor and brimstone butterflies dance around us in seeming approval of this new habitat.
When we emerge onto Green Farm and find ourselves stood in Bullocks Ground, the first of the newly planted fields, Dom tells me that across the whole site an impressive 5271 broadleaf trees have been planted over the last two winters. This is not only trees for woodland creation but also for wood pasture, orchards and hedgerows too.
Standing in the dappled shade of a veteran oak tree and looking out across the fields of planting, it’s difficult to not feel in awe of the hard work that has been put in by Dom, volunteers, community groups and schools to achieve this. I imagine the site in 300 years, with its continuous woodland, scrubby wood pasture, wildflower meadows and billowing hedges - a haven for wildlife.
