The ancient skill of coppicing was the fascinating subject that Clive Cobie covered at the Group’s May meeting to enlighten members and visitors. Clive is the Centre Manager for Shadow Wood near Billingshurst – a 63-acre bluebell wood in the heart of the Weald Downlands.
Clive explained why this traditional form of woodland management serves two important functions: to provide a renewable source of wood for fuel and fencing and to allow selected trees space to grow to full maturity for subsequent cropping as timber. A very useful effect is that this procedure also lets in light to the woodland floor, allowing plants and flowers growing there to regenerate along with their dependent wildlife – the word ‘copse’ denotes a wood that was once coppiced.
Coppicing means cutting the tree down to ground level to allow new shoots to spring up from the base. This practice stimulates the trees natural power of regeneration as it encourages the tree to produce new poles of wood year after year. Clive explained that as the years go by a coppiced tree will start to form a stool and shoots will be thrown up from this and should be cut back to within 5-8cm of this wood. The most suitable trees for coppicing are Chestnut, Silver Birch and Hazel which should be cut on a rotation of 7 years.
After a break for refreshments Graham Tuppen filled the popular Nature Notes slot with news of sightings of Early Purple Orchids during a visit to Patching Woods. Graham had also spotted Common (smooth) Newts in his garden supposedly from his next-door neighbour’s pond. Graham showed two impressive photographs by Peter Phelps of an adult Cockchafer and a Common Toad, with Peter Dale managing to photograph an Azure Damselfly by the Ferring Rife, where there had also been a recent sighting of a Water Vole, which was welcome.
Stephen Abbott concluded the meeting by updating the audience with news of local planning issues. The Call-In submission to the Secretary of State was not successful for the 47 houses approved to be built on the land adjacent to Kingston Lane, East Preston. The 3 houses proposed for a garden behind Ferring Nurseries has been rejected, along with an additional dwelling at the back of 4 Sea Lane. A planning application for a two-storey rear extension to Greystoke Manor care home has also been submitted.