Birch on Thurstaton Common

Thurstaston common is a heath land habitat and as such is managed to maintain the rich biodiversity that such "poor" land can support. Left to its own devices it, like most of the land in England would eventually become broadleaf woodland - the first stage of this is invasion by species such as birch. Unless the land can be grazed, voluntary labour is the only way to prevent nature from covering the space with trees leaving species that need light and open spaces nowhere to live / grow.

Last sunday was a beutiful blue skied crisp winters day - working in association with our sister organisation the Chester volunteers, a few of us turned out, and helped clear an area of birch - producing a large pile of wood / brash which I am told will be chipped and disposed of locally.