Treemendous Re-growth

Matt Allmark surprised by the regrowth
of the hazel coppice at the Butterfly Park.
Photo: Paul Loughnane

Matt Allmark, Cheshire Wildlife Trust Reserve Officer West, visited New Ferry Butterfly Park with his two beloved hairy companions Stan and Poppy. Matt primarily came to carry out a tool inspection, to see if the tools passed muster, which they did admirably. Whilst at the park he carried out a tree inspection and found two suspect roadside willow trunks which will be dealt with over the winter season.

Following a tour around the site he was (and looked) astounded at the regrowth of the hazel stools in Brick Pit Coppice. The tallest re-growths were over two metres in height and shoots from the stools which only started emerging this May. That is nearly an average growth rate of 30cm a month! This is a reflection of the nutrient rich ground, the coppice being developed on an in-filled brick pit, the fact that this is a simple i.e. a coppice that has no large trees above the stools to shade them and that the stools are well established being in their third in cycle coppice cut. The coppice crop of hedging stakes has increased with each subsequent cut with 400 stakes being cut in January and February this year.