Deer exclusion zone 2024 update

If you have visited recently, you may have noticed that we are constructing a substantial fence within Pond Wood.

The fence is made of galvanized steel, it is 420m long and 1.8m tall creating an encloser of just over 1 hectare. The fence has been funded by UKSPF as part of a larger project to improve our Education Zone.

The intention is to exclude our resident Roe Deer from this area of woodland which will encourage the growth of ground flora which in turn provides nesting and feeding opportunities for small wild birds like blackbirds, wren and goldcrest. This has the secondary benefit of ensuring the safety and security of children and vulnerable adults within the education zone and reducing the risk of ticks.

Although the construction may look excessive, it is very low maintenance and has a 25-year guarantee. To erect the fence, we had to fell some trees through the woodland, but this has been kept to a minimum and where we have had to clear woodland for machine access, we have done so in lines running North to South. This creates woodland rides or glades, which catch the midday sun and will benefit plants and invertebrates. We have also tried to fell trees which we have in abundance, such as Alder, avoiding less prevalent trees like Ash to promote biodiversity. A lot of the trees which we have felled will grow back from their stumps, creating new, low-level habitat.

To construct the fence we have enlisted the help of Will Norman and his digger, but a lot of the work is being undertaken by our own team.

So, there you go, that huge fence isn’t part of an exciting new project to house our new T-Rex… but if that’s what you want to tell the kids, we won’t stop you!