Update from Dawn Bannatyne, Lead Ranger (The Common/Little Common), on starting works to restore the carriage drive and to reinstate the coppicing at the side of the drive

“Last week we started works on the carriage drive restoring and reinstating the coppicing at the side of the drive.  The section we will be bringing back into rotation is about 450m long, so we intend to do a 45m length section (extending ~10m in from the path) on each side each year.  This means it will take 10 years to bring all 450m back into rotation.

The reason for this work is to reinstate previous management which will lead to increased ground light levels leading to increased biodiversity.   By flooding the forest floor with light, that it won’t have had for years, all the dormant seeds that haven’t previously had a chance get a few years to flourish before the canopy closes in again.  In this time, the increase in plant vegetation diversity naturally leads to an increase in fauna, butterflies being a typical immediate beneficiary from the new conditions.

As we will be coppicing a section either side each year, there will always be areas with more light and therefore more biodiversity.   We hope that more light coming in will also help reduce the bogginess. We will be keeping an eye on what species we get popping up in these areas.  Just in what we have done so far you can see the drastic change in light so I have high hopes for a more diverse and lively carriage drive this summer.  The overall effect should make it much more welcoming for our human type species too!

If any of your members are interested in getting involved  in any of our practical conservation volunteering please email Hawthorns@southampton.gov.uk, we are also looking for helpers at the Hawthorns for engaging with the public or helping with making engagement materials or working in the grounds should that be of interest.

Dawn Bannatyne

Lead Ranger

Southampton City Council”