Farewell and Welcome to Volunteers

We recently said farewell to our two full-time volunteers Adam Stirling and Rob Speed from Harper Adams College who have returned to complete their course in Countryside Management. We thank them for their hard work over the last year and wish them all the best in their studies. Here is a photo from the farewell BBQ!

Below: Andy Perry our new full-time volunteer has now started with us and will be assisting rangers Mike and Richard with their work. Andy completed a Countryside Management course last year and is here to gain some valuable work experience in the field.

From Tree to Tea Room!

Here is an example of how timber from the Dudmaston estate gets turned into usable products for the National Trust. The top picture shows a selected tree being felled, in the middle you can see the timber being milled at the estate yard and below the finishing touches are being made.

Recently we have produced a new door between the tea room and the stable courtyard, some parking bollards and gate posts.

Tackling the Rhododendron...

Local volunteer group the Wolverhampton National Trust Conservation Volunteers (WNTCV) have been working on the Dudmaston Estate to clear the undergrowth around Seggy Pool in Comer Wood. Most of this work has been removing invasive Rhododendron to open up views of the pool and clear the ground to allow natural regeneration.

Rhododendron is an introduced species that was once planted extensively in Britain for its ornamental value and for game cover. It is a poor plant for biodiversity however as it has spread out of control in many places at the expense of native vegetation. This is bad news for our plants and the species they support.

We are also coppicing the alder trees around Seggy Pool to use as timber and sustainable fuel.