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Rickmansworth nature park to receive makeover to boost wildlife population
A NATURE park in Rickmansworth is set to receive a facelift this winter in the hope of boosting its wildlife population.
Bishops Wood Country Park, which is managed by Three Rivers District Council (TRDC), will be subject to extensive work to maintain and increase biodiversity in the area, through promoting native broad-leaf plants and providing more light to the forest floor, to encourage the growth of seedlings.
The 35 hectare site - including 18 hectares of plantation - which once boasted SSSI (Special Scientific Site of Special Interest) status, will be thinned by 30 per cent each year over the next three years.
Over-worked paths will also be restored and opened up to allow the growth of edge plants, a natural nectar source for invertebrates.
About 10 per cent of conifers will remain, to add a form of 'naturalness', and the works will be undertaken by a harvester, which can fell, shred and cut trees into four metre batons within minutes.
The makeover has been part-funded by the Forestry Commission of Great Britain, the government department responsible for the protection and expansion of forests and woodlands in the UK.
It will be carried out during the nesting season and are expected to be completed early next year.
It is hoped the project, which has been open to public consultation for the past year, will help Bishops Wood one day regain its SSSI status.
For more information call TRDC's tree and landscape section on 01923 776611 or visit www.threerivers.gov.uk
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