Page 6 - Oundle Life October 2022

PARK LIFE
Heading for Autumn
As the days grow shorter, the leaves change colour, and the kids return to school, the rangers and volunteers at Barnwell Country Park can begin their winter work programme. This is the half of the year when the park is managed for the wildlife. It begins with hay cuts of our wildflower meadows,
Nowadays, the coppicing in the park is primarily for wildlife reasons, creating a diversity of age structure to suit different species. For example, the Willow Emerald Damselfly lays its eggs on young trees (willow and alder) that overhang the water.
raking off the cuttings and piling them up to create habitat piles for grass snakes, small mammals, and insects.
Autumn may be here, but there are still some splashes of colour visible at Barnwell Country Park
The rangers and volunteers try to reuse as much of the coppiced wood as possible. This can include leaving it for den building material, weaving fences or shelters, dead hedging, and leaving long straight pieces for our visitors to use in their gardens and allotments.
Autumn may be here, but there are still some splashes of colour visible at Barnwell Country Park. Look out for the pink and orange fruits of Spindle trees, and the pale pink Cyclamen
Then, if the water levels are low
enough, we cut a section of the reed
bed. How can cutting things down be
good for wildlife? It encourages new
growth and creates a patchwork of
different habitats for different species.
It can also slow down the natural
process of succession, preventing the
reedbed from becoming a wet-woodland, so it can remain a reedbed habitat and support the species that live there.
flowers.
Looking for an excuse to get out? There is
always plenty to do in the park, with activities for both children and adults, many run by our Active Parks team.
Once these weather-sensitive tasks are completed, we can move onto coppicing and scrub clearance. Coppicing is when we cut back close to ground level to encourage regrowth. Traditionally, this was done to harvest the materials. This could have been for sticks or stakes, weaving baskets or creating the wattle for wattle and daub buildings.
Visit our website at
www.northamptonshireparks.co.uk
and check our Events Page for all the latest information.
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