William Farr Geographers visit ALNROn the 28th April 2023, William Farr School’s A-Level geography group visited Ashing Lane Nature Reserve to collect data for the NEA (Non-Examined Assessment). This is an independent investigation into a chosen part of the curriculum, which involves an aspect of fieldwork.
Ashing Lane was selected as an example of a managed woodland. This was done with a focus on the effects of tree coppicing, as a contrast to the unmanaged example, Willingham Woods. The flora, surrounding the trees, were observed and identified using a frame quadrat. Multiple areas were randomly sampled, which provided a range of species to record. This data will be used to compare the abundance and evenness of plants species between woodlands of different uses. Other variables were also determined, including light intensity and soil pH. In one area sampled, the pH was found to be around 7 and an average light intensity of 27,417 lux. |
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As part of an investigation into carbon stores, the height, circumference and type of tree was measured, in order to calculate the total mass of carbon stored. It was found out that each tree stored, on average, 0.005 tonnes of carbon.
The collected data will be greatly beneficial for the completion of the practical component of the A-Level Geography course. Thank you very much to Nettleham Woodland Trust for allowing the use of the Nature Reserve to support our understanding of carbon and biodiversity in such a well-maintained area.
Dionne Boyall
The collected data will be greatly beneficial for the completion of the practical component of the A-Level Geography course. Thank you very much to Nettleham Woodland Trust for allowing the use of the Nature Reserve to support our understanding of carbon and biodiversity in such a well-maintained area.
Dionne Boyall
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It is with great regret and sadness that Nettleham Woodland Trust must announce the death of Rod Newborough, a founder trustee and our woodland adviser, after a long illness. Rod’s contribution to developing woods around Nettleham has been immense. His vision, energy and experience were second to none. His legacy is most easily seen in Monks Wood culminating with The Tower, completed in 2022, the last of his many projects. We send our heart-felt condolences to his family and friends.
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NWT thanks everyone who shopped at Nettleham Coop, supporting Community Champions.
We have used the money we have received to produce this interpretive board, now placed near the lake in Cooperative Wood. |
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New hexagonal bench for Monks Oak now fully funded - THANK YOU!!!
Lincoln College construction students volunteer at Monks Wood
On Thursday 16 May, a group of Lincoln College construction students created the concrete base for the soon-to-arrive hexagonal bench that will go around the Monk Oak. They chose Ashing Lane as the place they wanted to volunteer and a lovely job they have made of the base - thank you all!
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ALNR workday 2 September 2018 We had great weather, perhaps sunshine in excess, food, drink, and even a toilet. So civilised and highly appreciated.
It was a great day’s work by about 30 volunteers from the Coop, the Conservation Volunteers and NWT, contributing on average, I would say, four and a half hours. As you know some regular jobs were repeated. The path to our version of the Humber Bridge was mulched and the nursery bed was weeded and mulched. Some new signs were installed. The rapidly growing shrubs and trees close to some paths were lopped off or more gently trimmed back. The surface weed on Beatles Pond was raked off for the first time ever. There was some mowing of small glades and a major haymaking exercise on the Memorial Garden and South Glade, including some of the Conservation Volunteers taking us back to the Middle Ages with their scythes. Wonderful. Chris Williams NWT Chairman |
31 May 2018More pictures of the roebuck now installed in Monks Wood, including the sculptor and members of the Nettleham Woodland Trust management team and supporters.
The sculpture was sponsored by the Lincolnshire Deer Group and carved by Nigel Sardeson. It can be found in a glade just off one of the main rides in Monks Wood, look out for it - and the real ones that frequent our reserve. With thanks to Rod Newborough and Susie Mendel for the photos. |
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20 May 2018 - a very successful workday
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About thirty people enjoyed the sunshine at ALNR, working hard to tidy the reserve and complete some important spring tasks. We mulched the new oaks in Cathedral Copse, the rest of the woodchip was spread on the path through the edge of Middle Wood and onto the Bridge, the willow tunnel got a trim, the ground under the pedestrian gate into Cooperative Wood now has a French drain to (hopefullly) prevent the ankle deep mud, some of the picnic tables and benches were oiled and the nursery bed was weeded and mulched.
NWT would like to thank the Coop for coming out with their members and providing lunch for everyone and the Lincoln Conservation Group who put in a sterling performance as usual. |
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When you pass the Cathedral Copse area, you will notice how different it looks! We are leaving the birch in to act as a protection for the young oaks. The planting day for the oaks is 26 November - more details in due course.
There were oak posts prepared for the new AAA signs, huge and heavy! Rod, Susie and three tough LCG volunteers dug 500mm holes for the posts, levelled and fixed them with postcrete then back filled. When the signs went on, all of the work by NWT and Amy Sayer, the designer, was seen to to be well worth it - they look GREAT! Thanks also to West Lindsey District Council for the funding for these and the new interpretation boards in the Threshold and at the north east corner of North Wood and Venture Signs in Lincoln for the printing and preparation of the final signage.
The LCG volunteers even managed to give the willow tunnel a good trim. Thank you VERY much to all of them and Jeff in particular for leading the group.
There were oak posts prepared for the new AAA signs, huge and heavy! Rod, Susie and three tough LCG volunteers dug 500mm holes for the posts, levelled and fixed them with postcrete then back filled. When the signs went on, all of the work by NWT and Amy Sayer, the designer, was seen to to be well worth it - they look GREAT! Thanks also to West Lindsey District Council for the funding for these and the new interpretation boards in the Threshold and at the north east corner of North Wood and Venture Signs in Lincoln for the printing and preparation of the final signage.
The LCG volunteers even managed to give the willow tunnel a good trim. Thank you VERY much to all of them and Jeff in particular for leading the group.
New benches in Ashing Lane Nature Reserve
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We are pleased to announce that several splendid new benches have recently been installed in Monks Wood, thanks to a generous grant from the Dulverton Trust and a donation from Waitrose.
The gallery photos show the locations of the benches - you might like to take advantage of them yourself, to enjoy the now well-filled pond in the All Abilities Area or the classroom at the inner end of the willow tunnel. With thanks to the family using the picnic table and the dapper gent in the red jacket for permission to use these pictures. |
Early Summer Working Party - 4 June 2017
The Lincoln Conservation Group paid a visit to ALNR for a day of doing some jobs to keep the woodland up to scratch.
A lot was achieved: ditches dug, benches relocated, the willow tunnel tucked in, musk mallow planted, wood chip distributed.
Thank you LCG!
The Lincoln Conservation Group paid a visit to ALNR for a day of doing some jobs to keep the woodland up to scratch.
A lot was achieved: ditches dug, benches relocated, the willow tunnel tucked in, musk mallow planted, wood chip distributed.
Thank you LCG!
Before....
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...and after
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A New View of Coop Lake and the AAA
Mark Johnson has given us a completely new perspective on the lake in the Lincolnshire Co-operative Wood and the All Abilities Area - isn't this brilliant? Hopefully he will take more videos and pictures like these throughout the year to show the changes that the seasons bring. Thanks, Mark |
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AAA Nursery Bed
Next time you are at ALNR, go and have a look at the nursery bed in the AAA area in Monks Wood - St Mary's Welton have been! The children have researched what plants the deer won't touch and made a lovely job of sorting out the bed and planting it up on Friday 9 June. It will be very interesting to see how this area grows through the summer and what insects visit. Thank you St Mary's! |
A Summer Working Party
The latest work day took place on Sunday, 7th August 2016. Despite the absence of many potential labourers on their holiday, a baker’s dozen of NWT and LCV stalwarts turned up as well as a local lad trying voluntary work for the first time. The weather was glorious, a great advertisement for Lincolnshire ’staycations’. There were three main jobs, all in the more public parts of the South Wood .
Some artistic types re-stained all the wooden benches and tables. Meanwhile several mighty diggers created new drainage channels leading away from the AAA Derbyshire stone path where it runs parallel to the main grass walk picking up the general downhill drift of surface water. Visitors will know how surprising damp this area can be. And finally a group of perhaps erstwhile hair-dressers gave a good trim to the main willow tunnel, The offcuts, some over 8 feet in length, were planted along a ‘desire line’ used by walkers keen to take a shortcut to the picnic table. Willow is a hardy plant and some of the 66 shoots salvaged from “the barbers’ shop” and replanted just a few metres away might actually take roots and grow in their new location despite the summer heat. And, if they don’t all survive, we will plant again in the more auspicious November-March period. It was a good session under the blue skies and the occasional fluffy white clouds of a quintessentially English summer’s day.
Community working parties in the Ashing Lane Nature Reserve in June 2016.
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On a very sunny Sunday 5th June we had hosted a group of about ten from the Lincoln Conservation Volunteers who focused on clearing weeds on the AAA (All Abilities Area) path, spreading wood chip along the Middle Wood path and tidying away coppiced willow in Coop Wood. Then the following Sunday we hosted about 20 volunteers marshalled by the Lincolnshire Coop as part of their Big Coop Clean fortnight. As the skies darkened, the group did the statutory shift of wood chip transfer, and removed a large and unsightly pile of old canes and crumbling crushed tree guards from the workr carpark NWT is very grateful to both teams for their help in keeping our wonderful woods in good order
The photos are from the second event and were taken by NWT and the Coop |
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Spring has Sprung at Ashing Lane Nature Reserve
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Eagle-eyed visitors to ALNR will have noticed the signs of spring. Rod Newborough has recently photographed evidence of a roe deer buck making a territorial claim in Monks Wood. The photo shows "fraying" where the buck has used its antlers to remove the bark and leave it's scent from glands at the base of it's antlers, in this case, on a crab apple tree near the All Abilities Area. "They tend to choose a favourite tree and keep using it so don't damage a lot of trees. If the stripping encircles the tree then it will die, although crab apples are quite resilient," said Rod. He also recommends that anyone interested in finding out more about roe deer visits the Forestry Commission's webpage.
Look out for roe deer when you visit the woods. You will need to be really quiet and look carefully, because they are easily spooked. Make sure your dog is kept well under control at all times, as ground nesting birds and other animals and reptiles are starting to take advantage of the warmth to set up new families across the nature reserve. |
The Face of the Future?
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Working with the NWT Woodland Advisor, Rod Newborough, this girl learned about selecting, coppicing and preparing willow wands from the Coop Wood. Then she found out how flexible and useful willow is to make a structure, in this case an extremely effective wigwam. Or maybe an obelisk to grow plants through this summer? Just remember not to let the willow take root too strongly!
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Our plan for the future is encourage more children to get involved in a practical and enjoyable way with the woodland. We also hope - to be able to supply coppiced willow for different purposes, making our woodland productive, using traditional woodland management techniques - watch this space...
The Book of Oaks Memorial Stone
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The roof of Lincoln Cathedral is supported by massive oak beams, that, although they last for centuries, eventually need replacing. According to the Cathedral website, the oldest beams still in the building were 400 years old when they were felled and they were installed in the 12th century.
NWT has promised that eventually, when our oaks have grown a bit (in a couple of centuries), the Cathedral will be able to call on one hundred trees to use in the restoration of the roof. To memorialise this, a huge piece of stone donated by Farrar Natural Stone, has been carved by the masons of the Cathedral stone yards to represent the Book of Oaks and our commitment to them. It has been set in place in the south glade of Monks Wood. If you stand where you can read the pages of the book, you are looking in a direct line to the cathedral. On a blowy but bright afternoon in November 2015, the Very Reverend Philip Buckler, Dean of Lincoln came out to unveil the stone formally and make the dedication. |
Stonemason Paul Ellis, Joy Monk and the Very Reverend Philip Buckler at the unveiling ceremony
