Major tree work starts at Basingstoke beauty spot
Planting project starts in woodland around Bolton arch
More than 800 native tree saplings, including English oak and common beech, will be planted at the Crabtree and Dickens Lane plantations in Old Basing later this year.
The planting is part of a new nature recovery project by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to create the right conditions and habitats in the woodlands around the Bolton Arch to help the rare white helleborine orchid thrive.
The project starts Monday (12 January) to fell non-native tree species, dead and dying ash trees suffering from dieback and around 30% of the sycamores in the eastern part of Crabtree Plantation and the northern tip of Dickens Lane Plantation.
Removing these trees will allow more light to reach the forest floor, which will help the white helleborine orchid and other rare wildflowers to thrive along with the new native tree saplings when they are planted later this year.
Signs are now up at both plantations to advise visitors not to enter the two areas during the felling for safety reasons.
Sections of the woodlands will be cordoned off as required but the Bolton Arch car park will remain open during this time, with access by foot and by bike via the pathway next to the arch. The work is expected to finish by March.
Once the felling is complete, some trunks and logs will be used to mark out pathways through the woodlands to guide visitors to take certain routes, protecting important habitats.
Later in the year, the council’s rangers, Natural Basingstoke and local nature volunteers will replant the two areas with around 880 tree saplings of native species including English oak, hazel, lime and common beech.
The saplings are likely to be planted either before or after the summer, depending on the soil conditions and the weather, as they are more likely to survive in a wetter, cooler environment.
As they grow, the native trees will support a far greater range of insects, birds and fungi than the sycamores that are due to be removed currently do. They will also create the partly shaded conditions that white helleborine orchids thrive in.
Orchid
Cabinet Member for Climate and Ecological Emergency Cllr Chris Tomblin said: “As the hundreds of native tree saplings we plant later this year take root, they will provide food and habitats for wildlife while also creating the right conditions for the white helleborine orchid and other rare wildflowers to flourish and spread.
“This project is funded by money we secured from a housing developer under a legal agreement, showing our commitment to ensuring development delivers a net benefit for nature. It is a clear example of how we are putting our biodiversity strategy into action and working towards true nature recovery in Basingstoke and Deane.”
A map showing where the nature improvements will take place is at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/crabtree-plantation-woodland-project