Our regular volunteer working parties happen once a month on the third Sunday.  
The focus is on improving the woodland as an area where native plants flourish at all levels and to encourage a range of habitats that are inviting for invertebrates, birds and mammals.

Rhododendron

Rhododendron Removal remains a constant task.  It is the Ponticum variety with purple flowers that causes the most damage to our native trees.  Unfortunately, it grows so densely that every other species is crowded out.

Ditches

Drainage has also been a significant problem in the past and the woodland can still be very wet in places particularly along the back of the houses on Dorset Way.  To combat this, we work regularly to maintain the ditches we have already cleared and plan to re-establish the ones yet to be reached.

Footpaths

The woodland is used regularly by members of the public and to help manage footfall we clear away mud, edge the most used footpaths and trim back undergrowth.  You might also see some hedge like structures in areas where we have cleared back the rhododendron.  These dead hedges have a few functions, providing habitats for invertebrates, following the lines of existing pathways they help direct visitors away from areas where younger plants are trying to grow.

What has changed in the past Six years

Since our work began in 2020 there are significantly fewer mature Sweet Chestnut trees. This is not due to any work we have undertaken but as these trees were all planted within a similar period of time many are reaching maturity at the same time. 
As a consequence of this and combined with the work we have done removing rhododendron, there are now gaps opening up in the canopy.  This in turn allows more light to reach the wood floor and our volunteers have been able to plant saplings of smaller native tree species which are beginning to support a more diverse woodland environment.

Wild flowers

Earlier in the year we were pleased to see the native bluebells planted as bulbs last autumn come into flower. We hope their seed will spread and they will become established in new places. Another success is the foxglove which has found areas to grow in that would have been too dark previously.

Tree Planting 

For the past three years we have planted small native saplings in the areas previously populated by rhododendron.  Many of these are becoming established.  Equally encouraging still are the hawthorn and rowan trees which have self-seeded and appear to be flourishing in several areas where the ground was previously bare.

Coppicing

Fox Hill woodland is protected by law and we work very closely with the guidance of Wokingham countryside services.  With the correct permission we were able to coppice some of the Hazel trees for the second year in a row.  This has also helped to lower the woodland canopy and given the trees a new lease of life.

“All day and night, save winter, every weather, …..
The aspens at the cross-roads talk together”
Edward Thomas 

Tucked away amidst our dominant Holly, Silver Birches, and Sweet Chestnuts, it is easy to miss the delicate European Aspens (Populus tremula) growing at the foot of Fox Hill. True to their Latin name – commonly known as the trembling aspen – even in the slightest breeze, their distinctive round leaves are set fluttering. 

The leaf stalks are flattened and flexible near the leaf blade, which is why the leaves flutter in the breeze so easily. Young leaves are a coppery colour and often turn a vibrant yellow or sometimes red before falling in autumn.

If you manage to find an adult tree look at the bark which is grey and often pitted with diamond-shaped pores, called lenticels.
Aspen wood is white, soft, lightweight but fairly strong and was traditionally used for making oars and paddles. Its low flammability means it is a good choice for matches and paper, while the shredded wood is often seen available for animal bedding.

In the area of rhododendron we have  most recently removed at the edge of the Fox Hill clearing we are seeing new aspen saplings eagerly emerging into the lighter spaces vacated by the invasive shrub.
Aspens spread aggressively via underground root systems—a process called suckering— it is highly likely that just a few parent trees are responsible for this entire new generation of shoots!

Aspen  is an important tree for biodiversity, supporting several species of moth and butterfly larvae, gall midges and the rare aspen hover fly.

Unfortunately it is also a favourite food for deer and a lot of the new saplings are being kept short by their browsing.
To give our new aspen grove a fighting chance to mature and fill out into the newly opened clearing, the Friends of Fox Hill volunteers are going to build some deadwood fences around an area of aspen saplings. Hopefully this natural barrier will act as a deterrent to the deer, allowing us to see if it helps the trees get closer to their mature height of 20 metres.

Did you know…?

A crown made of aspen leaves was said to give its wearer the power to visit and return safely from the underworld. 

An infrequent series introducing some of the bird-life you will find in our woodland.

If you’re wandering through the woods and hear a rhythmic “chiff-chaff-chiff-chaff,” you’ve just heard one of our summer residents! The Common Chiffchaff is a tiny, 10cm bird that is heard far more frequently than seen. They are one of the UK’s most abundant warblers and you shouldn’t have to wait long to hear one in Fox Hill.

Traditionally, these birds are summer migrants, arriving from Africa or the Mediterranean in March and staying until October. However, because our winters are getting milder, some are choosing to stay all year round. We even get “winter tourists” visiting us from Scandinavia, so keep your eyes peeled and your ears open in the colder months, too!

Their Latin name, Phylloscopus collybita, basically means “leaf-explorer,” which is the perfect description. They spend their days hunting down minibeasts hidden deep in amongst the leaves, sometimes even snapping them right out of the air.

Unlike many birds that head for the mid to upper canopy, Chiffchaffs like to stay low. They build domed nests right on or near the ground, tucked away in thick grass, brambles or bracken.

The female usually lays six eggs and handles the 13-day incubation alone. Once the chicks hatch, the female does the heavy lifting with feeding, while the male takes on the role of “security guard,” fiercely defending their territory until the young are ready to fly (usually after about 14 days).

The next time you are out walking in Fox Hill listen out for the cheery metronome call of the little leaf exploring Chiffchaff.

Fun Fact!

Chiffchaff’s look so similar to their cousin, the Willow Warbler that experts didn’t even realize they were two different species until 1817!

The Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna) is currently flowering in the woodland.
Look out for it as you enter Fox Hill from Dorset Way on the right of the pathway close to our information
board.This is a native British wild flower that favours damp and shady areas.

It is one of the earliest spring flowers which can be spotted anytime between January and April. Because of this It is an important source of nectar and pollen for emerging queen bumble bees and other pollinators coming out of hibernation.
The Lesser Celandine is part of the Buttercup family and spreads quickly making it unpopular with some gardeners.

It was once thought that you could use Lesser Celandine to predict the weather as they close their petals before raindrops. The leaves are high in vitamin C and have been used to prevent scurvy. Another common name for the plant is Pilewort from its use as a treatment for haemorrhoids!

On Sunday 8th March 1^st Woosehill Scouts, in conjunction with Friends of Fox Hill and Wokingham Borough Council Countryside Services team, returned to Fox Hill Woods for a day of tree planting.  

Over 20 Scouts, siblings and parents turned out to plant around 75 saplings of under-storey trees which were provided by the Woodland Trust as part of their community planting programme.

The species planted by the scouts were:

• Hazel
• Blackthorn  
• Rowan
• Elder

This year the trees have been planted in small groups of a similar species in areas where we have finished clearing the rhododendron. Each sapling was given a guard to prevent deer and other animals from feeding on the tender shoots.

As previously the roots of each sapling were given a dose of a mycorrhizal dip. This beneficial fungal treatment should help re-establish the “wood-wide-web” which has been disrupted by the rhododendron. 

As expected some of the saplings planted last year have not survived. We hope that repeated topping up and extension of the under storey vegetation will in time create a more diverse, lush native woodland in amongst the birch and sweet chestnut.