Support for appeal to create new woodland near Bromsgrove
T
he Bromsgrove Society were keen to support the urgent appeal launched by conservation charity the Woodland Trust to raise funds to expand a local woodland, and they would welcome your support too. Pepper Wood, situated near the village of Fairfield, on the outskirts of Bromsgrove, is a well-loved natural habitat and when the Society heard of the plans to double the size of the Woodland they were keen to make a grant in favour of the Appeal. Centuries old, Pepper Wood is a precious fragment of rare ancient woodland – a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a green haven for wildlife and people in an increasingly urban world. The extension of the woodland is all part of the Woodland Trust’s mission to fight the nature and climate crisis the nation is facing with trees which lock up carbon and provide vital havens for wildlife. Pepper Wood was bought by the Woodland Trust in the early 1980s. The new extension would double the size of the wood to 250 acres, the new trees buffering and protecting historic ancient woodland and the hidden treasures it contains. The Woodland Trust is looking for support from local people so that this land can regenerate back into beautiful woodland, with spectacular views across to the Malvern Hills. Nature will return.Young trees can seed
20 Completely Bromsgrove
and grow at their own pace helped by careful planting. Butterflies, badgers and birds will find new homes and rare flowers can bloom again. If the Trust is successful in raising the money to purchase the land, planting and natural regeneration would begin next autumn. As the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, the Trust has a bold aim of getting 50 million new native trees in the ground by 2025. Ian Froggatt from the Woodland Trust told us “We really hope local people will support our appeal – this year more than ever people have found solace in woodland and nature as an escape from the restrictions we have all been living with. This new and bigger Pepper Wood will be a remarkable community asset for generations to come.” Donations are sought for the Woodland Trust’s urgent appeal to raise £1.5 million. Find out more about Pepper Wood and the Woodland Trust’s vision and make a donation at www.woodlandtrust.org. uk/pepperappeal
by Jo Slade
