![]() ![]() Dead wood, both standing and fallen, is also beneficial to a wide range of insects and fungi. The more diverse the woodland, both in terms of species present and height, the wider range of plants and animals can be supported. You can still see the evidence from coppice management where more than one tree trunk grows from the base of the same tree.Ĭoppicing and woodland thinning are important management techniques in maintaining woodland biodiversity. Some trees good, some trees not so good – keeping a balanceĪs its name suggests some of the woodland areas would have been coppiced in the past - cutting back trees to harvest a range of timber products and then letting the coppiced stumps regrow for future harvesting. Other unusual plants, southern marsh orchids and bogbean, are not easily seen from the boardwalk. The distinctive greater tussock sedge takes over in many areas, with wetland plants such as meadowsweet, valerian, ragged robin and yellow flag iris growing between the tussocks. ![]() Look out for the change in plants as you leave the alder woodland at the furthest point on the boardwalk. Pause for a while on the bridge over the stream and on a sunny summer’s day you’ll be rewarded with the sight of numerous dragonflies and damselflies. The River Sow enters the reserve further upstream and splits into a delta of narrow channels, making access very difficult, but providing fantastic wetland habitat. The entrance to the boardwalk takes you into Staffordshire's answer to the Everglades – a magnificent wet woodland of alder (known as Carr) with its own distinct flora and fauna. In summer, pied flycatchers join the influx of warblers to breed in the woods. Look out for nuthatch, treecreeper, greater spotted woodpecker, long tailed tit and marsh tit. The coppice has a particularly good range of woodland birds. This tree is uncommon in Staffordshire and at its southern-most range in Britain. ![]() Test your tree identification and see if you can spot the bird cherry trees on the roadside verge. The original oaks, rowans and hazel were supplemented by more unusual species such as sweet chestnut, beech and hornbeam. The abundance of bluebells indicate the long establishment of woodland at Jackson’s Coppice, although many of the species which are present were probably planted at the end of the 19th century. The underlying sandy soils provide easy digging for the badgers and the bluebell bulbs provide a ready food source on their doorstep! Jackson’s Coppice is best known for its dense carpet of bluebells in spring and the presence of a huge badger sett - one of the largest in the county. The Trust has been involved with the management of Jackson’s since the mid 1970’s and recently joined forces with the landowner and Sugnall Estate to restore Walk Mill Pool. When Walk Mill fell into disuse in the 1970’s the river and mill pool soon became silted up. Despite these raised water levels the fields were managed as water meadows and cut for hay until the 1950’s. A dam at Walk Mill raised water levels on the marsh as early as 1250. The origin of the marsh is closely linked with the two mills - Walk Mill downstream and Offleybrook Mill upstream.
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