Introduction day organised by the Woodland Trust and Living Woods North East.

A team of seven Woodland Trust volunteers met up at the lovely Hedley Hall Wood location close to the Gateshead/ County Durham border on 17^th August 2019 for an introduction day organised by the Trust and Living Woods North East.

Most of the group were new to volunteering and we had an excellent overview session covering woodland management, tree identification, pests and diseases, wild flowers and butterflies as well as discussing the practical skills and usefulness of coppicing. Also discussed were the free location Apps available such as the Ordinance Survey and What3Words.

Aug The group at the start of days session.

 Hedley Hall Wood is a tranquil site comprising ancient woodland, which cloaks the long, narrow valley of Ridley Gill, and established new native woodland planted in 1992, where medieval farmsteads once stood. The wood is brimming with birdlife, and contains open grassland, wetlands, small woodland ponds and a grazed wildflower meadow as well as the extensive woodland, accessible by approximately 5km of unsurfaced paths from the car park.

Recently acquired land at the East and West of the existing wood is set to expand this area further and thousands of new trees have already been planted by local schools and volunteers from corporate sponsors in 2019. Report by Alan Wallace / Volunteer Leader.