Corporate Volunteers from Mace Group have been supporting the Colne Valley Regional Park (CVRP) by working in Denham Woods. We are benefitting from this support of our management of three ancient woodlands from Mace over a number of years. This year we are excited that in partnership between the CVRP, Groundwork South, Mace and other woodland owners we have rolled this out to other nearby woods so we can improve more woodland habitat on a wider landscape scale.
Mace Volunteers have come on multiple work days again this Autumn.
We welcomed 29 corporate volunteers on one particular day in October, from Mace Group to Great Halings Wood in Denham, working with the wood owner to clear rhododendron. Rhododendron is an invasive plant that can outcompete native plants. By clearing the rhododendron, we brought natural light back to the woods, which will help native species, such as our beautiful bluebells, to thrive.
They were joined by two local volunteers who have been volunteering in the woods for 30 years.
With 29 people helping clear, we managed to open up a large section of the wood to more light. Thank you so much for everyone’s efforts!
We’d like to thank all the Mace volunteers for their hard work. It’s wonderful to see the volunteers have grown to love these woods and are enjoying returning.
Bergey from Groundwork South helped out on this session, she said…
“It was great to welcome volunteers from Mace Group, and the work on the day was incredibly valuable. With increasing development threats to Colne Valley Park and dramatic biodiversity decline in the UK, it’s now more important than ever that we all work together to enhance biodiversity in our local countryside. This day was all about removing a plant that is not meant to be in the woodlands and is currently outcompeting native plants. We should hopefully soon see the benefit of a more thriving ecosystem, with more natural light reaching the ground to help native flora grow.”
Volunteers from Mace Group in Great Halings Wood clearing rhododendron.
Mace Group have committed to delivering 500 hectares of biodiversity improvement over 5 years. This involves several projects across the country. One of these projects is working with the Colne Valley Regional Park to undertake biodiversity enhancements at Caps Wood and Northmoor Hill Wood in Denham. This is delivered through corporate volunteering days to help us control invasive species and undertake coppicing (a traditional woodland management technique) that allows more light to reach the woodland floor in Springtime to encourage the growth of Bluebells and other woodland wildflowers.
The picture shows a group of Mace volunteers working in Capps Wood, Denham in 2023.
What a Corporate Volunteering Day in the Colne Valley Regional Park Involves
To be a corporate supporter and support us all year round not just for the practical days click here.
Not yet a corporate supporter but would like a corporate volunteering day? Get in touch.
