Arriving at Dolberthog Wood our team was impressed to see how much work had been done to restore this ancient woodland already. This 40-acre family-owned woodland is surrounded by grazing and commercial forestry. These landowners have a teacher’s salary and a lot of commitment to doing the right thing by nature.
As we had a good number of volunteers we planned a one day event to remove roughly one acre (3,500 square meters) of rhododendron. Volunteers attacked each plant in waves: the first batch using loppers to cut through the outer layer of foliage and get to the main trunk where possible. The next group were using machetes and brush hooks to knock back as many smaller branches as possible, exposing larger branches. Then come the bow saws to take those branches down as low as possible. When only the stumps remain, they can be treated, with herbicide injected directly into the stump - only once volunteers are away.
Most rhododendrons were in the main part of the wood. There are two other patches, one on a steep area which we decided to tackle with a couple of adventurous volunteers after a careful risk assessment, as the ground was dry. The other area was even steeper. but fortunately one of our team is an experienced climber and was able to remove the couple of small plants there before they were able to grow any bigger.
The cut rhododendron were chopped into manageable pieces and stacked off the ground, rather than burnt. The stumps will be carefully treated in a few months.
It was a really fun day, with volunteers joining from the local area, Radnorshire in Nature, and Protect Earth regulars from further afield. The landowners provided tea, coffee and a magnificent lunch.
The landowners were thrilled.
“My brother and I really enjoyed meeting everyone and are truly grateful for the superb effort that was put in. We couldn't believe the amount of work completed and really gave us a boost in continuing our work in Dolberthog.
The people who represent Protect Earth are incredible - their energy was inspiring! We had some wonderful discussions and Phil shared some great ideas for the future of the wood. He's certainly inspired me to forge ahead with the plans I have for Dolberthog.
The volunteers were an absolute force and the breaktime provisions were the least we could do. A huge thank you to them and I hope we meet them again.
Thank you to you also for the communication and support - it was much appreciated. The whole process has been so lovely and welcoming.”
A few words from one of the volunteers that made us smile.
“There were some amazing foodie treats, (sausage rolls with the best filling ever and cheese and onion marmalade swirls) and wonderful cake and more cake We all worked hard, drank plenty of tea/coffee, shared skills, enjoyed great teamwork on a dry and mild day. A happy chatty group, nice to meet volunteers from different lives.”
We’ll be back next year, because rhododendrons doesn’t disappear first time around. even when treated. It’ll be another two years or so of effort, and there’s likely to be other jobs to be done here too.
