Conservation Work

Autumn and Winter Conservation Work Update 2025/26

As the autumn & winter months are upon us, our attention turns to all of the practical habitat work that we will be carrying out across Barnes Common.

Over the next few months, we will be continuing our work to remove invasive species such as Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), False Acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia) and Norway Maple (Acer platanoides). This will increase the biodiversity of our woodland and subsequently increase its climate resilience. Temporary gaps within the woodlands, created by the removal of invasive species, will improve structural diversity and increase light levels benefiting woodland flora. We will also be thinning out some of the dense stands of Holly (Ilex aquifolium), again to increase light levels within the woodlands and allow for natural regeneration of our oak woodlands.

Turning our attention to the older trees found across the Common, we will be working on making sure that our veteran trees (and future veteran trees) have optimum conditions to ensure their longevity and to retain the huge amounts of wildlife that they support. Each veteran tree is a miniature ecosystem that we cannot afford to lose. The work carried out will clear competing vegetation from around the veteran trees sensitively, and in a phased programme. If you would like to learn more about our woodland and how Oaks are regenerating naturally on the Common.

On the nationally important Lowland Acid Grassland (LAG), we will continue our work to increase the amount of LAG found across the Common. We will be removing encroaching scrub and tree saplings, coppicing gorse and reducing the dominance of broom. Towards the end of winter and start of spring we will also be carrying out some small soil scrapes. Much of this of this work will be carried out across the Mill Hill area as well as around the Rocks Lane ‘Ups and Downs’ and the Sports Centre. This work can often look quite dramatic when first completed, but it is essential to stop the loss of this nationally rare habitat and its associated species. None of this work on our LAG would be possible without the generous donations from our Big Give campaign.

Conservation Work

Autumn and Winter Conservation Work Update 2025/26

As the autumn & winter months are upon us, our attention turns to all of the practical habitat work that we will be carrying out across Barnes Common.

Over the next few months, we will be continuing our work to remove invasive species such as Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), False Acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia) and Norway Maple (Acer platanoides). This will increase the biodiversity of our woodland and subsequently increase its climate resilience. Temporary gaps within the woodlands, created by the removal of invasive species, will improve structural diversity and increase light levels benefiting woodland flora. We will also be thinning out some of the dense stands of Holly (Ilex aquifolium), again to increase light levels within the woodlands and allow for natural regeneration of our oak woodlands.

Turning our attention to the older trees found across the Common, we will be working on making sure that our veteran trees (and future veteran trees) have optimum conditions to ensure their longevity and to retain the huge amounts of wildlife that they support. Each veteran tree is a miniature ecosystem that we cannot afford to lose. The work carried out will clear competing vegetation from around the veteran trees sensitively, and in a phased programme. If you would like to learn more about our woodland and how Oaks are regenerating naturally on the Common.

On the nationally important Lowland Acid Grassland (LAG), we will continue our work to increase the amount of LAG found across the Common. We will be removing encroaching scrub and tree saplings, coppicing gorse and reducing the dominance of broom. Towards the end of winter and start of spring we will also be carrying out some small soil scrapes. Much of this of this work will be carried out across the Mill Hill area as well as around the Rocks Lane ‘Ups and Downs’ and the Sports Centre. This work can often look quite dramatic when first completed, but it is essential to stop the loss of this nationally rare habitat and its associated species. None of this work on our LAG would be possible without the generous donations from our Big Give campaign.

Deadwood

‘Common’ Trees