Country skills students put month into creating a wood

More than 40 game and countryside management students spent a month working on a site near Pontefract.

Working with local volunteers, they helped with scrub clearance, hedge laying, hedge planting and coppicing – all of which are designed to encourage maximum diversity of plants and animals on the site.

Helen Gottschalk, education programme manager for the trust, said: “We wanted to co-ordinate practical work days with enthusiastic people from the local community and neighbouring areas in Yorkshire to help improve and maintain this valuable habitat.

“The improvements involved learning about traditional techniques such as coppicing and hedge laying, which are of both ecological and cultural importance.

“Over six thousand trees were also planted to help offset local carbon dioxide emissions.

“Working with students from Bishop Burton gave us the opportunity to provide a relevant learning experience which will provide them with skills and experience essential for their future careers in land management.”