Hem Heath Woods, Stoke-on-Trent - Maintaining the woodland (008227)

125-acre Hem Heath Woods is the largest woodland in Stoke-on-Trent, the woodland attracts 75,000 visitors per year, who come to the tranquillity of the nature reserve to escape the noise and hassle of the city. The amount of visitors has taken its toll on the nature reserve, forming new unwanted paths through the bluebells, damaging bulbs and disturbing nesting wildlife. This project will protect and enhance 125-acres of ancient woodland through a series of improvements to the nature reserve: - Upgrade 2,050 metres of track and install 60m of new boardwalk, forming two circular loops with waymarkers and signs. Deterring visitors from creating and following desire lines through more sensitive parts of the nature reserve, protecting 47-acres of native English bluebells from unintentional trampling and giving new undisturbed areas for nesting birds. - A 9-acre ancient coppice ravaged by ash dieback will be planted with 2100 new trees - The extent of bluebells in the woodland will be increased by 14-acres thanks to a new group of volunteers collecting existing seeds and spreading them. - An area of rough grassland will be fenced and conservation grazed, new ponds will be dug and existing ones improved. helping the population of great crested newts.