Estates staff and four volunteers from the wildlife charity have made a number of trips to Juliet’s Wood, 1km north of Slaley Village, to continue work in the ancient woodland which is home to barn, tawny and little owls, badgers, roe deer, hares, stoats and weasels.

A block of hazel and elm trees, planted 11 years ago, have now been cut down as part of conservation efforts to ensure the woodland continues to flourish.,  The elm trees in particular, were planted to provide a food source for a nearby population of white-hairstreak butterflies that only feed on elm trees. By cutting them, the team hopes to ensure that they are low enough to not succumb to Dutch elm disease.

Natural built shelters have been installed around each cut stump to stop the resident deer and hares from eating any new shoots growing from them, thereby eventually killing any chance of new trees sprouting.  Now protected, the cut stumps will have enough new growth to take them above 1m in height within the next year.

The leftover wood will provide the estates team with enough timber to create stakes and posts for use on other Trust reserves.

Duncan Hoyle, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Estates Officer says: “Support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery has enabled us to head back to Juliet’s Wood to resume our conservation work after it was disrupted by covid.

“Player support helps fund conservation projects of all sizes, and although this is one of the smaller projects, it’s just as important especially as it is home to some wonderful wildlife and a favourite with nature lovers - both local and from further afield.”