Member Article

Pioneering North Yorkshire wood to host Discovery Day

The pioneering Three Hagges Wood Meadow, between Escrick and Riccall in North Yorkshire, is hosting a community Discovery Day on Saturday July 2 from 1.00pm-4.00pm.

The aim of the Discovery Day, which is part of National Meadows Day, is to encourage nature-lovers from across Yorkshire to visit and explore the meadow, discover its native plants and wildlife.

“We hope that families from the surrounding villages and towns will come along and take part in the activities, wander through the meadow and enjoy a picnic. The meadow will be blooming with wild flowers and alive with bugs and butterflies to appreciate. Fingers crossed for a sunny day,” said Rosalind Forbes Adam, Chair of the Hagges Wood Trust.

The Discovery Day is free for all and activities will include willow-crafting to make your own bird-feeder, bug hunting, face painting, live music, examining owl pellets, pond dipping, traditional craft demonstration, and homemade teas and cakes.

There is free entry and parking at the Hollicarrs, off the A19 between Escrick and Riccall.

“When I first came into contact with Three Hagges Wood, it was a planted field with trees and wild flowers. We don’t have enough newly planted woodlands in our area and this one is set for a fantastic future that we can all help with”, said Leilah Vyner, a supporter of the wood.

Hagges Wood Trust is pioneering the restoration of Yorkshire’s rural landscape, using the building blocks of meadow and woodland together, and lots of ‘messy edges’, to invite nature and wildlife back into lives.

Professor George Peterken OBE, the UK’s leading forest ecologist and a patron if the wood, explained; “There has been a dramatic loss of meadow and coppice woodland over the last century. We have created a wood-meadow that is one of the richest and most attractive habitats in temperate Europe. Creatures that depend on such habitat will now thrive. It will be available for research, education and enjoyment.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Robert Beaumont .