During winter 2021 some much needed tree safety work was carried out at Monkfield Wood in Cambourne. A substantial number of ash trees afflicted with ash dieback in locations in close proximity to houses required either being felled or reduced in height to remove the danger of them causing damage. Thanks to a £6.5K grant from FCC Communities Foundation via The Landfill Communities Fund this work and that of augmenting paths in the area was made possible. 

Over the summer Hunts Wildlife Landscapes contractors carried out weed control around the nature reserve in Cambourne, important work to stay on top of because the paths are made of the expensive Breedon self-binding gravel type, which if allowed to vegetate over results in costly repair. 

Towards the end of summer Red Kite Rural Landscapes carried out culvert extensions (a culvert being the structure that allows water to flow under a path); this enabled the widening of the narrow pinch points on the access track to the nature reserve. The work involved cutting back trees and vegetation to expand the area, followed by ditch excavation and then the laying of new pipes. 

After backfilling with excavated soil, safety barriers were installed at the end of the culvert. This will make it much easier in the future to get larger machinery on site for haycutting and for the transport of livestock, which in turn gives us a greater range of contractors and graziers from which to select for essential site maintenance.