Ford Park woodland restoration

Ford Park is small but sensational, with rolling hills blanketed in woodland and wetlands tucked into the lowlands. Until recently, though, the park’s true potential – especially its stately mature oak trees – lay hidden in a dense overgrowth of invasive buckthorn shrubs that limited plant diversity and created too much shade for oak seedlings to grow.

Natural Resources staff have undertaken a multi-year project, clearing vast amounts of buckthorn and working with volunteers to plant in more than 10,000 diverse young trees. As you stand at the photo station and walk along the park loop, look for tall white tubes in the woodland – these protect some of the delicate seedlings from browsing deer and rabbits and giving the trees a better chance to thrive.