THE Woodland Trust is appealing for volunteers to help manage Pepper Wood near Bromsgrove.

The wood, which lies between Catshill and Dordale just past Bournheath, is full of public footpaths and bridleways to explore and is a remnant of Feckenham Forest, an ancient royal hunting ground that once covered much of north Worcestershire and Warwickshire, which woods existing on the spot for the last 450 years.

Although few of the trees are more than 60 years old due to tree felling during the Second World War, there are oaks, birches, limes and alders, while the woodland floor is covered in bluebells in spring.

People have also seen deer, squirrels and woodland birds, as well as fungi in autumn, with the rare White Admiral butterfly being recorded, and great crested newt eggs.

The area was purchased by the Woodland Trust in the 1980s and has been managed by local volunteers since 1981, maintain the trails, the bridleway and the car park for visitors, as well as managing the woodland itself, coppicing about a quarter of the wood on a rotational basis and keeping invasive plants under control.

At the moment between 20 and 30 volunteers work on the site, with anything from a few to a dozen working on any given day

Anstice Hughes, local media volunteer for the Woodland Trust, said: “All are welcome, whether they are old or young, regular or intermittent. What unites the group is the willingness to put in a few hours a week on a project that benefits the whole community. The rewards are the pleasure of working outdoors, getting close to nature, making friends, learning more about woodlands and the sense of pride in this special place. No specialised knowledge is required. All that is needed is a basic level of fitness and a sense of humour - and a willingness to share cake might also come in handy.”

Anyone interested in volunteering to help manage Pepper Wood, or to help maintain the Pepper Wood website, can contact the volunteers at jenkinhp@gmail.com. For more information on what’s involved in volunteering for the Woodland Trust, visit woodlandtrust.org.uk/get-involved, or to find out more about Pepper Wood visit pepperwood.co.uk.