Planting and Releasing
The wet weather has continued to be regular topic of conversation on the wider Estate particularly however work does not stop. The Forestry department officially crossed the finish line for the seasons tree planting back in March. One of the last projects was forming the start of a new agroforestry plantation. A further two lines of trees are scheduled for next season. These trees will compliment arable operations by encouraging pollinators and wider insects populations to travel into the field rather stick to the outer headlines.
Now planting is over, the Forestry team have the big task of retracing their steps to mulch trees and hedgerows to lock in moisture and suppress weed pressure. Such mulch is a blend mixture of compost with wood chip all sourced from the Estate. This is processed through a bio mulcher before it is spread round trees.
Although the prolonged wet weather has prevented the feeling of Spring fully arriving, the calendar continues to move towards more events commencing in the Royal Parkland. In preparation the park has been aerated to encourage water infiltration, mitigating soil compaction and promote healthy regrowth. Other preparatory works include sensitively surveying the various veteran trees in the park to assess safety and carry out sympathetic tree surgery to prolong their life and ensure continued safety for visitors.
Our Wardens team are also counting down the days until they release 100 turtle doves (named after their ‘tur tur’ calling) in May. The turtle doves are the result of a rearing programme to assist with replenishing population numbers that have been in decline since 1960. We hope to carry on such reintroduction programmes and learn more about their success by monitoring the turtle doves to gain important data and wider information.