Nature is repairing herself at the woodland where the OneOak tree was felled in January 2010.  Foresters at Blenheim Estate have also given nature a helping hand by leaving habitat piles.   Piles of branchwood have been left to provide homes for wildlife, for small mammals such as voles, and for insects and fungi that thrive on decaying and dead wood.  These piles of wood will also return essential nutrients to the soil and help the next generation of trees to grow.

When the massive OneOak tree was felled the woodland instantly changed.  The absence of the majestic spreading crown of the OneOak tree was stark although more winter sun warmed the woodland floor. Marks in the leaf litter from forestry tractors and hundreds of trampling feet were still visible two months later.

Now that Spring has arrived the transformation of the site is well underway.  Bluebells are in full bloom and the first fronds of bracken unfurling, even in between the tractor treads and around the stump of the OneOak tree.

We look forward to returning in the Autumn to plant the next generation of oak trees.  Click on the images below to see more.