Visitors to Askham Bog, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s oldest reserve, may have noticed that a small area of woodland on the reserve has been cleared in recent weeks.

Bogs are home to a huge amount of rare and important wildlife; in the case of Askham Bog specifically, this includes royal ferns that are arguably the oldest living thing in York, the largest and most north-eastern colony in England of the rare gingerbread sedge, rare water beetles, and over 800 species of moths.

Often synonymous with spongey ground and pools of water, bogs are a very important type of habitat.

Trees on a bog are a sign that the water table is too low, and once they are established they dry the bog out further by using so much water. We are actively working to make the bog wetter and that includes controlling tree growth in some areas. This will ensure the survival of the rare species and fen habitats that make Askham Bog one of Britain's premier wildlife sites.

You can see here just how much the tree cover has changed at Askham Bog around the pond over the last 20 years below:

Although at first glance it might look better with more trees, these trees are stopping Askham Bog from achieving its full potential. Last year we announced that rare slender sedge flowered en-masse at Askham Bog for the first time in living memory which was most likely due to the bog being wetter than usual – an event we would like to see repeated.

Every winter we coppice some trees on the reserve. Coppicing is a traditional woodland management technique that involves cutting trees down to ground level to encourage new growth. This new growth forms more of a lower scrubby understory layer, which is a fantastic habitat for nesting birds found at the bog – and also produces less shade and takes up less water.

We are very careful in how we coppice at Askham Bog. We pick patches on rotation to avoid clearing an entire section in one go, and we alternate which areas we work on each year. This creates a diverse range of tree ages, sizes and structures, which is much better for the health of the trees and makes them more resistant to disease. The wood that is coppiced is often reused on our reserves for a variety of different purposes, or is donated to our river restoration efforts.

You might notice on a visit to the Bog that we are also doing a lot of work around the pond – and there’s more to do here over the coming year. This is the first time we have been able to do any work to the pond at all in 23 years, and – as with any garden pond - ponds require regular maintenance to stay as open sources of water. Over time, our pond has filled up with leaves and debris and has been overshaded by trees. Although Askham Bog is very wet, it doesn’t have a great deal of open water – the pond was created in 1959 as one of the first conservation acts on the then new reserve. Restoring the pond will make it better for all the wildlife that thrives here – from birds and plants to frogs and toads.

We also want to reassure people that carrying out the work at this time of year, on small pockets at a time – on a reserve about the size of 15 football pitches – means a minimal impact to wildlife like deer living on the reserve. We always have their safety and care at our heart. This work will protect and create a more diverse and healthier home for all of us to prosper from and enjoy.