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Fascines and fish stocks CONSERVATION ANN LINGARD W hat links ‘waste’ brash from hazel coppicing with the survival of salmon and sea-trout? Kathleen Robertshaw, coppicer at the Hay Bridge Nature Reserve, had been wondering what to do with the brash – the twiggy bits that aren’t much use for anything – that was stacking up, until she read an article about using it for stabilising river banks. As an active conservationist her- self, it didn’t take her long to contact the South Cumbria Rivers Trust (SCRT) – and the link to improving the lives of young salmonids was established. Kathleen learnt the craft of coppicing on various courses, but, she says, “I wanted a place where I could work rather than just keep going on courses.” Hay Bridge Nature Reserve was looking for someone to help manage the wood, and she was taken on as a volunteer: this will be her third season working in the coppice wood. Hay Bridge has been a nature reserve for about thirty years and has been through periods of being allowed to ‘grow wild’ – during which the unmanaged hazel coppice became overgrown (‘overstood’) – and, since the John Strutt Foundation bought it, being managed for wildlife. A mixture of fen, woodland and grassland, it’s well hidden within the Rusland valley. In spring the wood is busy with the activ- ity of chaffinches, tits and siskin; a woodpecker drums and two buzzards mew overhead. The reserve has many species of mammal from otters and voles to roe and red deer – the latter all A hazel stool with one season’s growth JULY 2012 33 Cumbria_July_Layout 1 12/06/2012 14:47 Page 33

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Fascines and fish stocks

CONSERVATION ANN LINGARD

What links ‘waste’ brash from hazelcoppicing with the survival ofsalmon and sea-trout? KathleenRobertshaw, coppicer at the Hay BridgeNature Reserve, had been wonderingwhat to do with the brash – the twiggybits that aren’t much use for anything –that was stacking up, until she read anarticle about using it for stabilising riverbanks. As an active conservationist her-self, it didn’t take her long to contact theSouth Cumbria Rivers Trust (SCRT) –and the link to improving the lives ofyoung salmonids was established.

Kathleen learnt the craft of coppicingon various courses, but, she says, “Iwanted a place where I could workrather than just keep going on courses.”Hay Bridge Nature Reserve was lookingfor someone to help manage the wood,and she was taken on as a volunteer: thiswill be her third season working in thecoppice wood. Hay Bridge has been anature reserve for about thirty yearsand has been through periods of beingallowed to ‘grow wild’ – during whichthe unmanaged hazel coppice becameovergrown (‘overstood’) – and, sincethe John Strutt Foundation bought it,

being managed for wildlife. A mixtureof fen, woodland and grassland, it’s wellhidden within the Rusland valley. Inspring the wood is busy with the activ-ity of chaffinches, tits and siskin; awoodpecker drums and two buzzardsmew overhead. The reserve has manyspecies of mammal from otters andvoles to roe and red deer – the latter all

A hazel stool with one season’s growth

JULY 2012 33

Cumbria_July_Layout 1 12/06/2012 14:47 Page 33