Up in North London, a second team from RS Group came together to spend a day volunteering in North London. Located in East Barnet, Oak Hill Wood is an important environment for wildlife. It contains a mixture of habitats providing homes to numerous species, including some invasive species such as cherry laurel and rhododendron. These fast-growing plants spread rapidly in the UK and choke out other species, harming biodiversity.

The RS team dived right into clearing out these invasive species. Splitting into multiple groups, they cut down large swathes of cherry laurel and rhododendron before using the branches to make a dead hedge – a wildlife-friendly, sustainable fence that will keep passersby from trampling the newly exposed earth. The newly cleared-out spaces will be monitored and maintained to ensure native species can grow and thrive there.

Some of the cherry laurel trees had grown quite large, making it a team effort to bring them down. The final act of conservation work before lunch was to remove the largest specimen of the day, involving multiple members of RS Group sawing through it in shifts. With lots of effort and excitement, it was finally brought down, making way for new vegetation to take its place.

Afterwards, the team enjoyed a sunny lunch break at the local park cafe and then headed back into the woods for a guided walk around the site, learning about woodland management and wildlife.

Thank you to RS Group, who took a day out of their work week to make a huge impact and help maintain an important woodland.