Multiple teams from Hiscox came together and joined GreenTheUK and the Royal Forestry Society for a day of volunteering at Hockeridge and Pancake Woods, just outside of Berkhamsted.

Kicking off with a guided tour of the woodland, the Hiscox team learnt about the history of the woodland and dived into conversations on the importance of biodiverse forests and careful woodland management. Partway through the walk, the group came across a makeshift wooden structure, which was carefully dismantled to avoid future injuries if it were to collapse.

After continuing through a grove of redwoods and crossing county lines, volunteers from Hiscox made it to the far side of the forest, an area home to oceans of bluebells in the spring but under threat of being taken over by overgrown holly bushes.

Armed with loppers, tree poppers, and bow saws, the teams split up to cover more ground, making quick work of holly bushes that were harming the health of the woodland. Removing trees and bushes seems counterintuitive to a healthy forest at first glance, but holly can quickly overcrowd forest floors, making it extremely difficult for other species to grow and blocking movement for various animals. By removing some, but not all, of the holly, the Hiscox team made way for bluebells and a variety of other plants to thrive in the coming spring, improving the health of the woodland.

Thank you to Hiscox for supporting an incredible woodland and taking the time to help keep it healthy.