Log Piles

Plenty of wildlife makes its home in dead wood, and other animals use it as a source of food. In woodlands, fallen wood occurs naturally and many species have adapted to use this habitat. In our increasingly tidy countryside, fallen and dead wood is not so common so we have replicated this valuable habitat by creating a log pile. Invertebrates such as woodlice, earwigs, centipedes and millipedes like to hide in all the nooks and crannies in the logs. Frogs, newts and voles will also use log piles as places to shelter and hibernate. Decaying wood supports a wide range of fungi, including Sulphur Tuft, Candlesnuff and Turkeytail.

Over the winter months visitors and volunteers have enjoyed taking photos of these features that can be seen around the reserve. Shrouded in snow a fortnight ago they looked particularly picturesque.