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They are a saprobe, which means they live off decaying organic matter, and are specialists in breaking down some of nature's toughest materials - cellulose and lignin. In the process, they release vital nutrients back into the ecosystem.

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Not only that, but it is almost the highest point in the Chilterns, with this photo taken at around 249m above sea level!

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🌳 The original Dancersend reserve, in the wooded valley below the photograph site, was first established by Charles Rothschild in 1922, making it our oldest reserve. And at 211 acres, it's also our largest reserve in Buckinghamshire.

🪺 The cut material is also used to form a dead hedge around the coppice sections. This prevents deer browsing off young shoots and provides valuable habitat for insects and nesting birds.

We do this on rotation in small sections to encourage regrowth of blackthorn, vital for brown hairstreak butterflies which lay their eggs on the young growth 🦋

Our Community Action Manager, Becky Downey, and Community Wildlife Officer, Barbara Polonara, are pictured here with SEEd Young Changemakers Programme Coordinator Claire Gilbert, and CEO Ann Finlayson.

We had the opportunity to meet secondary school students and teachers, and discuss environmental topics that matter to them, including climate change, eco anxiety, and sustainable solutions 🌳

The Upper Ray Meadows Wetland Restoration Project was kindly funded by the FCC Communities Foundation.

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