26-01-2019: The January Rhodo Bash

The less camera shy members of the team

We had a fantastic event on Saturday, with 74 people from different groups coming together to help clear invasive rhododendron from our site.


Rhodos are an issue in our woodland, they completely take over because they are amazingly adaptive, growing in every direction, to result in a completely closed canopy.

This completely shades out the area underneath them, stopping other plants growing. 

This results in a large decrease in the insect diversity in these locations, and also a reduction in nesting birds, as there is limited food for their young.

The volunteers have been working hard to remove this pest from our woodland, by first cutting down the large stands to a manageable stump, before levering these out of the ground.

No other species growing under the rhodo

Opening up the woodland

Digging out some other invasives while on site

Strategising root removal

Success!

Making a difference 

The amazing turn out on Saturday, was the result of:

• creating links with the University’s National Science and Engineering Saturday Club – spearheaded by the Access, Participation and Inclusion Team, 

Members of the Access, Participation and Inclusion team and their Student Ambassadors 

• and engaging with existing volunteers including students, and local community members and conservation groups through the Kingston Biodiversity Action Group (KUBAG). 

Elliot from CitizenZoo gives a tool box talk to everyone before we start work

Some of these volunteers hail from KU alumni – Bev Tribe,  an alumnus of KU, heard about the biodiversity events through the Events Newsletter (produced by the KU Events team), and got in touch. 

Bev loves trees :)

Her hard work to galvanise a whole community of Geocachers into coming to our events has really helped make a big impact on our sites. 

This winter had us planting new saplings in areas which we have been diligently clearing and re-clearing for a number of years now, as well as a very big push into new stands of Rhodo which hadn’t been cleared ever, doubling the areas of cleared space behind the music school in one season. 

Clearing more then ever before

Under tangle wood

Removing the chipable clean growth from the roots

Processing cut material for stacking

Stuart leads the day with the most relays to move cut material

Hi ho, Hi ho, its back from work we go

Next winter we will concentrate on removing the root mater and any re-growth in the areas we have cleared this year, before starting the more delicate task of clearing rhodo from areas between badger setts!

Arch and lever...just waiting to be prised out of the ground next November!

The bigger picture

Each year since 2016 KU has been conducting a bird survey using the methodology from the common bird census  to see how populations are responding to our habitat work in the woodlands. We have found that in areas which are being actively managed for rhododendron; even with some re-growth; we are seeing more bird activity then in stands of dense rhododendron. 

Hide and seek during the lunch time big bird count...a story for another time :)

This is because, increased light levels, are allowing other plant and fauna species to recolonise the areas. We will be chipping the material that we’ve cut over Reading Week this year, so you should see a difference in the woods from March onwards. 

By continuing with our long term aims to eradicate this species from our woodland, and regenerate the site with native species, we hope to increase the number of bird species and territories to capacity while retaining the characteristics of why our woodland is one of only four ‘Sites of Borough Importance Grade 1’ in the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames.

Inaction will likely lead to the loss of this grading, as we will lose species diversity within our woodland.

If you want to be part of our efforts to restore and maintain our woodland at Kingston Hill as well as other wildlife sites around our campuses, please sign up to our newsletter and biodiversity blog to stay in touch, or subscribe to our events page on Eventbrite .

We have a slow worm habitat day on Saturday the 9th of February for anyone who would like to join us :) Just sign up by clicking here:

Until next time :)