F. DEAD TREES ARE FULL OF LIFE The large, dead oak tree here {still standing} will continue to provide a useful habitat well into the 21st century. Insects such as beetles, flies, and caterpillars can burrow through the decaying wood; millipedes, woodlice and earwigs hide under loose bark; bats, owls and woodpeckers live in hollow branches; and mushrooms and toadstools sprout from logs left on the ground. G. DUTCH ELM DISEASE Many young elm trees, both alive and dead, can be seen here. Large elms used to be commonplace in the countryside before SCALE lkm I Dutch Elm Disease swept across the country I V2m in the 1960s destroying thousands of trees f } CONDON ROAD in its path. The disease was carried from one elm to the next by a small beetle I; r )~ burrowing in its bark. The small elms you see © Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Forest here have grown back from the surviving Borough Council. roots of original trees. Sadly, many of these Licence Number LA077240/00/11 fall victim to the disease even before they are 20 years old. How to get there: Whitegrove Copse is about one Information on other woodland and mile north of Bracknell town centre. The main access countryside sites managed by Bracknell point is on Harvest Ride, near the junction with All Saints Forest Open Spaces, Countryside & Rise. There is no car park. There is also access from the Heritage Service is available by calling The cycleway linking Jigs Lane and Goughs Lane. Look Out on 01344 354400.

Leisure Services Borough Council Time Square Market Street Bracknell RG12 1LR Tel: 01344 354111

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Printed on Recycled Paper First printed 1999 Reprinted 2002 Parks and Countryside Service www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk This leaflet is available in large print, braille, or on audio tape on request, please contact 01344 354124 Green Woodpecker for further details HITEGROVE COPSE C. THE HOLLY AND THE IVY - SITE BOUNDARY These two evergreen plants, ••• FOOTPATH common to woodland areas, are INTRODUCTION •••• CYCLEWAY vitally important as food and Whitegrove Copse is an area of ancient .. ACCESS shelter for many creatures. Birds woodland to the north of Bracknell, in the A - G WAYMARK POSTS such as the song thrush often parish of . The Copse is a valuable choose to nest in a dense holly wildlife habitat and landscape feature, as well tree, and the red berries, which are as an attractive place for woodland walks. found only on female bushes, The site is designated as a Wildlife Heritage provide useful winter food. Site and is owned and managed by Bracknell The ivy spreads across the ground Forest Borough Council. and climbs up trees. The branches that drape down produce flowers WOODLAND TRAIL in September, acting as a source of nectar for bees and hoverflies. From the entrance on Harvest Ride follow the waymarked woodland trail through D. WOODLAND GLADE Whitegrove Copse. The trail will take you Surrounded by large silver birch through several different parts of the Copse, trees, this woodland clearing each with its own interesting features. Please forms a sheltered sun-trap, which keep to the footpaths and keep dogs under attracts basking butterflies and control. dragonflies on sunny days. Birds A. CONIFER TREES such as blackcap and the chiff­ ...... chaff can be seen and heard in This corner of the copse includes a small ...... April and May. In late summer you block of coniferous trees - mainly Scots Pine ...... may hear the distinctive chirp of and Douglas Fir, both of which are evergreen, dark bush crickets from the as well as Larch trees, which shed their © Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Bracknell Forest Borough Council. bracken and undergrowth. needles in autumn. Listen for coal tits and Licence Number LA077240/00/11 goldcrest singing in the treetops.

B. BIODIVERSITY E. WOODLAND MANAGEMENT AND COPPICING Whitegrove Copse is probably at least 400 years old. During its lifetime local At this point you are surrounded by multi-stemmed people would have cut trees here for hazel shrubs. Younger stems grow strong and straight firewood and building. Ancient woodland and make useful poles, fence posts and stakes. The contains a high diversity of plants and older stems twist and lean and produce crops of animals and this part of the copse includes hazelnuts in the autumn. When shrubs such as hazel are many different species of shrubs and trees­ cut down, the stumps do not die. Instead they often send turkey oak, sycamore, hazel, rowan, elder, out many shoots which may grow to nearly 3m tall in hawthorn, silver birch, aspen and holly the first year after cutting. This results in coppicing - the among them. spread of a small area of trees and undergrowth.