CUSTODIANS of the Lickey Hills have shown their fighting spirit after re-purposing timber from trees which were felled in a recent act of ‘mindless vandalism’.
The timber from the 40-year-old Scots pines, which were ‘roughly and unprofessionally’ hacked down, has been reused to make steps along Rednal Hill – where the trees were felled.
The steps have improved the Woodpecker Trail, which descends from the top of Rednal Hill towards the Bilberry Centre.
A spokesperson for The Lickey Hills Society said: “The old pathway was very steep, stony and in places badly eroded.
“The Habitat Heroes have put some steps in place and added arrows to indicate the line of the new pathway.
“The new route is not perfect but it is a safer option than the old pathway.
“Our thanks to members of the Habitat Heroes for undertaking this work.”
The trees were billed as the next generation of the country park’s Scots pines trees. If new ones were planted, it would take 40 years to get to this point and by then the felled trees would be well-established 80-year-old varieties.
Picture by the Lickey Hills Society. s
The felling came just over a year after the area lost around 80 of its trees due to the devastating fire last July.
