MORE than 40 volunteers aged between 14 and 80 gathered at the Lickey Hills Country Park on Saturday to help with restoring the land after July’s devastating fire.
The group picked up pieces of glass on Rednal Hill to prevent future fires and pulled up bracken to encourage the bilberry to grow again on the site.
One volunteer, Oliver Cook recently celebrated his 80th birthday and fell in love with the Lickey Hills when he was a teenager.
He said: “The Lickey Hills has been part of my life for a very long time, and I got a lot of enjoyment out of it, so I would like to give something back.
“It is devastating, really, and this bit of bilberry has been left as it was since the ice age.”
Rednal Hill is home to one of the only areas this far south in the UK with bilberry growing, which has led many to try and save the species and encourage its regrowth.
During the pick-up, It was also speculated that some of the glass pieces found – after rising to the surface – dated back to the Victorian Era.
Jill Harvey, vice-chairman of the Lickey Hill Society, said: “It is a long-term process, and we are not rushing into doing anything because nature is wonderful at regenerating.
“It is really inspiring seeing so many volunteers come today, and we have had so much support – the public has been great.”
Since Covid, the amount of rangers working on the Lickey Hills has been stretched, which has made it important for volunteers to help rebuild the burnt-down land.
As part of the project to rebuild the area, 80 trees have been cut down due to them being too badly damaged after the fire.
The next session on Rednal Hill is scheduled for October 29.
Visit facebook.com/thelickeyhills to find out more.
