Volunteers in the UK take woodland management to heart
Team members in the UK take conservation to heart. This September volunteers donned work boots and gloves to lend a hand to the Arbor Day Foundation’s Heartwood Hub project near Leicestershire.
Steve Miller, FedEx Founder’s Fund award winner for the Europe region and a regular FedEx Cares volunteer at Heartwood Hub, pitched in as one of 12 volunteers during the day doing woodland management activities.
Steve shares his story
We had a great day at the woodland, it was fantastic to have my FedEx colleagues join the Heartwood team, and everyone threw themselves into the task. We opened up routes into the woodland ahead of the Heartwood team carrying out woodland management work later this year. It was wonderful for the team to see where some of the FedEx Founder’s Fund award had been used. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and the weather was even kind to us!
While tree planting activities are a familiar way to contribute to sustainability, woodland management may be less well-known. It’s vital to maintain the health and resilience of forests. Managing woodlands in a sustainable way reduces the threat of climate change, pests, and diseases.
Woodland management activities range from controlling animal populations to limit damage to trees to removing invasive plants. They also include thinning trees to adjust the light levels reaching the forest floor to encourage greater biodiversity provide new habitats for wildlife and food for the forest to grow.
I had an exceptional day at this FedEx Cares event, it was fantastic to spend some time working outdoors and seeing what the Heartwood team do.
I enjoyed it so much that I've applied to join the Heartwood team as a member myself.
I always volunteer for the FedEx Cares events, and this was the first outdoor session I’ve attended. The Hub is a lovely, natural place and the team have a real passion for caring for the woodland. Outside of work I'm studying for an art diploma and the day inspired me to produce a piece to be displayed at the Hub. I hope it gives a sense of the wood and its beauty.
