As spring gets under way, our beautiful bluebells make the wood an even more special place, but did you know that they are very sensitive to being trodden on? And once their leaves are damaged, they die back, meaning that they don’t store any energy for next year’s flowers or seeds, and over time they can die.
The wood anemone, with its delicate white star-shaped flowers, is another vulnerable species. It spreads underground and can be damaged when the soil is compacted by being trodden on.
Once the damage is done, it’s hard for these plants to recover, because they take a long time to grow and regenerate. It is really tempting to get up close and walk among them, but please keep to our paths and admire them from there. This will help to make sure that they are here for future generations to enjoy, too.
Birchanger Wood 