Hainault forest and the Woodland Trust (1 Viewer)

Came across an article on this website today about a localish area:

http://www.hainaultforest.co.uk/9Forest Destruction.htm

I'm by no means a regular there, but many happy times were spent wandering round Hainault forest when I was small, and if it's all true then it saddens me. The guy writing cetrtainly makes his case quite well with photos and anecdotes, though of course focusing entirely on the negative so I've no way of knowing if any more positive work has been done.

I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about the Woodland Trust in general, and perhaps this patch of land in particular. They're quite a well known name in conservation circles, so this would seem to be quite a breach of trust and I'd like to think that it's the exception rather than the rule.

I've had a quick look at the Management Plan available online, which expires this year and according to the blurb may well have been out of date the year after it was written:

http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/our-woods/Pages/management-plans.aspx?wood=5067

A direct quote from the text to keep it bird-relevant:

The Forest is regionally important for the following breeding birds - marsh tit, bullfinch, tree sparrow, nightingale, firecrest, linnet and turtle dove. Notably it is one of the key sites in the London area for hawfinch. It is of county importance for wood warbler, spotted flycatcher, tree pipit, redpoll, woodcock, and three species of woodpecker.

Click to expand...

Plenty of reason to keep it in good nick.