We have recently coppiced one of the older willows in Willow Walk at the Croft Close Set-aside County Wildlife Site. The tree was last coppiced some 20 years ago and had grown considerably since then. Willows are often coppiced or pollarded (which is just coppicing higher up the tree’s stem), typically on a 7 to 10 year cycle.

Tree consultants have advised us that the adjacent large horse chestnut is probably now in terminal decline, and that there is a small chance that it will shed large branches – possibly onto the access and its users.

At its February meeting Histon & Impington Parish (HIPC) council confirmed its support for the Abbey Fields project.

Amy Gray talks to Jon Pavey and Arnold Fertig of Histon and Impington Green Spaces, the charity behind the Abbey Fields venture that is preserving important natural habitats.

At the heart of the day’s event was the transfer of a sapling – a descendent of the veteran oak on CCSA - to Long Meadow - so linking the two sites. The 450-year-old great oak was clearly visible on the horizon, towering over its neighbours in the distance. One day our sapling will be a worthy successor to the huge sycamore that once dominated Long Meadow and whose habitat monolith stands guard nearby.

Many who have spent time at Croft Close Set-aside will appreciate its excellence as a refuge for wildlife; not for nothing is it considered a jewel in our midst. That’s why we are pleased that its wildlife value has received external recognition through being awarded County Wildlife Site status.