In 2010 we worked in partnership with the Warwickshire Association of Youth Clubs to deliver part of the Solihull Positive Activities Programme.
Young people participated in conservation work at Smith's Wood, Solihull. They learnt about how the woodland would have been managed in the past, and had the opportunity to learn the skills for themselves.
During this time groups learned the ancient art of hazel coppicing and put the materials they collected to good use in making benches, fencing and Christmas wreaths. They also got to work alongside a heavy horse during the Oaks and Shires event organised by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.
Year 12 pupils from Forest Oak school also paid a visit to Chelmsley Wood Library to look over the archive of old maps and documents to discover how much the area had changed over the centuries.
Video footage was gathered by the participants throughout the Smith’s Wood Heritage Project and edited into a short film.