1. The Woodland Project was initiated in November 1998, in order to clear a woodland area dominated by dense,essentially sterile Rhododendron undergrowth. The main aim is to restore the area to a diverse native woodland through natural regeneration and proactive management.

3. An initial survey was carried out in November, prior to clearance, to document the vegetation then present on the project site. This consisted largely of Rhododendron, together with poorly developed Silver Birch trees (Plate 1). A few other tree species such as Oak, Holly, Mountain Ash and Willow, were found in low densities. In areas covered by the Rhododendron, the woodland floor was essentially bare of vegetation as a result of extremely low light levels. Light penetration in most areas was substantially less than 10% of full daylight.