It has been a while since our last update, because we really thought that the Wildlife Trust had listened and taken on board the advice of the Oxford scientist who recommended leaving the wood alone.

However, if you are a member of the Trust, you will have seen the article about Piles Coppice in their latest magazine. It shows they are ignoring the ecologist's advice and continuing to repeat their general theory that the wood needs managing because all the trees are the same age and are going to be “less resilient to climate change, pests and disease”. The vast majority of these rare trees are in fact extremely healthy and ages range from very young to well over 500 years old.

The photo they have published, shown above, is of the only lime that has collapsed in recent years and there are over 300 in the wood.

They say that species will decline, but the Oxford report concluded that the wood had not changed in the 30 years since Oliver Rackham told the Woodland Trust how important it was, so why now? In fact, this wood has as much if not more variety than any other wood in Warwickshire and we believe this is purely because it has been left unmanaged and the species that live in the mature coppices have been allowed to thrive. 52 species of moth are declining in Warwickshire woods due to so-called management. 15 of them are alive and well in Piles Coppice, but they won't be if their habitat is destroyed. Nor will the rare birds and fungi.

We are hoping to meet soon with with our MP and representatives of the Woodland Trust to reinforce the Oxford advice that continuing the minimum intervention that they practised in the wood for the 30 years before they handed it to the Wildlife Trust is in the best interests of preserving this very special place.