Okehampton Hamlets Parish Council will be introducing new woodland management methods in the council-owned woodland this year to improve the conservation of wildlife in the area.

As part of the initiative, some areas of Old Town Park and Meldon Woods will be closed to the public to allow wildlife the chance to recover following the high number of visitors during the pandemic.

Okehampton Hamlets chairman, Cllr Brian Wood, said: ’During the pandemic the woods have been over-used with people exercising and walking their dogs.

’This is not a bad thing but it puts pressure on the wildlife. We’re going to try and conserve the wildlife for us to enjoy and for the future generations which we will never see.’

The council said that the new management scheme will see some unofficial footpaths closed off with brash, the clippings from trees, plants and other shrubs, and asked that visitors remain on the designated footpaths to prevent any disturbance to wildlife.

The council will also be placing dormice and bird nesting boxes in both woodland areas and has requested that people keep their distance to avoid disturbing any animals using them to raise their young.

Dog walkers will be asked to keep their pets on the lead or under close supervision in case they unintentionally disturb any wildlife, especially dormice, and bicycles will only be permitted on byways and bridleways.

Any felled wood will be left lying in order to provide a home for fungi and insects in an effort to improve biodiversity along the whole food chain.

This is just one area of woodland improvement that the council have organised. On Monday contractors began felling some of the trees affected by the ash dieback disease that is sweeping across the country. Since November 2021, both Belstone Parish Council and Okehampton Town Council have arranged the felling of affected ash trees in their area.

Okehampton Hamlets Parish Council has said that it intends to replace any felled trees.

Future improvements have also been announced including better signage and footpaths with more information boards and nature walks organised by local ecologists and wildlife enthusiasts and will be implemented in the coming years.