The reason we have so much wildlife is that the woodland provides food and shelter. In the ten years that we have been at Rosehill we have planted over 500 trees and shrubs. All the trees at Rosehill are protected by a Tree Preservation Order. The vast majority of trees are broadleaved. It is unusual, almost unique, in Cornwall to have broadleaved woodland so close to the rugged Atlantic Coast.
Woodland clearly goes hand in hand with the wildlife.
Our primary aim is to use “best practises” in managing the woodland and to plant trees which compliment the existing broadleaved species. We are personal members of the Woodland Trust and take our responsibilities extremely seriously with regard protection of our woodland. We are fortunate as Rebecca, one of the neighbours at Rosehill, is also the local tree warden for the Porthtowan area and is happy to help and advise in any way she can. The wildlife benefits greatly from passing through Rosehill’s woodland corridoor, feeding and collecting nesting materials or simply getting water from the stream.
The Cornwall Wildlife Trust
Rosehill works with the wildlife trust directly and offers local walk pamphlets which are sold for a small fee. The proceeds go to the trust as do any small phone charges which are also donated to the trust via the charity box.
Badgers
The European badger is found throughout most of the UK. Badgers have a distinctive black and white striped face. These nocturnal animals feed mainly on earthworms, of which they can eat as many as 200 in one night. Badgers also eat fruit, insects and grubs. They rely on their strong sense of smell to hunt out food. If the food is underground, badgers use their powerful claws to dig it out. Groups of badgers live in woodland setts, underground tunnels and chambers which provide shelter and security. Badgers become less active in the winter months but do not hibernate. Females usually give birth to between one and three cubs. The cubs are usually born in February and spend the first eight to 10 weeks of their lives underground.