Backmuir Wood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Backmuir Wood |
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 Location in Angus
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| Geography | |
| Location | Angus, Scotland |
| OS grid | NO340340 |
| Coordinates | 56°29′46″N 3°04′30″W / 56.496°N 3.075°W |
| Area | 140.58 acres (56.89 ha) |
| Administration | |
| Governing body | Woodland Trust |
Backmuir Wood is a large forest in Angus, Scotland. It covers about 140 acres (57 hectares). You can find it about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) northwest of Dundee. The wood is located between the villages of Muirhead and Liff.
Since 1996, the Woodland Trust has owned and looked after Backmuir Wood. They work with a local community group to manage it. The forest has grown bigger over the years. It's now home to many different types of trees and animals. One special resident is the red squirrel, which is a protected animal in the UK.
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What is Backmuir Wood?
Backmuir Wood is an ancient woodland. This means it has been a forest for a very long time. The Woodland Trust bought it in 1996. They got help from groups like Scottish Natural Heritage. When they first bought it, the wood was 111 acres (45 hectares).
How the Wood Grew
The Woodland Trust has made the wood even bigger. In 2000, they bought a 4-acre (1.6-hectare) field next to the wood. This was part of a special project called "Woodlands for the Millennium." It celebrated the year 2000. The next year, they planted over 8,000 trees there. This new area is now called Millennium Corner.
They also put some standing stones in the wood. These stones are surrounded by copper beech trees. In 2009, the Trust bought another 17 acres (7 hectares). This made Backmuir Wood even larger for everyone to enjoy.
Visiting Backmuir Wood
The Woodland Trust takes care of Backmuir Wood. They work with a local group called the Backmuir Woodland Community Group. Like all Woodland Trust forests, Backmuir Wood is open to everyone.
Trails and Activities
There are about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) of paths in the wood. You can enter the wood from four main spots. It's a very popular place for people living nearby. Many visitors enjoy walking their dogs there. The Woodland Trust believes about 11,000 people visit the wood each year.
Animals and Plants
Backmuir Wood is a very diverse forest. This means it has many different kinds of trees and animals.
Trees of the Wood
You can find many types of trees here. These include oak, beech, sycamore, alder, Scots pine, and rowan. About 20% of the wood has conifer trees. These are trees like pines that have needles and cones. About 70% are broadleaf trees, which have flat leaves. The other 10% is open space.
Different trees grow in different parts of the wood. You'll see many beech trees in the south. Birches are common in the middle. Conifers grow in the northeast. Oaks and rowans are found in the northwest. Some of the oldest trees are oak and beech. One beech tree is thought to be from the 1800s!
Wildlife in the Forest
Backmuir Wood is a safe home for red squirrels. These squirrels are a protected species in the UK. You can often spot them in the Scots pine trees. You might also see large birds like buzzards and kestrels flying overhead.
