Croes Robert Wood facts for kids

Croes Robert Wood is a special nature reserve in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It's also known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it's a very important place for nature, especially for its plants and animals. The Gwent Wildlife Trust looks after this woodland. They use special methods like coppicing and charcoal burning to help the different plants and animals that live there.

Where is Croes Robert Wood?

This special woodland covers about 18-hectare (44-acre) of land. That's like 44 football fields! It's located near the village of Mitchel Troy, which is about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the town of Monmouth. Croes Robert Wood was officially named a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1981. The Gwent Wildlife Trust owns part of the wood, and other people own the rest.

Amazing Wildlife and Plants

Croes Robert Wood is full of interesting plants and animals. It's part of the beautiful Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Trees and Plants

You can find many different kinds of trees here. On the higher parts of the wood, you'll see common ash, silver birch, wych elm, and wild cherry trees. Down by the lower areas, black alder trees grow. The wood is also home to many small plants called bryophytes, like mosses and liverworts.

Animals and Birds

One of the most special animals living here is the dormouse. These small, cute animals are quite rare and need special protection. You might also spot badgers, fallow deer, weasels, and the yellow-necked mouse.

Many different birds visit or live in the wood, including the Eurasian bullfinch, grasshopper warbler, great spotted woodpecker, long-tailed tit, nightingale, and Eurasian woodcock. If you look closely, you might also see many types of butterfly and moth fluttering around.

Looking After the Wood

The Gwent Wildlife Trust works hard to keep Croes Robert Wood healthy. After a lot of trees were cut down in 1982, the Trust started using special methods to help the wood grow back.

One method is called coppicing. This means cutting trees down to their base so they can grow new shoots. This creates areas of woodland with trees of different ages. These younger areas are perfect for dormice, as they provide lots of berries, fruits, and nuts for them to eat.

The Trust also does charcoal burning. They make charcoal from some of the wood they cut. They sell this charcoal to local people. The money they earn helps pay for all the important conservation work they do to protect this amazing nature reserve.