A team of 20 trainee engineers and staff from Siemens Energy’s North Tyneside base has swapped engineering projects for practical conservation work at a Northumberland nature reserve.
During a Wildlife Work Day at The Haining, near Elsdon, the volunteers removed hundreds of redundant tree guards and stakes from young trees. The reserve, gifted to Northumberland Wildlife Trust in 2022, inherited thousands of saplings protected by plastic tubes.
Tree guards help protect young trees, but can cause problems once saplings have outgrown them. Removing the old guards helps prevent restricted growth, trapped moisture and bark damage, reducing the risk of disease as the woodland develops.
A growing home for wildlife
About 40 hectares of woodland have been planted at The Haining, alongside two older Scots pine plantations. The developing habitat supports a range of wildlife, with buzzards, barn owls, bats, toads and otters among the species recorded at the reserve.
Its hay meadows also support wildflowers including yellow rattle and common spotted orchids, while butterflies and dragonflies use the woodland edges and glades.
The work has cleared an important maintenance backlog and should help the young trees grow into healthier woodland over the coming decades.
Why it matters for Britain
The volunteering day gives local apprentices practical experience outside their usual engineering roles while helping care for a Northumberland habitat. It also supports the long-term health of a growing woodland and the wildlife that depends on it.
