VOLUNTEERS have helped safeguard the future of mighty willows thanks to a £5,000 grant.
Grundon Waste Management and Oxfordshire Rural Partnership gave the cash for work at Daeda’s Wood near Deddington.
The wood was set up 12 years ago by The Woodland Trust and is maintained by volunteers from the Friends of Daeda’s Wood, who worked with the trust and the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment to carry out the work in the last month.
Friends member Elspeth Cox said: “Without this financial help we would lose the ancient willows, but now we can employ a contractor to cut them as this work is too dangerous for us to do alone.”
She said the pollarding work removed large branches that grow out of the top of a short trunk.
This will make the trees live longer and help prevent them toppling over.
The woodland is to the north west of Deddington in the valley of the River Swere.
The Grundon cash came from taxes firms pay for putting waste into landfill.
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