My new school's site survey

After moving schools I had to carry out a new site survey - which, being the second time I was doing one, was slightly easier.
Phase One Survey

Name of wood / site	Location	Grid reference
Greave Primary School	Forest in the Dip	Lat: 53.423629 Lng: -2.0860436
Owner
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council Address : Werneth Road, Woodley, Stockport SK6 1HR, United Kingdom Tel: +44 161 430 6318
Other identified stakeholders
Staff, pupils, parents and governors of Greave Primary School.
General Description: Landscape context / topography (geographical location and features e.g. alongside river, steep slopes etc…)
‘Forest in the Dip’ ·         Location is within the grounds of Greave Primary school.  ·         Forest school site runs parallel to the length of the school’s large playing field ·         There are a mixture of 5-6 species of trees ·         There is a mixture of 4-5 shrubs ·         There is a combination of field grass and couch grass ·         Access to the site is through the play equipment part of the playground ·         On one side of the site there is fencing onto the back gardens of residential housing. ·         There are no water hazards within the vicinity. ·         There are no public rights of way on the site. Woodland description Flora Trees ·         Small woodland area ·         Scots Pine ·         Silver Birch ·         Birch ·         Hazel ·         Willow ·         Alder ·         Pine ·         Oak ·         Conifers (on boundary) Plants ·         Brambles ·         Black thorn ·         Hawthorn ·         Forsythia ·         Ivy Fungi ·         Coral spot fungus ·         Common Stinkhorn ·         Hypholoma fasciculare Sulphur Tuft ·         Bracket fungus – smoky polypore Mosses ·         Grey crust lichen ·         Caloplaca suaedae (orange colour) ·         Creeping Feather-moss - Amblystegium serpens ·         Cylindric Ditrichum - Ditrichum cylindricum Fauna Birds ·         Black headed gulls ·         Herring gulls ·         Jackdaws ·         Pied wagtail ·         Yellow wagtail ·         Robin ·         Thrush ·         Wood pigeon ·         Stock dove Mammals ·         rabbit ·         hedgehog ·         wood mouse ·         grey squirrel ·         fox Insects ·         Peacock butterfly ·         Seven-spot ladybird ·         Green shield bug ·         Comma butterfly Abiotic elements Water No major water hazards on site Site can retain some water after heavy rain Soil Clay based – heavy soil – retains water Bedrock / Surface rock Forest surface is grass has no rock. Archaeological considerations (if present) None present Management history of site (e.g. when was the wood established, previous uses etc…) Established at the time of the school being built in 1969. There are willow trees there in order to help with excess water running down from the field and the hill beyond. Prior to the school being on the site, the site was just fields for farming. Long term vision Continue to manage in the same way – keeping it accessible but not neat and tidy so there is nothing to discover and explore in. Enhance by ensuring the site is not accessed by people from outside of school at weekends and in holidays – there is currently some evidence of possibly teenagers coming in. Perhaps acquire a wider variety of trees for the far end and to build up along the perimeter fence – allowing us to research appropriate trees and plan what would be the most appropriate –hence developing the children’s understanding of the area. Develop habitats further: Create bug hotels and rotting wood piles Introduce other grasses and field level plants to reduce the area where it floods. Ensure that all branches are not removed from the site – unless they are deemed dangerous – but left where they fall. Develop a permanent area for our fire circle. Develop links with the wider community to share the area and raise the profile of the benefits of Forest School.