Partners including British Gypsum and Rushcliffe Borough Council alongside elected representatives of Nottinghamshire County Council and Bunny Parish Council gathered at Bunny Old Wood (West) recently to mark the 40th Anniversary of the popular site, which sits prominently on a hillside just off the A60 on the edge of Bunny Village, becoming a Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve.

Back in 1985, East Leake based British Gypsum, which operates the huge Marblaegis Mine which covers almost 40 square kilometres beneath the South Notts landscape, donated the wood to the Wildlife Trust to be protected as a nature reserve.  In the four decades since, local volunteers have played a key role in helping restore the wood after it was severely impacted by Dutch Elm Disease in the 1970s . Today it is regarded as one of the best bluebell woods in the county.

Guests included the Mayor of Rushcliffe, Cllr John Cottee; Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust Executive Vice President (and Chair of the Trust’s South Notts Group) Valerie Holt; Carlo Augusto – Land & Legacy manager at British Gypsum; Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Senior Ecology & Sustainability Officer Paul Phillips; Cllr Andy Brown of Nottinghamshire County Council, Gordon Dyne of Rushcliffe Nature Conservation Strategy Implementation Group; Bunny Parish Clerk Linda Price and Cllrs Cotterill and Cannon of Bunny Parish Council – plus long-term Bunny Wood volunteers Dr Chris Terrell-Nield & Neil Hunter.

Speaking at the event about the importance of collaboration and the contribution of volunteers, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust Chief Executive Paul Wilkinson said:

“Whilst Bunny Old Wood is famed for its bluebells, the fact that it sits over a huge gypsum mine is less well known. Another little-known aspect of the wood’s history is huge role that volunteers have played down the years. Volunteers such as Chris Terrell-Nield and Neil Hunter, who joined us to mark the anniversary, have invested 40 years of effort into making the wood what it is today – and without theirs and others efforts down the years in caring for, surveying and monitoring the woodland habitats, visitors wouldn’t be able to enjoy the displays of bluebells and other woodland wildflowers that the reserve is now famed for.”

In addition to helping restore the woodland’s traditional coppice management, which creates open areas for the bluebells to thrive, volunteers have helps research the sites history and carried out extensive surveys, recording over 500 species of invertebrate, over 150 species of plant and more than 50 species of bird – racking up countless thousands of hours in the process. At the event, Dr Terrell-Nield highlighted the contributions of many other volunteers had made down the years, including Gerry White and Dr David Holditch. 

Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is committed to mobilising a movement for nature – with more people than ever before acting for nature within their communities

Paul added: “Many people have given their time and talent down the years and their passion, dedication and commitment serve as an example of what we need to put our county’s wildlife into recovery. Bunny Wood stands as a testament to what can be achieved when the talents and tenacity of volunteers is combined with ambition and a spirit of partnership. It should serve as motivation that despite being in the midst of a climate and ecological crisis – we can make a difference. By working together, we can create space for nature, and we can give people the chance to lead wilder, happier, healthier lives.” 

After speeches and a photo opportunity in the wood, guests retired to the Rancliffe Arms in Bunny Village for refreshments courtesy of the pub. Guests then enjoyed a slice of a specially commissioned cake in the shape of a coppiced tree stump.

Bunny Old Wood is one of 41 nature reserves cared for by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and with wild places are under threat from climate change and damaging development and the costs of caring for them increasing, the charity is currently asking people to support its work to protect nature reserves, bring back rare & threatened species and stand up for nature across the county through its Action for Wildlife Appeal. 

———

The poem below entitled Rings of Time, was originally published in the Bunny Bulletin in 2011 - a part of one of over 200 submissions made by Dr Chris Terrell-Nield during four decades of volunteering at Bunny Old Wood (West). 

Chris read the poem to gathered guests during the event to mark the reserves 40th Anniversary in July 2025.

It was warm in those years when the soldiers came.

I grew fast, rings spread wide in the summer time.

Then came ice, awful spring and cold freezing rain.

Rings grew slow, gathered tight against frost malign.

Seasons passed, now was time for the next campaign,

When saws rasp, axes shear at my timber prime.

Subject me to the drill and the smoothing plane,

Woodland state to refine and keep elm tree line.

Years went by, adding rings in my green domain.

No men came, quiet reigned, undisturbed I climb.

It was cold, then so dry, my rings fine again.

Then dread heat, threat of fire, pain like caustic lime.

Raider came, digging in, my defence disdain,

Drawing lines ‘neath my bark, spreading network fine.

Adding death and disease – saw my neighbours slain,

Falling trunks, shattered boles, forest weeds entwine.

Now I’m shorn once again, but my rings remain,

In a pile, woody tale telling fungal crime.

Soon I’ll grow coppice springs and my leaf regain,

And spread wide, in the sun, casting shade sublime.

Chris Terrell-Nield