ONE of the UK's rarest habitats is being restored to support wildlife and improve road safety.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is carrying out tree management at Hook Common and Bartley Heath Nature Reserve in north Hampshire to bring back wooded heath and reduce risks along the A287.
Tom Hilder, senior nature-based solutions officer (practical delivery) at the trust, said: "Although the felling may appear drastic at first, it is a vital step in restoring ecological balance.
"We carefully assess each tree's health, species, and ecological value.
Tree pipit (Image: Derek Moore)
"Only selected trees, mostly birch and aspen, are being removed.
"This work will restore balance and lead to a richer, more biodiverse and resilient habitat, benefiting a range of species including rare adders, tree pipits, and heather-dependent insects."
Wooded heath is one of the UK's rarest habitats and supports declining wildlife such as ground-nesting birds like the tree pipit, reptiles including adders, and specialist plants like heather.
The scheme will help restore sunlit woodland edges, which are crucial for nesting and feeding species such as the tree pipit -- a bird that has suffered a 29 per cent reduction in its UK breeding range since the 1960s.
The felling will also create the conditions needed for heather and other heathland plants to regenerate, helping to bring back a landscape of open heath with scattered trees, particularly oak.
The work covers around three hectares along the north and south sides of the A287, where dense birch and scrub are being clear-felled from public-facing woodland edges.
The project also supports the Adder Project in Hook North, which aims to protect one of Hampshire's most threatened reptile populations.
By removing dense vegetation and opening up the woodland, the trust will create warmer, sunnier areas of bare ground -- ideal for reptiles like adders.
Mr Hilder said: "Tree pipits are summer visitors that stage unmistakable, parachute-like song flights from open woodland perches.
"It's this exact sort of habitat that's disappearing across central and southern England as these landscapes succeed into denser woodland.
"Restoring this mosaic of scattered trees could be a lifeline for them.
"Likewise, adders -- Britain's only native venomous snake -- flourish in sunny heathland and woodland edges, where they bask on warm ground to hunt their prey.
"Enhancing habitat connectivity, by establishing open corridors, will give them the open, sunlit areas they need to bask, hunt, and move safely across the landscape."
The scheme is fully licensed and supported by The Forestry Commission and Natural England.
The trust's ecology team has confirmed there are no active nests or protected species in the affected areas.
Work began in early September and is expected to take about four weeks, depending on the weather.
Large machinery will be used at times, but the trust is taking steps to minimise disruption.
Felling will be carried out under a licensed extraction route recommended by the ecology team.
Mr Hilder said: "I'm really excited to see this work taking shape.
"Hook Common and Bartley Heath are special places, and it's a privilege to be part of restoring them.
"These habitats are fragile, but with the right care they can bounce back quickly -- and that means more space for wildlife, and a healthier landscape for future generations to enjoy."