Snape Woodland Group is a
charitable organisation formed
through affiliation to the Green Light Trust,
working to create, develop and maintain a new
area of woodland in Snape. Although no longer affiliated we maintain
contact with the Green Light Trust and continue to take interest in
their projects and development.
Our purpose is to provide a new facility for general enjoyment of our
community as well
as to encourage local children and adults to get closer to nature and
actively participate in building a greener future. Since its inception
in 2003 the Group has managed to acquire an extendable
lease on a piece of land well situated within the village boundary, as
shown on the map. 
The site covers just over two acres and is situated in a lovely peaceful spot. It was chosen because it had good potential for making an interesting woodland site including a depression which could form the basis of a new pond. Up until we acquired it the area had been used for arable agriculture, growing crops such as potatoes and wheat. It is bordered on one side by a public footpath linking Church Road to Gromford, on two sides by existing mature hedges and on the last and shortest side by a farm track. The location is ideal because the footpath provides easy public access while the farm track enables us to access the site with machinery should that be required.
Since acquiring the site
we have done a substantial amount of
work and we
have now planted hundreds of trees in new hedges and open planting
schemes. The site has been completely fenced with rabbit wire –
although this seems to be more effective at keeping them in than out!
We have created a clay lined pond in the 
depression
in the centre of
the site and this has been successfully holding a decent amount of
water ever since, put up a sign made from an oak trunk and erected a
notice board. We hold regular planting events where people can
bring
trees to plant and these have been popular and successful.
Now formally named Priory Wood the site is gradually changing as the
trees start to grown and the flora and fauna evolve following the
change from agricultural use Inevitably there are ongoing liabilities
that we shall need to cover for this and
future years. We estimate that as things currently stand our annual
recurring costs will be in excess of £400 this primarily being for
servicing the lease and maintaining public liability insurance. We
always welcome offers for help, financially or otherwise.
Flora & Fauna Survey at Priory Wood Autumn 2007
To help us track how the wood and its environment evolves as
it changes from agrictural land to woodland we are
periodically recording tracking the flora and fauna; this is the latest
survey:
Birds
Herring Gull,Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull,
Woodpigeon, Turtle Dove, Swift, Green Woodpecker, Skylark, Woodlark,
Swallow, House Martin, Dunnock, Wren, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit,
Carrion Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Yellowhammer.
(19 species)
Mammals
Fox, Rabbit,
Short-tailed Field Vole. (4 species)
Amphibians
Common toad.
(1 species)
Butterflies
Large White, Small
White, Green-veined White, Clouded Yellow,
Brown Argus,Red Admiral, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady,
Speckled Wood, Grayling, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet. (14 species)
Dragonflies
Brown Hawker,
Migrant Hawker, Emperor, Common Darter, Ruddy
Darter.
(5 species)
Other Insects Hornet, Red-tailed Bumble bee, Field Grasshopper, Great-Green Bush-cricket. (4 species)
Plants (80 species) Highlights: Field Pansy, Perforate St.John’s Wort, Corn Spurrey, Common Mallow, Small-flowered Cranesbill, Climbing White Bryony, Changing forget-me-not, Common Broomrape, Henbit Dead-nettle, Common Fleabane, Bristly Ox-tongue.