Situated in the borough of Haringey, Coldfall woods is a beautiful ancient woodland open to and appreciated by locals and the general public.  

Standing amidst the grand trees and the vibrant green shrubbery, you can hear the whisper of streams and the fluttering of leaves in the breeze. The trampled ground suggests generous usage of this green space, and you are bound to spot more than a few dogs, tails wagging excitedly, as you take a peaceful stroll through the woods. 

On a warmer day, you might feel inclined to take a picnic blanket with you to lounge in the field hemmed in by tall trees and watch as dogs chase frisbees and children kick around a football. 

In and around Haringey, we are lucky to have these woods at our disposal, offering their wooden limbs and dirt paths for relaxed wandering, walks with dogs, meet-ups with friends and other such activities. 

However, with such great greenery near and around us, it is important that we care for it, not only by treating the area with decency - picking up our litter, cleaning up after our dogs, respecting the wild creatures and old, wizened trees and foliage - but by acquainting ourselves with the problems that our wildlife faces. 

For example, the London borough of Haringey has a website which goes into detail about its woods. Its Ancient Woodlands, Coldfall woods among them, are said to be “in poor condition”, stated in a Habitat Condition Assessment review. 

By perusing this website, you will discover that our woodlands are encountering several issues such as soil erosion, caused by an abundance of foot traffic, and other problems such as soil moisture deficits and greater water table fluctuations, both caused by climate change - the list goes on. 

Many are oblivious to the struggles our wildlife faces, even the innocent act of veering off designated paths in the woods or letting our dogs dig holes enthusiastically in the soil can impact the environment around us. 

This is not to say that we should avoid visiting our local woods for fear of the damage that we may unknowingly cause, but being aware of wildlife could create an incentive to lend a helping hand: join a wildlife trust, volunteer, take up gardening to help the world contained within your own garden (if you have one) thrive.

There’s an endless array of ways to look out for the world around us, and the first step may just be appreciating our local woodlands and informing ourselves on the problems that they experience.