FORESTRY and Land Scotland’s South Region team is advising members of the public that work will soon be underway to prepare for tree felling in Mark Hill Forest, Kippford.

Preparatory work – to make the forest road ready and to clear roadside ditches – will begin the week commencing January 27th and felling will commence from mid-February.

The thinning work will open up the forest, letting in more light and creating more space for remaining trees and ground plants to flourish.

As well as making the woodland more attractive for wildlife, the thinning work will also make it a more attractive forest for visitors, FLS said.

Mark Johnson, for the local FLS team, commented: “Mark Hill Forest is a really popular spot with the local community as well as the many visitors to the area, so we understand that there will be a lot of curiosity when the heavy machinery moves in.

“We’d like to reassure people that the thinning work we’ll be doing is really important for improving the woodland and the various habitats that it offers.

“By opening up the space and allowing more light in, lower storey plants get more of a chance to thrive. This is great news for insects and smaller animals and encourages an increase in biodiversity that really enriches the forest.

“Visitors will still be welcome to the forest while the work is ongoing but there will be safety signage in place, and on occasion we will have members of staff on hand to advise visitors and help keep them safe.

“We would strongly urge anyone coming to the forest in that time to adhere to any and all safety and information signage.”

The work is expected to be ongoing until the end of July.