Maybush Copse community woodland
Maybush Copse is an 8 acre site purchased in 2009 by the Chichester Harbour Trust, with support from the Chichester Harbour Conservancy, the Parish Councils of Southbourne and Chidham & Hambrook, and donations from over 180 local residents.
It is maintained with the help of local residents, The Chichester Harbour Conservancy, Friends of Chichester Harbour and other volunteers. The entrance to Maybush Copse is in Cot lane, about 200m south of The Barleycorn, or 50m past the Maybush Drive turning on the right hand side as you go south. The nearest postcode is PO18 8SP
The Copse is home to a number of community events from our monthly work parties (on the first Saturday of every month) to our annual Big Lunch picnic in June and Apple Day in September.
A history of Maybush Copse
How it all started…
The idea of a community bid to purchase the site was first floated on the village website on 29th May 2008. Chichester Harbour Trust and Chichester Harbour Conservancy were interested. Parish Councils of Southbourne and Chidham and Hambrook were supportive. A Public Meeting was arranged for 11 th June 2008 to gauge support. The strength of residents’ support was readily apparent. In the next fortnight we raised enough pledges to enable the Chichester Harbour Trust to make a realistic bid before the Informal Tender deadline of 26th June 2008
What is a copse, and what is coppicing?
Coppicing is a traditional type of woodland management that involves cutting the trees back to stumps, which quickly regenerate, therefore producing a regular and manageable crop of wood.
Coppicing, or cutting back the trees, enhances the wildlife in the copse by opening up the canopy. It lets in more light and allows new plants to establish on the woodland floor. These plants attract insects, birds and mammals to the area and the result is that the habitat in the copse is very different to a mature woodland, with its own distinctive wildlife. This habitat can only continue to thrive if coppicing is maintained.