Melwood Local Nature Reserve

Melwood is a Local Nature ReserveStatutory designation allowing principal local authorities to protect areas containing wildlife or geological features of particular local interest. in the villageSmall rural collection of buildings with a church. of Meldreth, Cambridgeshire, owned by Cambridgeshire County Council and managed by the Melwood Conservation Group. It consists of 0.6 hectares (1.5 acres) of broad-leaved woodland adjacent to the River Mel, a tributary of the River Cam.^[1]

The land was formerly occupied by orchard, vegetable garden or scrub, and had fallen into neglect.^[2] Habitats include open woodland, riverside, grass ride,^[a]A ride is a path or track wide enough for there to be a gap in the tree canopy above it.^[3] and hedges.^[1]

Flora and fauna

Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is the dominant tree species in the woodland, and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is also very common. Other species that have been introduced include hazel (Corylus avellana), beech (Fagus sylvatica), horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) and willow (Salix alba).^[1]

Tawny owls (Strix aluco) and pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) have been found roosting in the ivy within the woods.^[1]