A community group with just one surviving member is appealing for people to get involved and help preserve a local woodland with a conservation day this week.

The Friends of Tippings Wood, had between six and 10 members when it was first founded in its heyday in the 1990s to help promote the woodland on the reclaimed site of the former Blidworth Colliery.

There were social events, new footpaths were created, and habitats flourished as dozens of people pitched in to boost the local woodland, in Warsop Lane, between Rainworth and Blidworth. Green woodpeckers are among the species on site.

But with people falling ill, getting older and moving away, the only current full time member is treasurer Brian Evans. The 77-year-old, from Whitaker Road, Rainworth, works alongside a number of volunteers and colleagues at Nottinghamshire County Council to keep the land tidy and in shape.

The public is being invited to take part in a nature conservation day this week on Thursday from 10am to 3pm to get involved in small tasks such as litter picking and checking and protecting natural habitats on site – with the hope that they will then want to become full time members.

Brian, who walks his pet Shihtsu Molly at the wood, said: “There have been some real highlights over the years. We once hosted barbeques on the land and had a very active management group. Sadly over time it has dwindled, and it would be a shame if it was left to degenerate as it is a lovely place.

“If it wasn’t for the volunteers and the county council, it would be in a really sorry state. I am committed to the future of Tippings Wood and would dearly love to see more people get involved and a new management committee formed in the long term.”

Councillor John Knight, Committee Chairman for Culture, at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Across Nottinghamshire many people get involved and are passionate about conservation work within their local woodland, as we see with the annual Greenwood Conservation Awards.

“We have been working with the Friends of Tippings Wood for some time now and hope this forthcoming conservation day can inspire even more people to get involved, have some fun and make a difference to their local environment.”

The forthcoming event is being coordinated by members of the Green Estates team at the county council including Mark Guy, Lee Scudder and Gill Grievson. To find out more about this week’s event call Mark Guy, on 01623 822944.