Work started yesterday on tidying up the island in Queen Elizabeth Park in readiness for a makeover intended to allow the island to be used more for recreational purposes.
Tree Craft owner Nick Ellis and fellow qualified arborist Richie Hill began the task of deadwooding and pruning mature trees on the island, starting with an English Oak thought to be about 40 years old.
The oak, on the lake shore, was to be opened up to allow a better view of the island from the park itself.
Mr Ellis said there was about three weeks' work ahead of the arborists and on Monday a crane is to be commissioned to lift a chipper across the lake to mulch all the wood taken out of the trees.
Some sycamores and willows growing on the island are being targeted for removal and will be replaced with native plants in the wetland areas.
