The Woodlands.co.uk Blog - May 2006
PAWS project
Are you the owner of an ancient woodland in the High Weald of Sussex and Kent? If so read on…
The High Weald AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), the Woodland Trust and the Forestry Commission are jointly funding a Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) Project focusing on returning ancient woodland plantations to native, broadleaved tree cover. The AONB contains some 7% of England’s Read more…
Moths, moth species and their prevalence
Moths, along with butterflies, belong to the taxonomic classification Lepidoptera. The name Lepidoptera derives from the Greek lepis (scale) and pteron (wing).
For information on how to distinguish between a butterfly and a moth, click here.
Almost 2,500 species of moth are thought to reside in the British Isles and these have in turn been grouped as macro-moths and micro-moths. As with most artificial Read more…
Do you know your trees?
Perhaps you or someone in the family would like some help in identifying trees. If so try:
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-5g2kv3 (an excellent guide)
http://www.nifg.org.uk/wintertrees.htm (identifying trees in winter)
http://www.adur.gov.uk/your-environment/tree-id.htm
(offers some 20+ links to various trees, showing the leaves, the fruits / seeds and where they might be found)
Fallow deer
Red, roe and fallow deer are to be found in the UK. Red Deer are generally found in Scotland, though small herds or populations are found in other places. Roe deer are quite common; the Forestry Commission estimates that there are some 500,000 in Britain – though at one stage, there were only populations in Scotland. The third type of deer to be found is the fallow deer; it Read more…
Horse chestnuts - under attack?
The horse chestnut or conker tree (Aesculus hippocastanum) was probably introduced into this country in the late 16th century. It has been extensively used in artificial plantings along roadsides - in creating avenues. In Spring, the statuesque trees are covered with white flowers, sometimes referred to as candles (see picture). Pink and red flowered forms are hybrid types.
The horse chestnut is recognisable by its distinctive Read more…
Wood fairs and events 2006
Woodfairs and county shows are a great place to pick up information on woodlands and to meet people who are interested in woods. We attend about three of these each year as www.woodlands.co.uk but there are many more which we would like to go to if we had the time and energy! These can be good places to find unusual tools, to meet the forestry commission Read more…
Where have all the hedgehogs gone?
The number of hedgehogs has declined in recent years. This is evidenced by surveys like that of the Mammals Trust UK, which has undertaken road surveys since 2001. Figures suggest that the hedgehog population has fallen significantly in the last few years, in some areas of the East and South East the fall in numbers has been particularly dramatic (see Read more…
Recording your Bluebells
The onset of Spring brings a variety of blue flowered plants such a bluebells, hyacinths and squills in our gardens, parks and woodlands. The bluebell is ‘easily’ recognisable. However, there are two or three different types of bluebells. The bluebell that is native to the UK has the Latin or Linnaean name of Hyacinthoides non scripta. Its deep blue and scented flowers hang from Read more…