The Woodlands.co.uk Blog - July 2007
Willow and wetlands
The use of willow for basket weaving goes back hundreds of years and the centre of the UK’s willow industry is the Somerset levels where there are over 140,000 acres of wetlands. These wetlands were originally marshes but over the last 200 years these have been progressively drained principally to create cattle grazing meadows but also willow growing areas (withy beds).
Gardens, wildlife and our cities
Sadly, many ordinary gardens in the UK’s cities are vanishing. Front gardens are used to create off-road parking areas, whilst many large back gardens are being sold for housing developments. The London Wildlife Trust offers some suggestions on mitigating the effects of the loss of such areas.
Otters and brash piles
Otters are one of our most beautiful native mammals. They are predominantly nocturnal creatures, feeding mainly on fish and usually live around seven years. They were quite common in Britain up until the 1950s, after which point their numbers started to decline quite rapidly due to the use of agricultural pesticides and habitat loss. Currently, otter numbers are recovering and they are thought to be present in 85% of Welsh rivers. Read more…
Gilbert White – the first ecologist?
Gilbert White (1720 to 1793) has often been labelled the first ever ecologist. He was a curate in Hampshire and Wiltshire and was an extraordinary observer of the natural world, keeping meticulous records of both the weather and the natural world around him. Even when he was away from home on church business he arranged for others to keep up his recordings.