The Woodlands.co.uk Blog - October 2008
Foraging for Sweet Chestnuts
Now is the time to be collecting your sweet chestnuts. As the October winds get going, there will plenty more of them to collect from under the trees. Read more…
Badger Watching for Beginners
It is evening, about 7pm and still light. A lone robin sings from the understorey and the repeated notes of a song thrush call from the distance. I am sitting in a woodland looking at a huge mound of earth and I feel a bit of lemon really. It is normally at this time that I sometimes have my doubts as it seems improbable that Britain’s most easily recognised and iconic mammal, renowned for being shy and nocturnal, will emerge from the safety of its home in daylight and within just a few metres of where I am sitting. Read more…
Wet Woodland – Carr
No-one likes getting their feet damp, but wet woodland has its place and is certainly valuable from the perspective of diversifying habitat. Read more…
Feed The Birds?
Whilst it always good to see wildlife in a natural setting, such as a woodland, it is also good to encourage wildlife in our gardens. Read more…
Deadwood
Traditionally woodland was kept “clean” by clearing away fallen timber. However, nowadays it is recognised that deadwood has an important part to play in forest management. Deadwood was removed to prevent the transfer of disease and pests – a mistaken belief as it happens, for almost all species which inhabit deadwood are specific to that habitat (“saproxylic”) and will not inhabit living wood. Now deadwood is recognised as an essential part of the forest ecosystem. Read more…
Woodlands and Taxation
Woodland ownership can have some useful tax advantages. The taxation of forestry /woodland has always been fairly generous to encourage people to purchase woodland and to spend money on management. Read more…
“Wildwood: A Journey Through Trees” by Roger Deakin – a review
Roger Deakin’s book is an inspiring read for any small woodland owner – really a series of chatty stories about individual topics peppered with interesting snippets on tress, wood, botany, natural history and rural life.