Woodlands.co.uk - Woodland Activities
Forestry Commision – the National Forest Inventory (NFI).
The Forestry Comission has just announced the first results of the National Forest Inventory (NFI); the NFI replaces the National Inventory of Woodlands and Trees (NIWT). The ‘woods and trees’ inventory has been compiled (using various methods) since the 1920’s when there was considerable concern about the ‘stock’ of woodland and timber that could used in an ‘emergency’; e.g. when it was not possible to import timber from Europe or ‘The Empire’ as was the case during WW1. Read more…
Catching woodland wildlife – on camera
There is a lot going on in the woods which you don’t see. Well, I don’t see it anyhow. I clomp around in my big boots, singing little ditties, letting my dog roam free, blissfully unaware of the havoc I am causing. Meanwhile every creature for miles around is bolting for cover, hiding away, disappearing until the danger is past. I guess if I had the patience I could set up a hide and wait quietly. Might have to tape up the dog for that to work. However, while I have the greatest admiration for people that can sit for hours without even a twitch, I am not one of them. Read more…
Bows and arrows in woodland – archery at different levels
Archery is exciting – the pull of the arrow, taking aim and the “thwack!” as the arrow hits its target (if it does). We have made a film of serious archers which you can see on woodlandsTV here. This is not something one can try without proper advice and training – and some expensive kit. However many people just want to have a bit of fun and we have recently explored two ways of firing arrows in woodland. Read more…
What do woodland owners do about sheds for storage ?
Some people who manage their own woodlands feel it would be easier if they had a shed or building to store things and to shelter when it rains. In principle, local authorities are positive about this as they want to see woodlands managed but in practice planning officers often fear that sheds are the thin end of a wedge that will end up with a residential development which doesn’t fit within the local development plan. Read more…
Woodland burials on a grand scale
In the UK, we tend to think of woodland burials as a very informal and personal thing. On a recent trip to Sweden, I visited a woodland graveyard at the other end of the scale.
Skogskyrkogården on the outskirts of Stockholm is vast; you have to be there to truly appreciate the sheer size of the place. Established in the early 1900s it is completely unlike any other cemetery before it. So much so, that it is considered one of the most important creations of modern architecture – and as such was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1994. The graves are for the most part low and simple; the natural surroundings – typical Nordic forest of mainly conifers and birch – are the centrepiece, not the monuments.
Woodland Shelter Build.
A priority when staying out in the woods is a good water and wind proof shelter
The following photos show the construction of a hazel wood shelter to sleep 2-3 people.
We are out a lot, so we built it to last.
The photographs in the ‘strip’ below show the various stages in the construction of the shelter. Read more…
Biochar at the Centre for Alternative Technology: business opportunity for small woodland owners or climate change solution
Biochar may be used to mitigate climate change brought on by global warming, by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and locking the carbon into the soil, if James Lovelock (originator of the seductive Gaia hypothesis) is to be believed. Others say the numbers just don’t work. Biochar is also put forward as a very effective soil improver, which can reduce fertiliser use, reduce pollution, increase crop yields, and as an approach to agriculture may be traced back to the terras preta (black soils) of the Amazonian rainforest. Read more…
Are children suffering from a “nature-deficit”?
This is the central question in Richard Louv’s book, “Last child in the woods,” and this concern is shared by the broadcaster Sir David Attenborough. As Attenborough says, “all children start off being interested in the natural world, it’s deep in our instincts…”. Children may have theoretical knowledge but not touchy-feely experience. As Louv explains, ” children today are aware of global threats to the environment but their physical contact, their intimacy, with nature is fading.”
Nature-deficit surveys
Natural England did a survey recently in which they examined changing relationships with nature across generations and they found that fewer then 10% of children now play in natural places (such as woodlands and heathlands) compared with 40% of today’s adults who did so when they were young. The BBC Wildlife Magazine carried out another survey which found that many children now cannot identify common species such as bluebells and frogs. Read more…