The Woodlands.co.uk Blog http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog A blog about woodland activities, outdoor skills and conservation Fri, 16 May 2008 15:10:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 en Butterflies and Woodlands http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/conservation/butterflies-and-woodlands/ http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/conservation/butterflies-and-woodlands/#comments Fri, 16 May 2008 15:10:47 +0000 Michael http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/conservation/butterflies-and-woodlands/ Butterfly Conservation has just launched a £900,000 conservation scheme to encourage better woodland management for butterflies in the South-East. 

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]]> http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/conservation/butterflies-and-woodlands/feed/ Buttercups, Old and New - Ancient Meadows http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/nature-surveys/buttercups-old-and-new-estimating-the-age-of-a-meadow/ http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/nature-surveys/buttercups-old-and-new-estimating-the-age-of-a-meadow/#comments Fri, 16 May 2008 10:39:58 +0000 Chris http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/nature-surveys/buttercups-old-and-new-estimating-the-age-of-a-meadow/ Already some buttercups are in flower.  They may be found in fields, pastures, hedgerows meadows, and of course, lawns and gardens!  The early flowers are often those of the bulbous buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus).  These may be distinguished from those of the meadow buttercup (Ranunculus acris) by looking at the way the green sepals are arranged beneath the flower.  In the meadow buttercup, they lie against the flower, whereas those of the bulbous buttercup are said to be “reflexed” – the sepals hang down. (more…)

]]> http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/nature-surveys/buttercups-old-and-new-estimating-the-age-of-a-meadow/feed/ Estimating the Age of a Tree - Counting Rings http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/trees/estimating-the-age-of-a-tree-counting-rings/ http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/trees/estimating-the-age-of-a-tree-counting-rings/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 13:50:34 +0000 Angus http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/trees/estimating-the-age-of-a-tree-counting-rings/ When a tree has been cut down or felled, then it is relatively easy to work out its age by counting the growth or annual rings that can be seen on the sawn-off stump.

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]]> http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/trees/estimating-the-age-of-a-tree-counting-rings/feed/ BirdTrack – Recording Bird Migration and Population Patterns http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/nature-surveys/birdtrack-recording-bird-migration-and-population-patterns/ http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/nature-surveys/birdtrack-recording-bird-migration-and-population-patterns/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 12:45:08 +0000 catherine http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/nature-surveys/birdtrack-recording-bird-migration-and-population-patterns/ Watching the swifts swooping around in this week’s blue skies reminded me of the BirdTrack (originally Migration Watch) online recording scheme.  BirdTrack, run in conjunction by the British Trust for Ornithology, the RSPB and BirdWatch Ireland, tracks migration patterns and distribution of species in Britain and Ireland.  (more…)

]]> http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/nature-surveys/birdtrack-recording-bird-migration-and-population-patterns/feed/ Elder (Sambucus nigra) - Elder Lore and Elderflower Recipes http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/wild-food/elder-sambucus-nigra/ http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/wild-food/elder-sambucus-nigra/#comments Fri, 02 May 2008 13:51:05 +0000 Jade http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/wild-food/elder-sambucus-nigra/ The elder is a small but bountiful tree that usually grows on the woodland edge. The tree has an abundance of history and folklore surrounding it and was long regarded as sacred, protected by the elder-mother who resided in its trunk.

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]]> http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/wild-food/elder-sambucus-nigra/feed/ Some Common Botanical Terms http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/conservation/some-common-botanical-terms/ http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/conservation/some-common-botanical-terms/#comments Fri, 02 May 2008 12:58:43 +0000 Mike http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/conservation/some-common-botanical-terms/ Arboretum

An area where woody plants (trees and shrubs) are grown for scientific/ educational purpose, for example, Westonbirt, the National Arboretum near Tetbury in Gloucestershire.

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-6xcmkm (more…)

]]> http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/conservation/some-common-botanical-terms/feed/ Pond and Stream Dipping - Underwater Minibeasts http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/wildlife/pond-and-stream-dipping-underwater-minibeasts/ http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/wildlife/pond-and-stream-dipping-underwater-minibeasts/#comments Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:14:30 +0000 catherine http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/wildlife/pond-and-stream-dipping-underwater-minibeasts/ Do We Need Any Special Equipment For Pond Dipping?

No, everything you’ll need you’ll probably find around the house:

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]]> http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/wildlife/pond-and-stream-dipping-underwater-minibeasts/feed/ Floor to Ceiling - The “layers” of a woodland http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/trees/floor-to-ceiling-the-layers-of-a-woodland/ http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/trees/floor-to-ceiling-the-layers-of-a-woodland/#comments Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:54:24 +0000 Chris http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/trees/floor-to-ceiling-the-layers-of-a-woodland/ A brief explanation of  the different layers of woodland.

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]]> http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/trees/floor-to-ceiling-the-layers-of-a-woodland/feed/ Bluebell Woods http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/events-places/bluebell-woods/ http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/events-places/bluebell-woods/#comments Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:36:52 +0000 Michael http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/events-places/bluebell-woods/ One of the pleasures of working for Woodlands.co.uk is the opportunity to enjoy some really spectacular displays of bluebells at this time of year, for example Low Orltons Copse, Kilnfield Wood and Ball Wood in Sussex are beautiful now.  (You can see some pictures of these woods in the South-East section of the website.) 

However, for those of us who aren’t lucky enough to own our own wood (yet!), the National Trust has selected 10 of its best bluebell woodlands (more…)

]]> http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/events-places/bluebell-woods/feed/ Wood Ants http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/conservation/wood-ants/ http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/conservation/wood-ants/#comments Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:16:25 +0000 catherine http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/conservation/wood-ants/ You might barely notice it at your feet, but the wood ant is important. It is an “indicator species”, that is, their presence indicates healthy woodland.

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