The Woodlands.co.uk Blog
“Nature’s Playground” Marchwood Art Project (2008)
I became involved with the project when I answered an advertisement in the Artist News magazine (AN). It was under the heading “Loose Dogs and Loose Artists”. The title intrigued me, so I contacted them and arranged a meeting. After receiving a large page of directions on how to find it, this is how the project began. The first mystery was solved when I arrived at the meeting point, opposite the entrance gate there was a sign that read: “LOOSE DOGS KEEP OUT”.
Horse Chestnut Woes! - Dealing with disease
Back in 2006, the Woodlands blog commented on the problems facing horse chestnuts, namely disease ( leaf miner moths, leaf blotch fungus, bleeding canker) and drought. The last of these may have disappeared for the time being as we have just experienced one of the wettest Augusts on record, however bleeding canker and the leaf miner continue to be problematical and are spreading.
Men Only – Are we excluding women from UK woodlands?
One of the cultural issues we have come across at Woodlands.co.uk is that historically forestry has been a men-only sort of thing.
Festival of the Tree 2008, Westonbirt Arboretum
Once again it was a pleasure to meet everyone who called in at the Woodlands.co.uk stand at Westonbirt over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Read more…
Sheds in Woodlands
We did a survey on sheds for storage amongst woodland owners and although the sample is small the results were interesting ……
Woodland Birds in Decline?
The latest Breeding Bird Survey for the British Trust for Ornithology in partnership with The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, has highlighted a significant decline in woodland bird species. The annual survey has revealed numbers down by more than 50% in several species, the worst hit being the willow tit down by 77%.
Old Man’s Beard - Clematis vitalba
….or ‘traveller’s joy’ to use another of its many names, is a vigorous climber. As it grows and matures, it forms woody stems as thick as a wrist, and the plant may grow to a height of 40 feet or more.
What is the Forestry Commission and How Does It Affect Woodland Owners?
The Forestry Commission is a government department whose main functions are to manage most of the forestry land owned by the government and to regulate the UK’s privately owned forests and woodlands. It also has a significant research branch headquartered at Alice Holt on the Surrey/Hampshire border. The Commission was set up in 1919 after the First World War with the twin aims of developing a reliable source of timber and creating employment in the forestry sector.