Blog - Woodland Activities

Season's Greetings

Season’s Greetings

by The blog at woodlands.co.uk, 17 December, 2017, 1 comments

Treebytree – a social movement to plant trees, create woodlands and celebrate

Treebytree – a social movement to plant trees, create woodlands and celebrate

by Dick, 15 December, 2017, 0 comments

Tree by tree is a project set up by Tino Rawnsley and his partner Catherine Selby. A woodworker and woodsman all his life, Tino has been passionate about trees ever since childhood playing in the woods and coppices of the north downs of Kent. In late 2016, Tino was diagnosed with motor neuron disease, a life limiting disease for which there is currently no cure. Below, Tino explains what led to the setting up of the project and his hopes for its future. Read more...

Volunteering for health and wellbeing at Tortworth arboretum

Volunteering for health and wellbeing at Tortworth arboretum

by The blog at woodlands.co.uk, 8 December, 2017, 0 comments

The arboretum at Tortworth is a very special place. It has a long and interesting history and boasts some incredible exotic trees. The trees are a living history of the woodland and the family that planted it, but a few years ago the collection was at risk of decline through lack of management. That is, until 3 years ago when woodlands.co.uk purchased the woodland and the trees were given a new lease of life - while also changing lives. The 20 acre site is now managed by a community woodland group who are gently restoring the trees and at the same time, making a difference to people, as we hear from one of their regular volunteers. Read more...

Woodland related scrabble words (Part one A – H), from Imogen (11) and Stuart

Woodland related scrabble words (Part one A – H), from Imogen (11) and Stuart

by Stuart Brooking, 5 December, 2017, 3 comments

At this time of year, the scrabble board is often brought out and ‘battle’ commences. People often play with ‘variants’ of the rules and sometimes a themed approach can be fun. Here is a selection of woodland related words, many of which are names of woodlands that owners have purchased from woodlands.co.uk over the years. Words have been selected via a number of different categories including interesting meanings of the words, good scoring words, common woodland words and short words with good scoring letters. My daughter, Imogen and I came up with the words and checked them on the dictionary and scrabble checker. Neither of us is a “scrabble wizard” but we have checked all words are in the Oxford online dictionary and that they are compatible with the scrabble word checker but if you notice anything incorrect ……… Read more...

A year in our very own woodland – by Mark Vesey

A year in our very own woodland – by Mark Vesey

by The blog at woodlands.co.uk, 8 November, 2017, 3 comments

In autumn 2016 my wife and I visited a small wood for sale on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. We had seen a few other sites but this held more promise as it was part moorland, part regenerating ex-forestry land. The three things that made it of particularly interest to us were that: it was only twenty minutes away from home; it had a small natural pond; and it had some open space for planting new trees. As a green person at heart, I often pick up acorns on walks and pop them in a pot. I was however running short of space and needed somewhere to plant them! Dan, from Woodlands.co.uk, met us on site and explained that the management plan favoured planting oak trees so that made it ideal for us. After a few months of paperwork, we received the key to the padlock of the woodland gate just before Christmas. A nicer present could not have been had. Read more...

The 2017 Big Butterfly Count

The 2017 Big Butterfly Count

by Chris, 14 October, 2017, 0 comments

The first six months of 2017 were noteworthy for above average temperatures. Then July and August were characterised by unsettled weather and above average rainfall - indeed, it has been one of the wettest summers for a number of years. The effect of this weather was to reduce the number of butterflies seen during the Big Butterfly Count - which took place in late July and early August. The ‘warmer’ early months of the year meant that the development of some butterfly species was accelerated so that their peak numbers occurred earlier than when the count took place. Others were affected by the rather miserable ‘summer’ weather. The count recorded the sightings of some 20 species of butterfly and moth. Read more...

Woodlands Awards 2017: a community of winners

Woodlands Awards 2017: a community of winners

by Antony Mason, 11 October, 2017, 0 comments

“I saw the list… So many prizes... A huge community.” So wrote a delighted winner of one of this year’s Woodlands Awards, after looking at the full list of winners published recently on the Woodlands.co.uk website. This was the first year of the Woodlands.co.uk-sponsored Woodlands Awards. The awards were divided into fourteen categories, some aimed at woodland owners and enthusiasts, some at woodland professionals and enterprises. The intention was to cover as much of the full gamut of woodland activities as possible and to give recognition to all the good work that is being done – professionally or for pleasure – in the woodland sector. Read more...

rhododendron leaves

Marble run made from Rhododendron

by Angus, 16 September, 2017, 2 comments

Most woody people hate Rhododendron in woodlands, but Chris Colvill has found a really good use for it. He loves marble runs so he made this very big one using wood from rhododendrons. The stems are very twisty which is exactly what you need for a marble run like this. To get the skills to construct this work of art, Chris studied furniture making for three years at Chichester college and he's now made lots of different marble runs for all sorts of locations: "I do sell them but mainly I rent them out for events” says Chris. “People seem to love them.” Read more...

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