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Fungi, mycorrhizae, truffles
The Fungi are a very diverse group of organisms, ranging from the true fungi (Mycota), which includes the mushrooms and toadstools, and the Oomycota (which includes the potato blight fungus). Unlike...
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Annuals rings, climate and history
Dendrochronology seeks to gather information on tree rings, dated to their year of formation, and to use this information to established the age of artefacts (like the timbers of a boat or remains of...
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The national vegetation classification
The Nature Conservancy Council commissioned the National Vegetation Classification in 1975. Its aim was to provide a clear and systematic catalogue / description of the many plant communities of the...
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National Tree Week 2011 – 26th November to 4th December
The Tree Council’s annual tree weeks have been an undoubted success, emanating from the 1973 “Plant a tree in ’73” campaign (some rather cynical individuals chanted “cut it down in ’74”) and must have...
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Lath Wood
My wife and I decided on the purchase of a small wood a few years ago. We were able to research financial, legal and physical practicalities on-line and www.woodlands.co.uk was the most useful site in...
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My Wood
Some of you may know me as I’m the Regional agent for East Anglia. I own my own wood and wanted to share with you my wood over the year. I’m often asked by owners on what commitment in terms of work a...
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My wood – part two
The second instalment to “my wood” has, like Spring, this year – sprung rather too soon. I’ve been away for most of the last week starting work on a new area of woodland in Norfolk that I hope to be...
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Greenridge – my wood.
Having been born and brought up in rural Devon and then subsequently spending a career of 50 years at sea, the prospect of retirement with all its encumbrance of zimmer frames and wheel chairs was not...
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French Forestry
French forestry – six times as big as British Forestry If you drive through France on the toll motorways (“peages”) you will have seen woodlands through the car window and may have wondered how the...
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A ‘SWOG’ visit to Ferriby Wood
On a beautifully hot and sunny May day, Mike welcomed a group of existing and potential woodland owners to Ferriby Wood, in the Yorkshire Wolds. The purpose of the gathering was to share experiences...
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Very large trees …….
‘Who or what are Hyperion, Helios and Icarus ?’ one might ask. Well, casting aside references to classical mythology, Hyperion, Helios and Icarus are trees. In fact, they are very large trees....
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Spanish forestry and woodland management in Spain
Spain has a lot of forestry as it is a surprisingly large country, being about twice the size of Britain and only about 10% smaller than France. The tree cover is about 30% so about twice as dense as...
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Plant galls
What is a plant gall? As with most things, opinions vary but one of the definitive books on the subject by M. Redfern and R.R. Askew “Plant Galls” *offers the following description: “a gall is an...
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The Harcourt Arboretum
When in Oxford, it is always a pleasure to visit the Oxford Botanic garden but until now I have never made it out to its ‘satellite’ – the Harcourt Arboretum. The arboretum is only some six miles...
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Making walking sticks – from stems picked out of the woodlands
Peter Jones and his sons make walking sticks on a serious scale using sticks they come across in the woods, where they do their forestry work. They use chestnut, silver birch, oak and hazel. But they...
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Growing fine Oak timber in 100 years in your woodland
Bede Howell is a massively respected forest manager (and French speaker) who has always taken the long view of British woodlands. In this new book, Bede both learns from the experience of others and...
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Italian forestry
Italy has a long tradition of forestry management going back before Roman times, and ancient traditions very much influence Italy’s woodlands today. For example, 40% of Italian wood production is...
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Bud burst and street lights.
Street lighting may make our roads and homes safer places, but it also contributes to light pollution. The bright lights of towns and cities make it difficult for us to see the stars and...
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Leaves in winter – marcescence
At some point during the months of Autumn, the leaves have done their job (that of making sugars to be used in growth, the formation of new twigs and branches, forming fruits and seeds). However,...
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The art of identification.
There is a long history of producing guides to help identify and explain the flora and fauna of woodlands. From the fine woodcuts in Leohart Fuch’s New Herbal book of 1543 to the Woodland Trust’s tree...
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