Are you the owner of an ancient woodland in the High Weald of Sussex and Kent? If so read on... The High Weald AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), the Woodland Trust and the Forestry Commission are jointly funding a Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) Project focusing on returning ancient woodland plantations to native, broadleaved tree cover. The AONB contains some 7% of England’s Read more...

Moths, along with butterflies, belong to the taxonomic classification Lepidoptera. The name Lepidoptera derives from the Greek lepis (scale) and pteron (wing). For information on how to distinguish between a butterfly and a moth, click here. Almost 2,500 species of moth are thought to reside in the British Isles and these have in turn been grouped as macro-moths and micro-moths. As with most artificial Read more...

Perhaps you or someone in the family would like some help in identifying trees. If so try: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-5g2kv3 (an excellent guide) http://www.nifg.org.uk/wintertrees.htm (identifying trees in winter) for starters or .... Read more...

Red, roe and fallow deer are to be found in the UK. Red Deer are generally found in Scotland, though small herds or populations are found in other places. Roe deer are quite common; the Forestry Commission estimates that there are some 500,000 in Britain – though at one stage, there were only populations in Scotland. The third type of deer to be found is the fallow deer; it Read more...

The horse chestnut or conker tree (Aesculus hippocastanum) was probably introduced into this country in the late 16th century. It has been extensively used in artificial plantings along roadsides - in creating avenues. In Spring, the statuesque trees are covered with white flowers, sometimes referred to as candles (see picture). Pink and red flowered forms are hybrid types. The horse chestnut is recognisable by its distinctive shape; they have arching branches, which turn up at their ends. They also have distinctive palmate (hand shaped) leaves with prominent veins - see https://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/tree-identification/horse-chestnut/. Another feature that is characteristic to the tree is its seed – the conker, which is formed in the autumn within the prickly fruit. At one time, these were used as an animal feed. The wood of the tree is of little economic value. Horse chestnuts were often planted in by local authorities, in part because of their impressive appearance but also because of their low incidence of fungal disease and pests. However, they are subject to attack by one particular fungus and also a moth. The fungus that attacks the tree is called Guignardia aesculi or the leaf blotch fungus. Reddish brown patches appear on the leaves (from July onwards), particularly at the tips and edges of the leaflets. A closer look will reveal small black pimples, which are the fruiting bodies of the fungus. Infection may result in some of the leaves falling early, but it does not usually result in significant damage to the tree. However, infection of the horse chestnut with the larvae / caterpillars of a small moth (Cameraria ohridella) has a much greater impact. These caterpillars feed on the tissue between the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf, producing ‘mines’. These are tunnels through the leaf where the tissue has been eaten. If the leaf is held up to the light, such tunnels (if fresh) may appear translucent. The loss of the green photosynthetic tissue eventually results in the death of the leaf and early leaf fall. The caterpillars pass through several stages (instars) when the skin is shed and growth occurs. After about 4 weeks (in the summer), they pupate and emerge some 2 weeks later (again, in the summer months) as the adult moth. And the cycle of egg laying and hatching to caterpillar etc. begins again. Many types of tree are infected by leaf miners, but these do not (usually) have dramatic effects. However, the horse chestnut can suffer very severe infestations with these moth caterpillars so that all the leaves fall prematurely; the tree is basically defoliated.  Conkers may be reduced in size. The moth seems to flourish in very dry conditions. Outbreaks have occurred in the UK in recent years. The first was noted in Wimbledon in 2002, but it has since been seen in many places from North Norfolk to Newport in Wales. The moth is an invasive species, and is thought to have originated in the Balkans ('home' of the horse chestnut).   The spread of this pest is being monitored; if you can help or have any information then the following links may be useful: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/hcml_help_monitor_04.pdf http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/INFD-68JJRC/ For further information, see: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/pdf.nsf/pdf/horsechestnut.pdf http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2002/leafminer.htm For an image of the moth, see : http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/INFD-68JJRC/ http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2002/leafminer.htm

Woodfairs and county shows are a great place to pick up information on woodlands and to meet people who are interested in woods. We attend about three of these each year as www.woodlands.co.uk but there are many more which we would like to go to if we had the time and energy! These can be good places to find unusual tools, to meet the forestry commission Read more...

The number of hedgehogs has declined in recent years. This is evidenced by surveys like that of the Mammals Trust UK, which has undertaken road surveys since 2001. Figures suggest that the hedgehog population has fallen significantly in the last few years, in some areas of the East and South East the fall in numbers has been particularly dramatic (see Read more...