Probably one of the most evident wildlife groups you have in your woodland are the birds, but I can guarantee that if you set out into your wood with your camera over your shoulder and hope to sneak up to small birds in your wood you will be very, very lucky to get a good, relaxed, frame-filling shot of your quarry.  Read more...

Recording climate and phenology. The last decade has included some of the warmest years on record.Last year, 2007, was the eighth warmest on record - being exceeded by 1998, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2001.The signs of climate change are not only apparent in these physical measurements of temperature but also through observations of bud burst, first leaves and the arrival of migrant birds (the science of phenology). Such weather change, if it continues, will no doubt impact on the distribution of plants through the UK (and indeed Northern Europe); some species will be winners and other losers. But, how can we recognize / monitor these changes ? Read more...

Just about everyone now believes that climate change is happening, that this is due to an increase in greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere, and that we are the main cause. The most important GHG is carbon dioxide and trees have a key role to play because they capture CO2 from the air during photosynthesis and store carbon as they grow.   Between 15% and 30% of a tree (by volume) is carbon, the figure depending on wood density and moisture content. After felling, carbon continues to be locked up in wood products and is eventually returned to the atmosphere through decay or combustion. Read more...

Both horse chestnut and sweet chestnut trees are common throughout the UK, though the former is presently under attack from moths, bleeding canker, drought and leaf blotch fungus. Like oak and beech, to which it is botanically related, the sweet chestnut can grow to a height of 30 metres (for basic information about the tree, see the Woodlands “Guide to Tree Identification”). Read more...

Deb Millar runs a Forest School project in Somerset.  Here she explains how taking children out of the classroom and into local woodlands can bring history lessons to life:-  Having worked in experimental archaeology I know that hands on experiences can inspire children to take an interest in the past in a way that no amount of study can.  However not everyone has access to a castle or reconstructed medieval village. I wanted to find a way for more schools and children to participate in this simple approach to learning through doing.   Read more...

The People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES). the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and Dr Paul Bright (Royal Holloway) have been studying the hedgehog population to see how it is coping with changes in farming practices, urban developments etc. The general conclusion is that the numbers of this mammal are declining – see the woodland blog. The mole, like the hedgehog, is insectivorous and there is concern about its numbers. It is thought to be one of the most common wildlife mammals in the UK, but we do not really know how many there are, nor where they are! Read more...

Tree trunks (and some of the roots) are covered with bark. Bark is the material or tissue that overlays and surrounds the wood (xylem tissue) of a tree. It consists of a number of different tissues, whose amount varies from species to species.   The outermost layer consists of dead cells – the cork. The bark protects the tree from dehydration, from physical damage or fire (sometimes), and disease due to bacteria and fungi. It may also offer a home to insects and various epiphytes (mosses and lichens). Read more...