Woodlouses or woodlice have never previously seemed to me the kind of thing you would want to eat. But I came face to face with a cooked woodlouse recently when we made a woodlandsTV film about finding, cooking and eating woodlice. It turns out that they are very nutricious and as long as they are cooked they are perfectly safe. A big advantage of woodlice over slugs or snails is that they can be eaten almost immediately after collection, whereas with slugs and snails you need to put them in a plastic bag for about 24 hours so that their gut empties. For woodlice you just put them straight into the boiling water and they are soon ready to eat. Read more...

Woodlands are thriving as never before, teeming with new ideas and energy. Thousands of people are out there joining in with woodland life, be it gathering wild food or fuel for their stoves, enjoying walks in natural spaces, looking for birds and wildlife, making woodblock art, creating sustainable and beautiful crafted wooden objects, joining in community woodland work, using woodlands in education and for active play, rising to challenges in wild camping or bushcraft skills, or simply finding a peaceful hour to relax surrounded by trees. Woodlands are natural carbon sinks and are vital in our climate-change defences: timber buildings constructed from local wood are energy-efficient and capture carbon; the energy provided by logs and pellets is fully renewable; woods are important in protecting biodiversity. Activists and foresters are protecting native species and managing woods with coppicing and other methods. When we choose durable wooden furniture created from sustainable sources, we're rejecting the disposable, throwaway culture. Our woods are a fantastic resource, as well as places of peace and natural sanctuary. Read more...

One cold and misty December morning, shortly before Christmas, we set off for a weekend of woodcarving and sculpture.  Read more...