Events, Wood

Scavenging Day January

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Our first scavenging day of the season was very well attended with 14 people coming to collect wood.

The format remained the same with people bringing their own wheelbarrows and borrowing saws to collect the wood from the previously felled trees – which was mostly ash.

martin cutting wood
Martin cutting wood.

Collection was slightly easier this time as the access tracks were all well maintained paths, and not so far from the car park and there was plenty of wood.

Several people had more than one barrowful;  in fact the energetic people had 3 barrowloads!  It was a very successful day, which those taking part thoroughly enjoyed.

It is a good way to enjoy the fresh air and get some exercise while finding some reasonably priced wood.  The days are always popular with a regular clientele.

Photographs by Chris Neal

Events, Fauna

Winter Bird Walk

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The Friends held their first winter bird walk in the snow on the Saturday between Christmas and New Year, led by Vaughan Roberts.  As always a walk in the snow in the woods is quite magical.

We started in the car park looking at one of the bird tables with the feeders which are filled regularly by a team of volunteers from the Friends. A brightly coloured Jay was enjoying the nuts, as were Marsh Tits and Great Tits, and a Blackbird kept nipping in for some seed. While in the car park a Treecreeper disappeared behind a tree before flying off. We saw our Christmas Robin all fluffed up in a bush just before setting off.

While walking around some of the less used rides we came across a charm of Goldfinches in the top of a tree and whilst watching those, a herd of deer galloped past, including one of the white ones. We passed a second bird table on our way back which had a Nuthatch feeding from it and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker in a nearby tree. Of course we also saw regulars such as Woodpigeon, Crows, Magpies and Blue Tits.

Photographs by Jennifer Roberts

Events, Flora

Living Willow Sculpture 2014 Maintenance

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Part tree, part artwork, our living willow sculpture received a welcome maintenance session this week. Originally called ‘Shelter Skelter’, the sculpture was created by landscape artist Clare Wilks and has provided interest to visitors for more than twenty years.

Most of the long rods formed over the last 12 months were removed and replanted to create new sculptural borders or ‘fedging’ – the term used to describe living willow borders (literally a cross between ‘hedge’ and ‘fencing’). The once-lost central section was replanted too with the aim of recreating the original inner circle.

Flexible willow rods easily take root and can produce fresh leaf growth as early as late spring. Take a look yourself; aim east and north from the car park and you’ll find the sculpture situated on the side of the main path just past Diana’s Glade.

Words and photographs by Kate Starlling

Events, Flora

Fungus Foray With Dr Vin Fleming

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Armed with bags, baskets and buckets of enthusiasm, a large group of foragers set out on Sunday keen to delve into the dark and often mysterious world of fungi. A lovely sunny afternoon greeted us and under the expert guidance of Dr Vin Fleming, we set off through the autumn undergrowth.

Dr Fleming began by setting younger foragers the challenge of finding the biggest and brightest fungi, but I think it fair to say that a general sense of competition ran through the entire group as parents, grand-parents, aunts and uncles set their sights on searching out the most spectacular of the fungus world.

And we weren’t disappointed. From creamy Giant Funnel Caps to the tiny but brilliantly green Parrot Waxcap and the delicate almost translucent parasol of the Pleated Ink Cap, around 40 species were found by more than 50 foragers in less than an hour – a spectacular result and a surprise for many to learn just what tiny treasures grow beneath our feet.

Dr Fleming regaled us with tales of shamanic rituals involving the striking but psychoactive red and white Amanita Muscaria – more commonly known as Fly Agaric. He demonstrated how the humble Puffball cleverly disperses its spores in the wind, and on our behalf he tasted the milk from an innocuous looking Lactarius Milk Cap only to report the flavour not dissimilar to battery acid.

On the subject of taste, the most common question posed to our expert was perhaps unsurprisingly: “Is it edible?” Dr Fleming was at pains to point out that eating fungi other than those bought at a supermarket is something best left to the highly trained, despite the temptations of a seemingly endless supply of free food.

But if we couldn’t eat them, we could definitely smell them and much joy was had discovering their perfume; from the pleasant essence of aniseed and cinnamon, to the less agreeable whiff of old laundry and raw potatoes. And for those able to identify the smell, it was reported that the odours of disused lift shafts, Russian leather and even bed bugs are not unusual bouquets to find among the fungi family!

This was a highly enjoyable, entertaining and educational event. As one young forager said: “I really loved it, next time I come to the Woods, I’ll be looking down at the ground as well as all around me!”

Words by Kate Starlling
Photographs by Esme Redshaw

Volunteers

Bourne Woods Needs You!

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Bourne Woods Group set sights on achieving 500 volunteers by February 2015!

Did you know your local Woods are over 1,000 years old and once stretched as far as Northamptonshire? In 1086 the Woods were owned by Oger the Breton, a French knight with pots of money and bags of influence (despite sounding like a character from a children’s movie).

These days, the Woods are owned by the Forestry Commission and promoted by The Friends of Bourne Wood – a local community group with pots of enthusiasm and bags of energy, but in need of volunteers!

That’s why the Friends Group has identified a target of achieving 500 volunteers on their books by February 2015 and is actively seeking support from the local community. Group Secretary Sarah Roberts explains: “We were really disappointed to have to cancel our popular Santa in the Woods event this year, but we just can’t put these events on if we don’t have enough people to help on the day.

“What we’re looking for are people who are prepared to offer a few hours of their time just to help out at events. This could be anything from physical help putting up a marquee and lifting tables, to running stalls and guiding visitors. Our plan is to operate a rota system so volunteers will only need to help for a few hours on the day.”

The next major event in the Group’s calendar is an Easter activities day on 6th April with a trail through the Woods and other attractions currently in planning. If you can help and commit a few hours of your time for this and other events, you’ll be securing the future of the Woods and ensuring local residents continue to enjoy one of our most precious resources.

If you would like to put your name down and volunteer, please complete the form on our contact us page. And if you’re still not sure, take a look at the Q&A put together by the Friends of Bourne Wood.

A final word from Sarah Roberts: “We have lots of ideas for events next year but are always delighted to receive suggestions, donations and offers of support in addition to volunteers. If you run or work for a local business and can contribute to our community events in other ways, please get in touch. We look forward to welcoming you as a Friend of Bourne Woods!”

Friends 500 Q&A

Are you building an army? Why do you need so many people?

Our main focus is to create a ‘pool’ of people who we can call on to help us run our major events. Believe it or not, some events need up to 50 volunteers to run smoothly and sometimes we have to cancel popular activities (like this year’s Santa in the Woods) because we just don’t have enough people to call on. There are currently around 100 Friends in the Group, but experience tells us we need to register many more to stand a chance of staffing major events. This is because our events tend to coincide with holiday periods, so the more people we have to call on, the greater chance we have of staging popular events.

How much time do I need to dedicate as an event volunteer?

Our major events can run for a whole day or half a day, but we aim to split the time into slots for volunteers, so we won’t need to ask you to do more than two or three hours. Events are nearly always at weekends or bank holidays.

What kind of work will I be doing?

It depends on the event, but we need strong people to help erect the marquee and carry things, people to run craft and food stalls for example, people to direct visitors, and people to help set up and clear away anything related to the event.

What happens if it rains?

We’ll carry on and hope the sun comes out! It’s a good idea to bring waterproofs and wellies just in case.

Will I get paid?

No, I’m afraid not. The Friends of Bourne Wood is an entirely voluntary group with no funding for wages. However, we can guarantee you’ll leave feeling as though you’ve contributed to something valuable, and you’ll have enjoyed yourself and met new people too.

Why do you need to run events in the first place?

We believe our events help encourage people to come into the Woods who might otherwise not use them. It’s our way of promoting the Woods as widely as possible and raising much-needed funds. We are a non-profit group, so any money we make from events goes straight back into projects and other events in the Woods.

What’s so special about the Woods?

Bourne Woods is an ancient site full of important flora and fauna. In the UK, about 10% of our landscape is made up of wooded areas; this is much less than the European average of 44% so it’s important to protect what we have left. The Woods are home to a huge range of insects, animals, trees, plants and wild flowers and now houses a community orchard of over 70 mixed fruit trees. Woodland benefits everyone in terms of health, education, recreation and conservation and we are lucky in Bourne to have such an accessible and beautiful wooded area on our doorstep.

How old do I have to be to volunteer?

The minimum age is 18, but we’re happy to discuss school or college volunteer projects on an individual basis

Events, Fauna

Bugs, Beetles and Butterflies Talk By Dr Keith Porter

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Those attending the talk organised by the Friends of Bourne Wood, on some of the butterflies, bugs and beetles found in woodland, enjoyed a very informative evening.

Dr Keith Porter very cleverly took us on a tour of the different areas of the woodland and described which species may be found there. Starting with the grassy paths and their Speckled Wood butterflies which are known to most of us and, finishing with the life in the tall trees and the Purple Hairstreak butterfly which are difficult to see, as they spend their time around the tops of oak trees!

purple hairstreak upperwing female
Hairstreak (Favonius Quercus) female upper wing.

He described the lifestyle of some of the butterflies and bugs, including the ways they lay their eggs and how they hibernate through the winter, often as tiny caterpillars. In finishing he left us with the challenge of finding species that are known to be in the area, but have not yet been recorded in the wood, suggesting that they could well be found there.

Our thanks go to Keith for his very interesting talk, and for stepping in at short notice.

Photo courtesy of the Butterfly Conservation.

Wood

Why Are Trees Felled In Bourne Wood?

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Bourne Wood is managed as a commercial forest by the Forestry Commission (FC), although conservation of wildlife and recreation are given more precedence in recognition of higher public usage compared to the large, more remote conifer forests in the uplands with fewer visitors. FC was established in 1919 to address Britain’s declining woodland and timber resources, a trend that had commenced in the Middle Ages and had reached an all-time low by the beginning of the 20th Century. This decline was compounded by the outbreak of World War 1 when the country was no longer able to rely on timber imports.

The main purpose of forestry is to grow and harvest or fell trees for timber for a wide range of outlets and uses including for the domestic construction industry, paper production, the manufacture of panels or board, fencing and pallets and to a lesser extent, fuel. Almost four million tonnes of wood are harvested every year from England and Scotland’s public forests. Forestry supports local rural economies by creating employment and supporting forestry contractors who both make use of local facilities and services.

Bourne Wood produces both hardwood timber from broad-leaved species such as oak and wild cherry and softwood from conifers such as Corsican and Scots Pine and European Larch.  The vast majority of timber extraction from UK forests is from softwoods, many of which are from plantations established in the 20th Century. Some softwoods have been planted into ancient woodland sites such as at Bourne.  All Forestry Commission woods are managed sustainably such that new trees are planted, or allowed to regenerate naturally, to replace those that have been felled and removed.

Many softwoods are harvested after 60 years whereas for a hardwood such as oak, the rotation may be as long as 150 years.  In addition to the felling and extraction of the final timber/tree  ‘crop’ at harvestable age, a selection of trees are removed at intervals after their initial establishment to reduce the density of trees in a plantation, improve the quality and growth of the remaining trees and produce a saleable final product. This is known as thinning. Normally the first thinning is undertaken when trees have reached between 10 and14 metres in height but the exact timing is dependent on the tree species, the nature of the local environment and financial and marketing considerations.

Acknowledgement contributions from John Wilcockson.

Events

No Santa In Bourne Wood

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The Friends of Bourne Wood would like to confirm that they are unable to hold the Santa in Bourne wood event this year. It is with deep regret that this decision has been made, but due to the lack of volunteers in previous years and the number of volunteers required to make the event run smoothly, this difficult decision has been made.

If in subsequent years sufficient volunteers are found then this will be reconsidered.

Apologies for any disappointment, and if you would like to offer to help in future years then please contact the Friends’.

 

Events, Wood

Den Building Competition Take Two

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The Friends of Bourne Wood had a warm, sunny day for their second den building competition of the year on Sunday.

The families used leftover materials from the thinning to create dens deep within the wood, which were then covered with bracken. John Wilcockson, the leader of the event explained how to make the dens, suggested extras that could be added and that there would be a rainstorm to test the waterproofness of the dens at the end!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Taking shelter! Bourne Wood Den Building Competition.

Four families, plus John’s family entered the competition in the morning, with the winners being the Whitney family from South Witham. The afternoon session had three groups with the winners being an all ladies team of Adams and Carlton, who won with lots of added extras such as a washing line and toilet!

Everyone had great fun, although they all got wet when water was thrown over the dens!

Photographer John Wilcockson©

Events, Wood

Den Building Competition In Bourne Wood

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We had a warm day with sunny intervals for our den building competition on Sunday.

Five families used leftover materials from the wood thinning to create dens deep within the wood. Most were made lean-to style, with the exception of one wigwam style. The dens were then covered with Bracken to help make them waterproof.

wigwam den built in bourne wood
The wigwam den made by the Copestake family for five people.

The wigwam style den was big enough for two families, with a dog kennel at the end for the family’s springer spaniel, accommodating five people very comfortably, a very impressive but ambitious design in the time allotted. Other dens had outside seating, carpeted floors, and open fires.

Once made, the dens were tested to see if they were waterproof with the families sitting inside, and the others listening for the screams as they got wet – which everyone did!

lean-to design den in bourne wood
The winning lean-to design made by the Knudson family.

As always, it was difficult to choose a winner as all dens were really good, but the winner was made by the Knudson family, a lean-to design with carpet, a rocking chair, and a camp fire!

There will be another chance to try your hand at den building at the end of August, so look out for the posters for this.

Photographer Sarah Roberts©