Are you the warm heart we need in these cold days?
Winter is when the Forest needs us the most. In this harsh season we put in the groundwork to ensure life springs forth in abundance when the seasons change once more. (Learn more below.)
Will you donate, dedicate a tree, and help your local wildlife and wild spaces this winter?
How it works:
- Click 'donate and dedicate' below
- We dedicate a tree in the Forest for a person of your choosing
- We'll send you a little pack to confirm your named tree – perhaps the perfect green gift?
Your tree could be a mighty oak, a stunning silver birch, or a festive sweet chestnut.
Even in the silence and cold, the magic of the Forest is at work
As the days shorten and the air chills, there is a quietness to this season that is a far cry from bustling spring.
Trees stand bare and dead matter squelches underfoot on Forest paths. Each of us hunker down and we think of forest creatures taking shelter. But don’t be fooled, winter is surprisingly busy in the Forest.
- Roots of trees, continue to draw water vital to rise sap back into new leaves come spring.
- Frosty snaps stimulate seed growth - the source of new shoots and saplings to come.
- Rotting material enriches the ground
- Hedges, dead trees, wood and leaf piles create winter homes for woodland creatures conserving energy during the harshest months.
Right now, our Forest Team are outside undertaking essential winter work, whatever the weather throws at them.
Hidden signs of life to look out for in the Forest
- Finches – alder and birch we planted a decade ago are providing essential seeds and insects, attracting more siskins and lesser redpolls in winter months.
- Harvest mice – nests nestle in hedgerows and tussocks in the long grass we’ve left unmown. If it gets really cold, these mice will go underground for survival, taking shelter in borrowed vole holes.
- Beetles and bees – cracks in bark and dead wood piles created by the Forest Team, provide a winter home for beetles and other insects. Whilst some dormant bees can be found nestling in the stems of dead plants, others will go underground for the season.
- Otters - these playful creatures thrive in the river running through the Forest, both swimming and fishing year round.
- Butterflies – different species overwinter in different ways: brown hairstreak lay white eggs on blackthorn, whilst peacock and red admiral shelter as butterflies in outbuildings.
- Hibernating animals – to endure winter, bats and hedgehogs seek safe, sheltered nooks both high and low within our Forest.
