15/08/2024
“I am a sentient being a thinking animal on this beautiful planet , what a privilege and adventure “ said by Oliver sacks
Thursday was our second working party gathering working on Cowroast Woodland Copse. A beautiful space , always has been . What a treat to sit on an incredible seat , an earth seat.
It was put together by our friend Mike who is a listener of the earth he knows it’s language. In western framing , he is called an ecologist,;we are honoured to have him in our team. We really love how he has guided us, he knows how to listen to the woodland needs. It’s not about chopping down, clearing, making big space. It is gentle getting to know how it speaks , what it is guiding us to do. It is so easy for us as human beings to come along, trample, pull it apart until it looses its identity as a woodland. It could so easily become a commodity, a utility for human consumption and purpose, In so doing loosing a beautiful Copse that has lived here many years . With the right care this little woodland holds potential to be part of our legacy and future when we are no longer here . At the moment it is true,it has become a forgotten place , not valued , used as a dump . Yet something else seems to have spoken to each of us , our Copse breaths and expresses itself through us into the surrounding landscape.
We are grateful to human folk that have come to be of service to this special place . Thank you Mike, thank you Abi, thank you Laney and Phoebe, thank you Deline, thank you John ( our new outside volunteer) . An expression of gratitude also goes out to Steve who helped pull out metal taking it to a collection boat on the canal. So many people and beings from the more than human world have come together , Trevor, Jason, Cats, Voles, Bats, Song bird’s.
Our approach is gentle and gradual knowing that already wildlife engage and live here. Making changes to its habitat requires respect and sensitivity, so learning to feel into what is needed to be done is an opportunity to be in tune with nature . Part of our discovery & delight is recognising homes that provide shelter, nourishment, shade & protection. We found rocks were a place where voles and mice gather food of nuts. There was a caterpillar, evidence of butterfly’s , bramble with blackberries. So much to see & understand. Brambles are an excellent food source for butterflies and bees, birds and small mammals, and bramble thickets make great places for birds to nest. So while we may wish to keep brambles from pathways, they are not to be treated as weeds. We are waiting for a surprise to see what natural bulbs and seeds are waiting in the ground for the opportunity to flower, and what seeds will come into the wood on the wind.
At the start of our project we got excited at the idea of holding tree felling coppicing sessions , this would bring attention from outside groups along with funding & support . But what would we be the outcome who would we be serving ? . Yes the trees are of the same age , with saplings of Sycamore & Field Maple. Encouraging mature, dying and dead trees in the wood is good, but need to consider the
other end of the age spectrum, the new trees. As well as being the next generation to ensure a con-stant supply of middle-aged and older trees, the
dense growth of young trees makes a valuable habi-tat in its own right. To ensure biodiversity and a flourishing future Woodland this will need to be addressed. For now the trees looked mostly healthy and happy. Some have died, but are stable . Our aim is to gradually introduce a mixture of varieties and sizes of trees, shrubs, & plants native to the British Isles or are common in the countryside .
Our main task during autumn and winter is reducing growth of Sycamore saplings and excess regrowth of Field Maple. In autumn winter months Sycamore seedlings will be falling from the trees. We will therefore be taking them from the ground before they have a chance to set seeds and become saplings.
The woodland has been opened up while also maintaining a wild seemingly messy centre point . The tree canopy allows woodland plants to flourish with some open-glade to allow wild plants to grow. People have identified this as a favourite place to spend time, it holds a sense of peace . Here is a place of Ivy , buried rocks and treasures . They exist here in layers along with the homes of creatures . They have built their lives lives around these structures becoming part of the landscape , a legacy, a story, and one day history and survival of Woodland Chiltern Copse.
What are we hoping to offer us humans ?
Spending time in woodlands has been proven to lower heart rate and blood pressure, reduce stress hormone production, boost the immune system and improve overall feelings of wellbeing. A chemical released by trees and plants, called phytoncides, naturally boosts the immune system. Robust and extensive studies suggest there is an unequivocal link between spending time outdoors and increased physical and mental wellbeing.Recognising the benefits of time spent in woodlands, the Japanese government made Forest Bathing part of its public health programme 30 years ago. Today the British government and the NHS are beginning to recognise the holistic beneficial qualities of nature and is endorsing its use in a community environment. We hope therefore to offer an opportunity for folk to experience a sense of well being through a variety of learning and engaging opportunities to include Woodland Skills, Foraging , Nature identification , Nature crafts, Story telling gatherings and much more.
We hope in the future to run sessions for groups that focus on nature based activities and telling the of the woodland. We will design each session to build self-confidence, self-esteem and social interaction.
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