News

At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the UK was importing over 94% of its timber with supplies coming from the Baltic and the British Empire.

Last summer the Stara Woods volunteers started to build up a brash hedge along the east river bank in Colquite Wood from our car park to the footbridge.

I’m feeling really grumpy! It must have something to do with the constant rain which is plaguing us at the moment.

This month I am giving a plug for a recently published book by Data Analyst Dr Hannah Ritchie. ‘Not the End of the World’ is a really important book. For decades we have been bombarded with TV and media articles telling us how imperilled we all are by the many environmental crises and how hopeless we are at trying to solve them.

You will recall from last month’s report that we have a plan for both maintenance and conservational improvements in Stara Wood and this month it was the turn of maintenance.

Apologies from the Stara crew this month. A combination of a festive working bee (or in other words less work more eating and talking) and very sleepy dormice, there is little news from your favourite conservation project this month.

Autumn with its storms now seem long past and as I write we are into an extended spell of clear, frosty weather. The New Year Working Bee saw similar weather which was a welcome change and with the river dropping from very high levels we had a chance to get into the woods and get busy.

Wow! What a result! We had a great turnout and a lovely afternoon – and it looks as if we’ve raised well over £450, though the final count-up is yet to be completed

Earlier in the year I wrote about the extraordinary May blossom on the hawthorn brought on by the hot spring weather. That seems a long time ago now, but all those flowers have produced a bumper autumn crop of berries, some of which are still on the hawthorn trees and shrubs.

Thank you very much for all you do in organising the Working Bees, Piers – it’s of huge benefit to the woods. And we owe you a Thermos!