Community

June has been a busy month in the wood, not only for wildlife and growing trees and plants but also for humans. We had a visit from members of the Hunts. Flora and Fauna society, who came to look around the wood and record their sightings of all the diverse flora and fauna we now have in the wood. Once the results have been collated they will be sending them onto us and they will be invaluable as a benchmark to measure how the wood is doing in the future.

The summer solstice was also celebrated in the wood. The evening was quiet and rain free as several of us watched the sun go down on the longest day and joined in a short meditation which left us all feeling peaceful and very appreciative of the wood at the slightly magical time of twilight when the white daisies and clover shone out in the dusk. The birds seemed to want to join in before they finally took their rest with blackbirds booming out their strident but melodious song and collared doves in the background lulling us with their gentle call. Thanks to Janice for suggesting the idea and introducing many of us to a very different experience of the wood at twilight, a peaceful and calm space after the busyness of the day.

The experience got me thinking about the word recreation, because most of us use the wood in one way or another for exercise and leisure, or pastimes such as bird watching. It’s a word which seems appropriate to describe our desire to re create a sense of calmness and space in our lives but in a practical sense there’s re-creation going on all the time in our wood. The bird boxes are hosting the next generation of blackbirds, tits and robins, the pond is providing a safe haven for the young of the great crested newts before they are big enough to go on their way, and the dragonflies and damselflies are almost fighting each other for places to lay their eggs. It’s certainly a place where creation can be seen if you’re patient enough to sit and just listen and watch as nature takes its course. Perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to see some fledglings as they take their first tentative flight, but just walking through the clover filled grass paths provides us with plenty of opportunity to test our wild bee identification skills. The bumblebee conservation trust is asking for data nationwide and their website provides lots of information on how you can help. It only takes an hour or so every month and you can download identification apps. from their site or Friends of the Earth, (website links below). Perhaps we’ll bump into old friends and new acquaintances as we walk around recording our findings!

Keep a look out on the website for the July Jubilee Wood knowledge share which is on Nature and Well Being and happy bee hunting.

The Wood Wanderer

http://www.bumblebeeconservation.org

https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bee-count

‘Spring comes and it is May’   John Clare

How true those words are! Everything is full of life, grass and plants are growing almost visibly and the sound of bird song is everywhere. The cuckoo has arrived back in the area and has been heard several times although there is definitely a collared dove in the wood who is suspiciously good at imitating the sound of the cuckoo…..we once had a starling in the garden who imitated the sound of the telephone which was funny for a while…..

Hibernation for many animals will have finished and they will becoming active so it’s time to look out for hedgehogs, queen bees, grass snakes ,frogs and toads to mention just a few. The Huntingdonshire Fauna and Flora Society will be visiting the wood on the 16^th so there will an opportunity to share local knowledge as well as perhaps learn something new about all of the above. There will also be a ‘knowledge share’ in the wood on Sunday 9^th when the theme will be Grass Identification. These get-togethers are very informal, fun and for all the family so come along at about 2.30 pm and join in if you can. All are welcome.

Identifying flora and fauna is very satisfying in itself but it can also be extremely helpful to record what you see for general conservation work. Everyday records help us to keep in touch with how individual species and their habitats are doing and the Biological Records Centre has some useful information on free Apps which you can use if you want to help (http://www.brc.ac.uk/apps). The Jubilee Wood is such a wonderful habitat in which to record wildlife and plants and even if you find it difficult to keep records regularly, no information is wasted even if it’s a one off observation.

As we move on into summer the Wood seems to change every day, with the trees spreading out their canopies, the birds nurturing their young in the many bird boxes which have been generously placed around the wood, and sitings of Common Orchids, Common Swift moths and the beautiful Cinnabar moth with its exotic rosy pink markings on black wings. It’s a busy time and one which we can all enjoy, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Ten minutes quietly walking, watching and listening in Jubilee Wood might just be the medicine we all need, and if that might be a bit too difficult for you these days, the benefits are just as great if you sit on the welcoming bench at the entrance to the wood and take it all in. Might be worth bringing a cushion though!

The Wood Wanderer