Bluebells and 2nd Year Coppice

For many years we have surveyed the cant coppiced in the current season and that cut the previous season. This allows us to monitor the flora when it is relatively easy to enter the cant, and also gives an indication of the success of coppicing in promoting biodiversity. If you would like to get involved in this year’s survey you will be very welcome. We will meet in the Small Dole Village Hall Car Park at 10:00. No specialist knowledge or equipment is required, but naturally experienced botanists would be very useful. The wood may be muddy so wear old clothes and suitable footwear.

Common Spotted Orchid

If you have any specific questions about the survey contact the Editor through Contact Us or make general comments below.

I have just come back from spending a morning working in the wood, it started cold and misty but the sun burnt its way through. As I was sitting enjoying a welcome flask of tea the sun was shining, a robin was flying through the cover and singing. The recent cooler nights combined with the shorter daylight have started to turn the colour of the leaves, and as I sat there a lot of the ash leaves were falling to the
ground; very similar to flakes of snow. A lot of people reckon spring is the best season, but I reckon that autumn is equal in its beauty. With all the depressing news you read or hear about every day, it is so refreshing to get outside and enjoy the British countryside in autumn. Maybe with less money about, people might realise that the simpler things in life, like the sounds, sight and smells of an English wood in autumn cost very little and are there whatever else is happening in the world.

Autumn is not just about the leaves but also fungi can put on a good show if the weather is favourable for them. There is a chance to see birds feeding on the autumn harvest and any winter visitors. Also autumn sees one of natures best displays – the deer rut. Should you be out and about in woodland in the next few weeks and hear roaring this is likely to be a fallow buck marking his territory, seeing-off newcomers and trying to impress the fallow does. Even though Ii have heard and seen Red, Sika and fallow deer rutting it is something which still excites me and reminds me that autumn is here and winter not far away.

As I write this, the Woodlanders have now finished their show programme and even with the dull and wet summer it has been a successful season and enjoyable, even when the cold and rain made it feel more like winter. Many thanks to all the volunteers who turned out to help during the last few months in whatever capacity, if it wasn’t for all these endeavours we wouldn’t have the funds to carry on all our work.

The funds we have raised enable us to put on two events – a craft afternoon and the Wassail (earlier than normal this year due to commitments for the Patcham Silver Band.) The craft afternoon on November 9th is both a chance for you to see and maybe have a go at making a variety of Christmas decorations. Maybe with the credit crunch, people will be looking for some more rustic and homemade items this Christmas, and what better way to spend an afternoon then learning a new skill. Also you may feel inspired to make something for the Woodlanders to sell and this is a good way of supporting the group.

I will finish as I started talking about the winter work programme this is due to start on 26th October (see details on our calendar), this is really what the group is about and is the most important function we carry out. I hope to see most of you in the next few months in the wood (on Sundays) or at the Wassail or at our craft afternoon.

Regards,
Chris Burchell Coliins
Chairman

No, contrary to popular belief the Woodlanders have not gone into hibernation, even though this does sometimes seem an attractive idea when the summer rain and wind are doing their utmost to ruin the day. It is just that we have been very busy since the last flyer getting ready for and attending shows.

The reports from all the shows have been posted on this website; but I’d like to say that despite the economic gloom which appears everywhere at present, the Woodlanders on the whole seem to be bucking the trend. It seems that more people are requesting advice about either running groups or woodland management issues, and it is good that we can help other people.

Believe it or not, our thoughts are suddenly turning to the end of summer and the early autumn events and even woodland management tasks for the autumn and winter. As I write this on the hottest day of the year, it seems incredible but autumn will soon rush up on us. I believe when, like us, you are in contact with nature through the wood that you are much more aware of the seasons, even though they seem a little bit out of kilter in the past few years. It is the small changes here and there in the countryside that you notice, like how the sloes or hazelnuts are starting to form or the change in the variety of bird song. But I guess that this is what makes the British countryside such an enjoyable and interesting place to be and so worth protecting.

You will see that we have an article from a dear friend of the Woodlanders, Jane Schrouder, a past vice chair of the Woodlanders and wife of the late Ken (a previous chairman) who was instrumental in getting the group where it is
today I was fortunate to have met and worked with Jane. Her enthusiasm, energy and drive seemed limitless and you will see they still are.  Jane was one of the first people I met from the Woodlanders and look where it ended up, next time I am in the woods in the pouring rain I will think about that.

I hope the newsletter either inspires you to come along and see the Woodlanders at some of the forthcoming shows or get involved at a show.

Hope to see you all soon,

By Chris Burchell Collins – Chairman

A question we are sometimes asked when we mention that we produce charcoal. Most people think that the only use is to put on the BBQ but those of you in the know are aware that there are many uses including filters and gunpowder production. Recently however I was able to see charcoal used for something very interesting and exciting, and maybe something which in a few years will not be such a rare sight.

For those of you who know me or have read previous issues of the flyer or newsletter you will know that I am currently studying blacksmithing (so I have something to do in my spare time). It was through this and my brother-in-law I become aware of BABA (British Artist Blacksmiths Association) and decided to join, not long after I started studying. Every year, they hold the AGM at various places and this year it was the turn of the Weald and Downland Museum at Singleton to host the three-day event between 1st and 3rd August. It is a chance for the smiths to all get together to chat, have an AGM and more importantly get down to some serious forging. This year the teams of smiths were producing Wayside Markers for the Woodiand area – they depicted the many varieties of trees, types of wildliife in the woods and associated crafts.

Also as part of the event they had various demonstrations; one was from Bogdan Popov who is from the Kyiv Folk Museum In the Ukraine and one from Hector Cole, an internationally renowned blacksmith. Hector was there to show us how they used to make arrowheads and talk about all the various sorts and their uses, including ones which where reckoned to pierce chain mail if not armour. Following the talk, Hector set about showing us his set up and how they used to work the metal to make an arrowhead. His portable forge was a replica of one that an armourer would have had when travelling with the army and yes it was made of wood. Elm in fact, as this was not reckoned to burn easily. The hearth Itself was lined with a mix of clay, sand and charcoal dust. The air was provided by a set of big bellows which were to help the fuel heat up; and this was charcoal. Once the charcoal was to temperature, Hector set about heating the metal and working it, and within 20 minutes he had produced this arrowhead; normal production time would be around six minutes.

Following on from this was the demonstration from Bogdan and this was to show wherever you are with a bit of clever work you can create something in which you can heat up metal to work it. He began by first mixing soil, grass and water to make a mix, which was to form the walls of his ‘forge’. He scraped out a hollow in the earth and then he built the two walls through which the special bellows he had were put. The bellows were two, joined together using a leather sleeve and the idea was as you push down on one the other rises and then the reverse; this produced more air at a constant flow and could be operated with one hand while attending to the metal. Once he had set up this forge, the fire was started, and, just like Hector’s, the fuel was charcoal, which with the special bellows soon got up to a good heat to allow Bogdan to start working the metal. Using some hammers he brought across from the Ukraine he managed to produce a knife. The charcoal used was made from chestnut coppiced from the surrounding woods and produced using an oil drum, a very similar method to the one we have used when doing a small burn for demonstration purposes.

It was very interesting to see such technology in operation and you could really appreciate the skill of the both Bogdan and Hector but also early metal workers. However, it was interesting and exciting to listen to what Bogdan had to say about the use of charcoal, because not only is this a more environmentally friendly alternative to coke (the common fuel used by smiths today) but it is also a sustainable product. Given the quantities we smiths use, in a few years time this might provide a good market for charcoal burners and also a new lease of life for some of the derelict woods.

I f you are visiting the Weald and Downland Museum, look out for the Wayside Markers, as having seen some of the pieces being produced I reckon they will be a brillant addition to the wood. Should you wish to see what modern day Blacksmiths get up to (the rumours about beer drinking or any other alcoholic substance are untrue) then look up
www.baba.org.uk.

By Chris Burchell-Collins

By Chris Burchell-Collins

The Roe Deer, which we see roaming in our wood, are members of a truly ancient species that has changed little over the last million years.  The earliest fossil remains date back ten million years and were found in the Ukraine.   In Britain the oldest bones have been dated at 400,000 B.C., having migrated over the land bridge from Europe.  They never made the journey to Ireland and attempts to introduce them to that country have been consistently unsuccessful.  During the Roman and Saxon periods they were numerous in England, but their numbers reduced during mediaeval times.  They were protected by the Normans, who hunted them with zeal, but by 1338 they were declared “beasts of the warren”, and viewed as unworthy of noble hunting.  This made the Roe fair game for the peasantry, and by the sixteenth century numbers were in decline.  It was the increased interest in hunting and forestry in the nineteenth century, which saw a revival in stocks.  Now Roe Deer are to be found in every county of mainland Britain.  Main concentrations are in the South and West with pockets in East Anglia, and a thriving population in Scotland.  Infiltration into Wales is slow.

The European Roe Deer (there are also Siberian and Chinese sub-species) are easily recognised.  The male (buck) is about 64cm. (25in.) at the shoulder and weighs 26Kg. (57lb.).  The female (doe) is slightly smaller. In winter the pelage (coat) is grey brown, and it is at this time of year that the White/buff rump hairs (caudal patch) are most obvious. This patch is erectile when the animal is alarmed.  The caudal patch also differs between the sexes, making winter identification, when the bucks have shed their antlers, easier.  The does have a tuft of hair at the base of the caudal patch, referred to as an anal tush, which gives the patch the appearance of an ace of spades.  The male has no anal tush and the resulting shape is that of a kidney.  Both sexes have white chins and a white spots either side of the nose.

Only the bucks grow antlers (although some very old females have been known to grow rudimentary antlers due to an increase in testosterone).  Antler is bone growing on the outside of the body and is shed on an annual basis.  It is unlike horn, which is hollow and grows continuously throughout the animals’ life.  Roe antlers are six pointed and are fully developed in March/April, when longer daylight causes an increased release of testosterone.   At this stage the blood supply to the antler is cut off, and the furry membrane (velvet) covering is shed by the buck fraying its antlers against saplings.  Later in April the bucks cause considerable damage by fraying trees to mark their territory.

Roe are not generally gregarious, and are usually seen singly or in loose family groups.  Females give birth in late May or early June.  The young are normally referred to as kids (sometimes fawns), and are born with dark brown coats that are heavily marked with two rows of white spots.  These spots usually fade within 8-10 weeks.  Rutting takes place during July and early August. The reproductive cycle of Roe Deer is rather unusual.  Female Roe are monoestrous, which means they have a single annual sexual cycle.  After rutting the embryo/s (there are usually 1-3) start to develop rapidly, but after passing into the uterus they do not attach to the uterus wall, instead they start a five month period of suspended development. This is known as embryonic diapause or delayed implantation.  After the five months the embryo embeds in the uterus and grows “normally” for a further five months until birth.  This means that the doe can be pregnant for ten months of the year, although true gestation is only five months long.

The ideal habitat for Roe is coppiced woodland, although they are adaptable and live in a variety of environments.  However, shelter and a range of food plants are essential.  They are selective browsers, but also graze and eat a variety of twigs, grasses, nuts, fruit and fungi.  They are crepuscular, which means they are often most active at dawn and dusk.  Being ruminants they tend to have bouts of browsing followed by periods of inactivity when they chew regurgitated cud.  During the spring and summer they feed heavily to gain reserves for the winter, when they become less active, with a reduced metabolic rate and a state of semi-hibernation.

Mortality during the first year of life is high.  Some authorities place it as high as 50%, with many casualties succumbing to a parasitic lung worm which results in pneumonia and death.  Predation by foxes and dogs is also a significant risk for kids.  If they survive their first year the average lifespan of a Roe Deer is three years, but they can live considerably longer.  The defining factor is the durability of their teeth, which in turn is dictated largely by their diet and the abrasiveness of the local soil.  Many die of malnutrition when their teeth are worn down to the gums.  The main cause of premature death in adults is the activity of man.  Many are killed on the roads and hunting is another significant factor.  Indeed culling is essential in many areas to maintain a healthy and sustainable population.

So the next time you see one of these delicate and nimble animals in the wood, spare a thought for their manner of existence and the way they fit into the wider ecosystem of the wood.

Bibliography

Readers Digest, (1984), “The Ever Changing Woodlands”

http://www.bds.org.uk/downloads/roe.PDF

http://www.deer-uk.com/roe_deer.htm

http://www.roedeer.com/roereproduction.htm

www.mammal.org.uk/roedeer.htm

www.macphersonfieldsports.co.uk/