Late summer brought with it the hay cut and rake (more in Jack’s blog). This was a familiar task from my roving days but I finally got my hands on the BCS mowers! There is something very mesmerising, gliding waist deep through the meadows, watching the vegetation tremor then part as the sickle bar vibrates back and forth.

As summer came to an end and we moved into October, our attention turned to our woodland nature reserves. I am particularly excited to learn more about this area, having always had a soft spot for these magnificent habitats. During the summer I attended a fantastic two-day course on woodlands held by the Field Studies Council, learning about the different British woodland habitats and the features to look out for when identifying healthy woodlands. I found the vast range of things to consider when completing a summer woodland condition assessment fascinating; from the small scale (keying out willow leaves through a hand lens) to the large (staring up into the vast canopy, counting the number of storeys to establish the woodlands vertical structure). More recently, I built on this knowledge by spending a fun day with Dom (our western reserves officer) learning how to undertake a woodland impact survey. It is such a privilege to wander freely through our woodland reserves, taking the time to learn how to read the signs that nature has laid out for us, which help to inform the management they require to thrive.

One of the most captivating woodlands that I have explored with the Trust is Piper’s Hill & Dodderhill Common, learning more about the history and management of this once ancient wood pasture on a fabulous walk with the Ancient Tree Forum hosted by Tom (our central reserves officer). As a place that I have visited many times before on my local walks, I had never fully appreciated the incredible history and rich wildlife hidden within it, with over 240 veteran trees! These magnificent trees appear so strong and stoic, it is easy to believe that they could survive anything. In fact, after grazing disappeared from the common, these veterans, once bathed in sunlight, have slowly been engulfed by younger more energetic trees, threatening to starve them of the nutrients and light they need to survive. The Trust aims to gradually restore the wood pasture, mimicking grazing through mechanical means and selectively opening the canopy. This work has to be undertaken with great sensitivity over a long period of time as veteran trees and their inhabitants are very vulnerable to rapid change. It was fantastic to spend time with some real specialists in the field of veteran trees, analysing different aspects of the woodland and assessing the best strategies for management.

With the majority of woodland management happening throughout the winter months, preventing harm to nesting birds and other sensitive wildlife, I can’t wait to get stuck in and learn more. Alongside the practical management tasks, the trainee team can look forward to a jam-packed training schedule, including; a tree survey and inspection course, a two-day coppice workshop and, most excitingly, our chainsaw training and assessments. Having just had my first taster day learning the basics in chainsaw maintenance and safety and using a chainsaw for the first time, I am super excited (and slightly nervous) to get more practice in. Fingers crossed, next time I write I might even have my felling licence.

Happy autumn everyone!

In 2019, architect Jess joined us as a volunteer to spend more time in the natural world. Now a trainee, she is hoping to pivot to a career in conservation.