So....... as with many people, most of the plans I had put in place for this spring have had to go onto the backburner for the next few weeks....which is a pity, but can’t be helped given the current situation. Despite these turbulent times, I have taken on two new apprentices (age 7 and three-quarters and 3-years old). They interviewed well, but are testing my people management skills, proving quite high-maintenance and expensive to run with payment in ‘snacks’. I will need to address this in their appraisals.
I have been making the most of lockdown and the extraordinary spring weather we’ve been experiencing. With the help of my young apprentices, we have combined my regular safety inspections of footpaths and the woodland with our daily exercise and enjoying the extra tranquillity in the woodland with the reduced traffic volumes on the A27. We have really been appreciating the bluebells which seem earlier and more impressive than in recent years. And also noticing, with the reduced background noise, the birdsong. We are trying to get better at identifying the individual calls with the help of an App called Warblr. So far we’ve identified robin, chaffinch, great tit, blackbird, blue tit, wren and song thrush. Here is a little recording of the woodland that I captured:
I received a really positive independent report recently from Ian Powell who is a licensed Dormice handler and a volunteer for the South Downs National Park. I was lucky enough to walk our 12-acre woodland with him prior to Covid lockdown in February (BC - life before Covid!). Ian reported on the potential of our woodland with its ground floor of ancient woodland and need to sensitively manage the existing larch stock to enable re-planting with native species such as hazel, oak, beech and potentially native fruit wood. It was so pleasing that his advice supports my objectives for the woodland and echoes so much of my philosophy. Better get those young apprentices to work…..!
