As the years pass, gradual changes in the landscape may go unnoticed but, sometimes, as we walk through the woods, we may dig deep into the recesses of our memories to recall what it was like before the Fingle Woods restoration began. Perhaps we try...
A small herd of cows is going to be tagged with GPS in a new scheme by the Woodland Trust to track their “moovements” and how they can boost diversity. Six Dexter cows started roaming Avon Valley Woods at the weekend. At least one of these...
The latest State of the UK Climate report reveals that 2019 was a year that broke multiple records for temperatures in the UK. The report also includes a phenology section in which Nature’s Calendar records show the impact of the weather and climate on wildlife. Read...
Hainault Forest in Essex is one of our flagship woods in central England, and was once part of a large royal forest known as the Great Forest of Essex. In 1851 the Crown Lands Act was passed for the disafforestation of the Forest. Over 100,000...
This is to all our dedicated volunteers across Scotland, I wanted to say hello and to remind you that we haven’t forgotten about you all, nor about how much we value volunteering. It sounds like a cliché but we really couldn’t do much of what we...
On Monday and Tuesday the whole Smithills team were busy turning the Estate into a film set! Over the two days we filmed footage in the woodlands, grassland and on the moor for three exciting projects: a short promotional film about Smithills, a longer information...
A pioneering project which aims to breathe new life into critically threatened woodlands in Sussex has received initial support* for a funding boost from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Led by the Woodland Trust, The ‘Lost Woods of the Low Weald and Downs’ project aims to...
A massive thanks to volunteer photographer, David Rodway, who has forwarded us this wonderful short film of Hackfall in autumn. Situated in a steep sided gorge and cutting through primarily rolling pasture, Hackfall is a semi-natural ancient woodland, near Masham, North Yorkshire. This stunning woodland has Grade...
Many of our sites have seen an increase in people visiting our estate during lockdown, and we know that for many this has been a way to improve their wellbeing during what is a difficult time for us all. At Smithills, a major aim of our...
Climate change is threatening the seasons as we known them. However, we know far less of autumn phenology than we do of spring. What happens, for example, when autumn arrives early and plants like bramble and hazel fruit before hazel dormice are ready to hibernate? With...