Late April in ancient woodland in the High Weald - it must be bluebell time! Bluebells do particularly well in coppiced ancient woodland with its periods of increasing shade followed by a few short years of illumination when the coppice is cut. Elsewhere in Wilderness Wood we are working hard to retain as much water as possible using a variety of methods - leaky dams, pond construction, stream diversion and runoff channels on steep pathways. This will hopefully see the woodland through the near rainless months from May to September. Climate change is a reality and we have to modify our management of the wood to address this change.

It is coming up to the time of year when humans and their dogs pick up blood-sucking passengers whenever they go for a walk in the woods or long grass. Time for us all to brush-up on our tick awareness.

We are trying to create an oasis of permanent wetness in the middle of Wilderness Wood. Leaky dams, restored ponds, redirecting the Wilderness Stream through wet woodland and now repurposing of the former stream channel into a series of dammed-up ponds.

This week it is all about spring flowers at Wilderness Wood. Many of these are triggered into flower by day length or rising temperatures. It is certainly a rush for many of them to get all the energy sapping business of sex out of the way before the leaves appear on the deciduous woodland trees and shade them from their only source of energy - sunlight. If you want to tick them off then you’ll have to get down to Wilderness Wood pretty sharpish then!

Hedge plants are bursting into leaf thanks to spring warmth and an absence of Fallow Deer which browse their leaves. The year motors on as birds sing for mates or to declare territories. The tadpoles are all now hiding in amongst the Water Starwort and the orchids are back. The great plans for extending our wetlands and ponds are developing apace. I can’t wait!

An over-ambitious pond building plan has been rethought in favour of a more scaled-back wetland option better suited to Wilderness Wood’s biodiversity improvement policy. The diversion of the Wilderness Stream provides an opportunity to create a wetland in place of this mass of brambles (bramble lovers don’t worry, we have plenty more of this important habitat on site, but very little wetland).

The President of the USA gives an annual state of the nation address, so I don’t see why we shouldn’t do the same at Wilderness Wood. It was 12 months ago that I wrote the first Wildlife Blog page, so now seems a good time to summarise what has been achieved over that time period, as well as throw in a few relevant observations from this weeks tour of Wilderness Wood.

Spring has finally sprung. Cotyledons, flowers, leaves, pollination, photosynthesis, growth, courtship, mating, egg laying. There must be something in the air!

Any opportunity to retain water in Wilderness Wood is grabbed with both hands. Redirecting the Wilderness Stream has left a deep ravine which lends itself to being dammed to create a deep pond. Well, that’s the theory, the practice is a little different - but then practice makes perfect.

Trampling of the margins of the new ponds needs to be addressed by adding fencing, posting information notices and good education regarding public access to fragile aquatic environments.

Playing at being an ecologist can present anyone attempting to carry out practical conservation with something of a dilema. Favouring the needs of one species or group of species can easily lead to the demise of another. Mother Nature has had millions of years of incrimental changes, known as evolution, to get to where we are today. When Man tries on her crown he suddenly discovers what a tricky job it must be. Much better to leave her to get on with it unhindered.

Spring weather during February half term brings visitors to Wilderness Wood in the hope of nature’s rebirth and warmer days ahead. Even Dan’s new bridge has been repurposed as a picnic site.

Many local streams have ponds inserted along their course. These may have been feeder ponds for a much larger ‘hammer pond’ further downstream. All are likely to have been created by the iron-masters of the High Weald in centuries passed.

February’s Stewardship Saturday is our traditional rhododendron shrub removal day. This evergreen shrub can, if unchecked, run rampant through a woodland displacing native woodland flowers and young tree saplings to create a green desert which supports very little in the way of native plants and animals. Yes the flamboyant flowers are eye-catching, which explains why it is grown in British gardens, but to the detriment of our own wildlife. It has to go!

Following the recent home team tour of the site, including the progress of projects being considered, planned and delivered out in the wood. Where possible, we try to justify carrying out a project based on its potential to deliver at least three benefits - Three Strikes and You’re In.

Heathland is relatively common in the High Weald but under-represented at Wilderness Wood. It supports a few very distinctive plant and animal species but soon becomes overrun by woodland, which shades-out these light loving plants. In this post I go on a hunt for prospective heathland sites for us to restore.

Woodland Rides can be widened and managed to create areas of low vegetation to encourage greater woodland biodiversity.

So we stagger into yet another year at Wilderness Wood. I thought I’d mark the new year by highlighting the various developments that have taken place around the wood whilst taking you along the A-Z Trail, which all visitors are encouraged to follow.

High winds require walking in woodland to be done with great caution. Deciduous trees in December present a lesser threat compared to the dense sail-like qualities of evergreen conifer foliage. Most visitors to Wilderness Wood prefer to stick to the A-Z Trail, but a bit of exploring along side tracks can bring its rewards.

The shortest day of the year and Christmas pretty well demand that we take a festive look at Wilderness Wood and its wildlife. There is still plenty to report on, with some of the wood’s residents already getting their Christmas Dinner, whilst others are having to work hard to ensure their survival as we approach the January freeze.