Come join Anne-Marie and Steve as they take on a new woodland - and bring you with them! In this episode of their visual diary from Orb Wood they are looking back at May. Now that they've made some tracks through the wood, they've turned their attention to what's growing underfoot. From carpets of bluebells to curious discoveries in the undergrowth, this episode is all about exploring the understory — the plants, insects and wild surprises that tell the story of a woodland in spring. Anne-Marie and Steve run the woodlands.co.uk Instagram channel, https://www.instagram.com/woodlands.co.uk/?hl=en. Follow for inspirational daily photos and videos on woodland management, bushcraft, wildlife, and outdoor fun. Thinking about buying your own woodland? Then here are some beautiful woodlands for sale, https://www.woodlands.co.uk/.

Have you ever wondered what conditions you need to welcome a Great Crested Newt to your woodland pond? In this film by Nicola Kelleher, we meet Adam Nixon from the Essex Wildlife Trust to learn about why these newts have declined in numbers, what role they play in the woodland ecosystem, and what makes the perfect habitat for them. To find out more about the fabulous work of the Essex Wildlife Trust please see: webiste: https://www.essexwt.org.uk/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/essexwildlifetrust Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/essexwildlifetrust X: https://twitter.com/EssexWildlife YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/essexwildlife

Come join Anne-Marie and Steve as they take on a new woodland - and bring you with them! In this episode they show you how they went about creating tracks through their woodland and simple woodland steps. Whether you're a woodland owner, thinking about it, or just curious about what people do in the woods — this is for you. Anne-Marie and Steve Sangster run the woodlands.co.uk Instagram channel, https://www.instagram.com/woodlands.co.uk/?hl=en. Follow for inspirational daily photos and videos on woodland management, bushcraft, wildlife, and outdoor fun. Thinking about buying your own woodland? Then here are some beautiful woodlands for sale, https://www.woodlands.co.uk/.

In this second episode on 'Starting a Forest Garden' by Quentin Clark, we return to Ben Clark to learn what we need to consider for the canopy and under storey layers. We also meet tree expert Lydia Quick from Chew Valley Trees who talks us through what aspects of our forest gardens we should consider when choosing the canopy layer: from our specific soil conditions, to tree purpose and height, and wildlife. Ben refers to website Plants For a Future, which can be found at https://pfaf.org/user/. Ben's master spreadsheet can be viewed at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZGNaPNLlfQCvBokWBiivUghj9sF6Ijt5Ft6d3aGPbfw/edit?gid=1684986452#gid=1684986452. For more information on Chew Valley Trees, please see https://www.chewvalleytrees.co.uk/. Part 1 of this mini series is here: https://youtu.be/AcpA_SC7Gc8. In part 4 we intend to answer viewers' questions so please feel free to add comments and questions below the film.

Here is the perfect excuse not to dead-head your roses! Filmed over several months and brought to you now as roses are in bloom, Quentin Clark shows us how to make delicious rosehip syrup from dog rose hips. This 'woodland elixir' was once considered an important source of vitamin C. Quentin's son Greg then demonstrates how to use it to make the perfect British cocktail. As with all foraging, it is important that you can correctly identify what it is you are picking. Never eat anything foraged that you are not absolutely sure of what it is as it could be deadly poisonous. If you go foraging following this film then it is at your own risk. Always check with several different sources of information that you have correctly identified the wild food, or go with an experienced forager. Also remember to make yourself aware of any countryside laws relating to foraging specific to your area, and always forage sustainably.