Blog

As I was planting another 28 Alder whips, I could hear one of the big helicopters from Spadeadam just beyond the brow of the hill. It sounded very close, and sure enough, when it emerged it was directly over the barns, flying at about 50m above the ground. I have to admit it was slightly unnerving to watch it fly towards me and directly overhead, like a Vietnam war scene from Catch 22. I waved, in a slightly self conscious way, in no doubt that I would not be able to see even if they waved back.

Simon and I got the first 25 Alder trees in today. The weather was, if anything, too warm, which made it a very pleasant task but reduces the survival rate of the trees. There are catkins on the hazel and soft furry buds on the goat willow down by the stream. It is hard to believe it is only the middle of February.

Last summer was hot and dry which were not ideal conditions for a young wood. As the wood establishes itself, the combination of self shading and deeper roots protect it from environmental fluctuations. However, for young trees, particularly those planted on underlying bedrock, it takes time to establish a strong root system and dry conditions take their toll. A survey last winter suggested that we had lost up to 10% of the trees, mostly on the rocky outcrop just below the house.

We decided to stick with a more limited selection of trees, based on those which seemed to have fared best. After some thought, we ordered 100 Common Alder (Alnus Glutinosa) and 100 Goat Willow (Salix Caprea) whips which arrived just before half term.

Simon and I trekked up to Penshaw on a crisp, snowy morning. There was a slight thaw but still plenty of crunch in the 3 inches of snow underfoot. As we climbed up through the wood on the far side of the Wear, the sun came out from behind the clouds. The intense light reflecting off the snow gave a magical quality to the landscape. We stumbled on a lichen covered tree that seemed almost bioluminescent.

Joanne and I put together the LMAPs Business Case for the Breathing Space project for Durham police this week. I like the discipline of thinking about the value of the project and how we could evidence the benefits. It really sharpens your practice. Fingers crossed the funding is approved and we can start to recruit to the programme.

Joanne and I pitched to a multi-agency group of councillors and police for a project to run Forest Schools, today. The response was very favourable and we have been invited to complete a tender form. It has been a steep learning curve but the enthusiasm of the police has really built my confidence and determination to drive a different approach to learning opportunities for disaffected young people.

I spoke with Joanne Appleby, from Oases today and then hopped in the car and went over to visit her at the E.W.E. Centre. She introduced me to her colleague, Rio and we had a long and productive chat about a joint collaboration. Whilst our backgrounds are very different, our shared values soon emerged; a belief in the benefits of play, a commitment to a natural upbringing for children, a willingness to put curriculum in to the woods rather than keeping the two things apart.

As I left, we had a brief but thought provoking conversation about the power of “God” to help children overcome modern sources of anxiety such as bullying. We discussed the idea that children can take comfort from the final judgement and their own conscious decisions to save their own souls. I must remember this when I finally get round to writing my book on the transmission of culture in schools.

By the time I came home today, the roof had been stripped, felted and batoned out ready for the slates. I had a quick scramble up the scaffolding to take a look at the view from a new perspective. Once the roof is on, we can start to prepare the internal walls and floor ready for Forest sessions. Exciting times!

Dropped a tentative email out to a local Forest School practitioner this evening to see if there was scope to collaborate on a project. This seemed like the right thing to do if I am operating outside “my patch”. Hoping to hear something from them tomorrow.

I had a really enjoyable and informative conversation with an insurance broker at Birnbeck today. Tracy was knowledgeable, and friendly and talked me through all aspects of ensuring that participants are correctly insured against risk. It is amazing how much you can learn in a 20 minute chat! There are a couple of things I need to explore further, but it is great to know I am one step closer to being up and running.