Winter

Although most of the trees in woodlands will be dormant over the winter months and small mammals hibernating, a clear frosty day in winter is still a wonderful time to be walking in the woods. You may see evidence of moles and shrews, both of which hunt for food throughout the winter. Herons and rooks start to build their nests in the tops of trees early in the year, and jackdaws, starlings and other smaller birds such as mistle thrush, tend to use woods to roost in towards dusk.

Winter woods are brightened by the cheerful berries of holly, the hips of dog rose and, if you are lucky, the odd clump of mistletoe. Holly is our commonest native evergreen and was once used to provide winter-feed for cattle. The practice of making it into wreaths to brighten a winter hearth has been a tradition since Celtic times. Late winter sees the emergence of the first of the year’s wildflowers such as snowdrops. The trees themselves can be identified in winter by their characteristic shapes and the distinctive leaf buds on their branches. As winter progresses these buds will begin to swell in preparation for bud burst in spring.

Winter, when the sap is not flowing, was the traditional time for tree felling. Woodlands have always been a source of fuel and for a very long time wood was the main fuel used in domestic heating and cooking, as it still is in some parts of the world. The felled timber was extracted by hand or horse, stacked and left to dry. The poorer wood was used as fuelwood or turned into charcoal for use by blacksmiths and iron founders. Coppice wood used in traditional crafts such as hurdle making was also cut during the winter.

Winter is a busy time for the forester. As well as timber harvesting, most tree planting takes place at this time whilst the young trees are dormant. If you want something really special for your home at Christmas time, why not buy a piece of furniture made from local wood by local craftspeople? Alternatively, gift a tree to be planted in a local park. Click on the links to take you there.

Wood working network
‘Gift that Grows'