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Wistman's Wood July 2019

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A sunny day in a dry period, and the moss is dried up and dull-coloured. It would only take a heavy rainfall to pick it all up. Trees dripping with lichens.  People are sitting in this wood, quietly, taking it all in, like a church. Everyone is silents, in their own space, a reverence, a respect of other people.  On the way I told the kids not to accept any food, as it might be from the fairy folk, and then you'd be stuck in their world. Is there a feel of fairies here?  I don't think this is their time, in the middle of a sunny July day. Perhaps at dawn or dusk you might catch the fairies, or if you fell asleep under a tree. That would do it. You'd wake up and the rules of the world would be different, you wouldn't know where you stood.  Next to where I'm sitting is a boulder with a pattern on concentric circles in the moss. Is that the work of the fairies?    I think you need to spend time here. I might ...
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Kielder Forest 29th May 2019

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Just been out with Rob, a forester at Kielder. He took me to an area of CCF - Continuous Cover Forestry - where they manage the forest for biodiversity and for public loveliness - three tiers of cover. The trees are often not able to withstand the wind if they aren't close together - there is not enough light for non-conifers - regeneration of natural woodland is a long process. Red squirrels are managing to eke out an existence in the forest - but not grey squirrels - it's the wrong type of woodland for them.  There are lots of deer in forest - all roe. Forestry England is managed by Forestry Commission. In 2010 the government were going to sell it off to commercial enterprises but there was a public outcry, so they backed off. Most of the forest is still commercial - a form of agriculture. Not harvested every year like grain crops, but every 40-50 years. They do it by clear felling. Rob drove me to a working area with machines and piled up logs. I didn't see a harvester w...
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