Woodland Encounters
Buckram Wood: A private 4 acre wood, part of the 74 acre Birdwood Coppice.
In January 2021, after 6 months of searching we found our wood. It was during the covid lockdown, and we wanted a quiet space of our own. This was the first wood that felt right to both of us, there was a nice feel, and the trees were welcoming. Here are some entries from my diary.
Getting to know the land
There is a lot of fallen branches and dead wood; eventually we will burn some but we also want to leave fallen branches as habitat piles for the insects that are at the start of the food chain. As the borders of our wood are owned by other people, we’ve been placing dead branches along the borders to give some clear edge to our land, useful when other people are with us, so they don’t stray out of our wood.
I love walking around our wood, properly getting to know ‘our land’. To begin I would trip, I was probably moving too fast. I’ve now slowed down, but I also have a hazel stick I can use for safety in some areas. We have a track that cuts the wood in two, eventually it will grow over but for now it is a good way to divide base camp from an area I want to use for well-being. I feel the trees are wanting to look after me.
With going to the wood several times, a week, I’m noticing far more than I would have seen if I’d only visited an area less frequently, and of course there would have been a lot of people around. For example, I have seen how the wood anemones have covered the floor and how they open and close in the sunlight, and each day see more bluebells. We don’t seem to have many daffodils in our part of the wood. I’ve spotted a couple of dog violets, and as I walk, look carefully to see what I can see.
Our offerings
Our wood is the location for our nature-based work, including:
1-2-1 coaching sessions with Denise
Bushcraft days with James
Nature retreats where we will both take care of you
Vision Quests guided by Denise, a fully qualified vision quest guide
Nature can give us so much. Take time away from busy lives and spend it on nature awareness exercises, be guided on how to spend a day in nature, or just come and hang out around the fire and swing in a hammock. Time for a digital switch off, time to recharge and time for reflection.
