Category: Natural History

Visit the Chilterns

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Many thanks to Visit the Chilterns for joining me in the woods, it’s wonderful to be able to share my love of the woodlands, teaching Bushcraft and enjoying nature at her finest here in the Chilterns.

This lovely short film was created by Nicola Schafer, she along with Annette Venters, from the Chilterns Conservation Board, visited me in my favourite place of work, a Chilterns woodland!

The Chilterns is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), with rolling hills, chalk streams and of course, beautiful woodlands, and so much more. David was invited to take part in their “meet the makers” project, all part of their grand plan to attract you to the Chilterns!

For those of you who have yet to visit, The Chilterns is to the North West of London, just a short train ride or car journey, and you are in lovely countryside, with historic places to visit and wonderful things to do!

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How to make elderflower fritters

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Elderflower fritters - how to make them

It’s lovely to walk down the hedgerows of a Chilterns woodland in the Spring. There is such an abundance of greenery, new growth springing up, and the colours and scent of beautiful flowers. And one of my favourite scents is that of the elder – it’s florets of white flowers, make them so distinctive.

It’s time, right now to go and forage a few, to make cordials or sparkling elderflower champagnes. But, one thing I love to make is elderflower  fritters.

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May’s guided woodland walk

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Families gathering wild garlic in May

It was a beautiful day for a walk in the woods, bright, sunny and warm with a little dappled shade here and there. All the trees had foliage, after the cold winter months looking at the buds, it was lovely to see the leaves sprouting from the buds and flowers forming.

In April we looked closely at the wild garlic (ransoms), learning how to identify this tasty plant. This month everyone was looking forward to seeing the wild garlic in flower – and they weren’t disappointed, there were lots of flowers. Some leaves and flowers were gathered to make pesto and to add zome zing to salads. Continue reading “May’s guided woodland walk”

Lovely stinging nettle tea

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Spring has arrived and so have those lovely nettles – oh yes they are lovely! We have been conditioned as children to avoid their painful sting, but nettles offer so much and this is why they protect themselves from animals, including us that will forage and consume these wonderful plants.

Why should you see nettles in a new light? Well for one they are really good for you, nettles are nutritious and even better than spinach! Nettles are a source of protein, have traces of fat, contain more vitamin C than oranges, have quantities of vitamin B, calcium, potassium, iron and more. Continue reading “Lovely stinging nettle tea”