Public Pressure Halts the Forest Sell Off!

An astonishing result to all the hard work by campaigns across England, the hundred thousand people who wrote to their MP's and the half a million people who signed the petition! The government listened to our demands for them to throw out the forestry clauses from the Public Bodies Bill and stop the Consultation Document. 

I want to send lots of love out to Karen, Nick, Lord Greaves, Alex, Tony, Tamsin, Mary Creagh, Casper, Kaye, all you lovely lot on the SOW forum, Save Englands Forests, Save Our Forests, Save Britains Forests, 38 Degrees and all the amazing local campaign groups. 

Not forgetting a massive hug for everyone who wrote to their MP and signed the petition... 

YOU are amazing! 

There's still a lot of work to do, as the government have taken the debate away from the public arena & into closed meetings by an "independent" panel that will conclude in the autumn of this year.

There are so many questions and worries and hopes.. they can wait for another post. For now I want to share with you how I celebrated the amazing result!

I went to find Spring and here is what I found...!

Some brown slime

Ok... so it's just some brown slime BUT I ask you this... What is the brown slime? Where did the brown slime come from? Why was the brown slime in 5 distinct blobs on the mossy, grass, under a very old Birch coppice stool? Ahh.. see.. interested now are you?!

oh...

Yes.. it's more brown slime

Anyway... Please can someone let me know what this brown slime is? :)

Red Pixie Cap, Campion & Ground Ivy

I LOVE finding pixie caps! It's like finding treasure and being wisped away into a tiny World of fantasy!

Campion, Nettle, Golden Saxifrage

That's a salad right there! Just add some juicy Pennywort, wood & sheep sorrel! *droOol!*

Moschatel - Town Hall Clock

This is one of my favourite plants. It's called Town hall Clock because the flower head is like a cube with a flower head on each side. If you're lucky enough to come across a patch of this in flower, get your nose into it, it has the most subtle, beautiful scent of any wildflower, especially when it's mixed with the heady scent of the woodland floor...

Wild Strawberry

mmMMMMmmmm... wild strawberry.... mind you, this could be one of the barren ones, that don't fruit. We do have them here. I call them grumpberries or irrationaldisappointmentberries.

Primrose

Ok, I know they're only a few leaves old, but just look at them... SPRING!! They'd be in my salad as well if I had loads more of them.  : )

Male (catkin) & female Hazel flowers

Spotting the female flower of the Hazel is one of the little games I secretly play when I'm in the woods this time of year. It's not the most exciting of games for most, hence it being a private game between me, the Hazel and Spring.  

Don't you mock me... *fingerwag*

Foxgloves

Ok, now I appreciate that's not the most inspiring picture in the World but I'm afraid it's made it on here because, well, just count how many leafy tiers there are on those bad boys! I reckon 3 more tiers & we'll have a spike! WooOoop!

Pennywort - all fat juicy & yummy!

If you've never tasted a Pennywort then memorise that picture and get yourself outside & scoff a leaf or two. Delicious!

After 6 weeks sat in the yurt at the lap top and on the phone trying to run the Save Our Woods campaign, it was the best of celebrations to go and find Spring. Feels like the woods are celebrating too...


hen xx