PSTDC 4 - Green Woodwork

This weekend I attended the fourth of the PSTDC by Pyrites - Living and Learning with Nature. This time we covered Green Woodwork, which involved felling a (Sycamore) tree to start with. Then we got introduced to splitting, side axing, draw knifing and (pole) lathe turning. They were all fantastic processes and some amazing items were produced! Some of us joined in together to make a 'shaving horse'. In addition I also made a 'spurtle' (porridge stirrer!) and two handles for the draw knife I hope to forge in the last module of the course!

Fungi, foraging and folklore

Today we attended a Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust  event on 'Fungi, foraging and folklore' at Lower Woods, near Hawkesbury. Despite the seasonal delay, due to the extended cold snaps in recent months, we still managed to get a nice introduction to spring fungi. It was very nice to discover the Scarlet Elf Cup with it's beautiful red surface, the Wood Ear (which grows mainly on the Elder Tree) and the Turkey Tail (photograph, centre). We also saw the common Cramp Ball (aka King Alfred Cake, great for tinder), the Maze Gill and Hazel Wood Wart. At the end we were shown a fine set of Oyster Mushrooms! All in all it was another lovely day spent in ancient woodlands, with lots of inspirational experiences and new discoveries...