The winter tools are out, and the work of clearing scrub and trees begins again. Bit by bit, with determination and the quiet joy that only a sharp saw can bring, woodland workers will start opening up the targeted areas, making space for new growth when spring returns. 

They’re so efficient and quick in their work that I challenged the team to take on two tasks in our latest session. The first task was to cut a new scallop along the woodland edge, an area we last tackled seven years ago. By rotating the sections that are cut, a mosaic of vegetation at different stages of growth is created, a pattern that supports a rich, resilient biodiversity.

On the woodland floor, hidden amongst the autumnal leaf litter, a remarkable variety of fungi emerge as the small trees are skilfully cleared away. I’ve become fascinated by fungi, though I can still identify only a few species with confidence. Their world is astonishing: over 15,000 species have been recorded in the UK, with many more yet to be discovered. 

Mycorrhizal fungi form vital partnerships with trees, helping them absorb nutrients in exchange for sugars. The fruiting bodies we see are just the surface of a vast underground “wood-wide web”, linking plants and trees in a network that shares resources and passes on signals.

The cut wood is stacked into a dead hedge around the newly opened area. Here, saprophytic fungi, the woodland’s decomposers, will break down the timber, releasing its nutrients back into the soil where plants and countless creatures can use them. And so the cycle of life begins again.

We move into Long Close Meadow, at the heart of the wood, to prepare the ground for our Christmas gathering of bonfire and potatoes. I normally refuse to think about Christmas before December, but this tradition is the exception, something that all look forward to. The grass is cut and raked around the bonfire site, and sections of birch and blackthorn are trimmed back to prevent them from encroaching into the meadow. The wood is chopped into manageable pieces. We’re ready to go.

Stepping back, we admire the cleared spaces, stacked wood, and ready bonfire site. Each cut and cleared patch contributes to the woodland’s health, supporting its hidden networks of fungi, roots, and wildlife. The Christmas bonfire in turn will support the team’s wellbeing, providing a shared moment of warmth and togetherness in the heart of our special wood.

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