Deer Wood Diaries - Sowing the Seeds

Have you ever had a time when one seemingly simple event changes the course of your life? Where inspiration strikes unexpectedly, suddenly something big happens and your plans pivot…

Back in late April we witnessed the delight that the younger visitors showed for the ‘Magic & Mystery’ element of our Bluebell Weekend theme. Well, that wasn’t the only thing that fired their enthusiasm… Marc had recently finished the last phase of the propagation tables in the Deer Wood Native Tree Nursery, but this final one was a bit different; it has extra table space all the way round. We call it ‘The Propagation & Learning Area’, as this is where Marc teaches his ‘Woodland Horticulture’ Courses.

This year was the first time that Marc was able to man the Tree Nursery so that someone was up there to speak to visitors. In previous years we have always had to fence off the nursery area; people could get a glimpse but not have a closer look, or get the chance to ask in depth questions about the whole set-up.

Marc was expecting questions from adults who are interested in how to grow and care for trees and ask about the holistic systems we use here. To his surprise and total delight, it was the youngsters that had all the best queries! Their faces lit up with inquisitive wonder when they spies all the baby trees and they could not contain their excitement, particularly when they saw the new seedlings. ‘From small seeds do mighty trees grow’ moved from being just a catchy phrase for growth into a seen understanding of just how small trees are when the are ‘born’.

One particular encounter left a big impression on Marc. There were two young girls who came over with their parents. They were especially keen to see the seed trays. So he pulled a seed tray filled with a mini forest of tiny Scotts pine seedlings out for them to get a closer look at. The younger one (5yrs old) asked - “What else is living in there?”, pointing to the compost medium that the pine were growing out of. Marc replied- “All sorts of mini-beasts live in there! It’s our own, home-made healthy woodland compost.”

Immediately the imagination of both the girls, their parents and Marc were transported into this small rectangular tray of pine forest. They all started to envisage the mini beasts roaming around in there. The girls proceeded to excitedly reel off a list of creatures. “Ooh, ooh, worms!” Was the first on the list, followed by woodlice, ants and beetles. To the latter Marc quickly replied - “I hope not!”

During the tour of all the cages and their leafy occupants, Marc asked them if they knew what the tiny trees will become? The older girl confidently said - “Yes!” and pointed to the trees surrounding the area. She beamed - “They will be great big trees like these ones.” It is safe to say that the whole family had an uplifting time. This and many more similar interactions filled that weekend, all the responses certainly made a lasting impression on us. If such a (seemingly) simple way to engage young people into the world of Woodland Horticulture and tree care could have such a profound impact on young hearts and minds. How then could we go forward with the idea of teaching them more about it? (And why didn’t we think of this before!)

After the whirlwind of visitors had left, we sat down and had a spontaneous shared lightbulb moment, what if we could do a Primary School version of the Woodland Horticulture Course? If the positive and enthusiastic feedback from the cross-section of children that had witnessed the wonders of the tree nursery was anything to go by, what are we waiting for? We quickly put our thinking caps on. We spent the next week disseminating the information from the current course: the core learning points, opportunities for hands-on practical experiences and the various logistics.

From this we refined the main objectives of the project and came up with a draft proposal. We have called it - ’Woodland Horticulture 4 Kids’ and have wasted no time in in applying for several funding bids. We have also sought guidance from our new District Councillor and fellow eco-warrior, Louise Wainwright, who is keen to support the Tree Nursery and this new endeavour. As we pen this diary, we are incredibly excited by the prospect of inspiring the younger generation into fostering a pro-active mind-set for a greener future, through the understanding and practical application of holistic tree growing and care.

Our (new) motto is - ‘Sowing Vital Seeds of Knowledge for the Future in the Hearts & Minds of the Next Generation’

If you would like to learn more please do get in touch: thedeerwoodtrust@gmail.com. or have a look on the website www.thedeerwoodtrust.org.uk

by Lisa Pugh & Marc Biddle