We have a motto at Hazel Hill Wood: care for the woods and the woods will care for us.
Our annual Autumn Conservation Weekend is a long-established gathering where people get to do just that. We stay in the wood for two nights, spending two days working, exploring and relaxing together.
This year there were 25 of us on site. We arrived on Friday for a hot meal and an evening around the fire.
On Saturday morning we set off together to the far side of the wood, where we worked to remove hundreds of metres of defunct deer fencing.
From there we spread out to various tasks, from thinning regenerating hornbeam trees to encourage greater diversity in the woodland, to felling trees around buildings to reduce fire risk.
Saturday evening gave us the chance to test our newly refitted hot tub, set in a clearing behind Oak House with a clear view of the stars.
Sunday’s pace was gentler. We enjoyed a fascinating show-and-tell session with the experts who led our fungi foray, before gathering firewood and splitting logs to build up our winter stores.
Some of the things we saw…
One of the joys of spending a whole weekend in the wood is the chance to notice things we might otherwise miss.
When we asked people what stood out from the weekend, they remembered moths, including the Merveille du Jour, and fungi, including yellow stagshorn. There were two grey wagtails at the pond, squirrels coming down to drink, and hornbeam seeds falling from the trees.
And there were the quieter moments: watching the sunrise at the pond, sitting around the campfire, and looking up at the stars from the hot tub.
And the impact…
We asked participants what they had gained from the weekend. Eighteen people completed our evaluation.
Every respondent said they had enjoyed their time, met new people, and felt that their mental and/or physical health had benefited. Fifteen said they had gained new skills, and fourteen had learnt about woodland management.
But perhaps the most interesting responses came when we asked people what they were taking away with them.
One person described feeling:
“Grounded, refreshed, happy, rejuvenated, relaxed… need more of this: time in nature, contributing to it/something bigger, as part of a community.”
Another took away a:
“Renewed sense of what I can contribute in/to a group.”
And another simply wrote:
“Peace – go back mentally to the pond.”
We achieved a great deal for the woodland over the weekend. But it’s lovely to hear that the woodland gave something back, too.
A big thank you to everyone who helped organise, run and take part in the weekend.
Care for the woods, and the woods will care for us.
Save the date of our next Autumn Conservation Weekend: 15-17th October 2027