Reclaiming the Paths (and a Cloud of Thistledown): A Howes Wood Update

If you’d visited Howes Wood at the start of July and then again a fortnight later, you’d have been forgiven for thinking you’d taken a wrong turn. This summer’s growth has been extraordinary, even our most experienced volunteers say they’ve never seen the thistles, ragwort and bramble shoot up so fast. Paths that were clear and walkable one week had simply vanished under a wall of green the next.

So when Steve and Helen headed out to strim the woodland paths in mid-July, it wasn’t just routine maintenance, it was closer to an expedition.

Where Did the Path Go?

Anyone who manages a bit of woodland or an overgrown garden corner will know the feeling: you know exactly where the path should be, and yet it simply isn’t there anymore. That’s precisely what greeted Steve and Helen at Howes Wood. Sections of path that had been strimmed and tidy just weeks earlier had closed over completely, swallowed by a summer that seems determined to out-grow itself.

It’s a reminder of just how much upkeep a working conservation woodland actually needs. Paths at Howes Wood aren’t just for our own access, they’re the routes our volunteers use to monitor squirrel feeders, check for signs of activity, and carry out the ongoing habitat work that keeps this red squirrel stronghold thriving. When they close over, the whole operation gets a lot harder.

The Thistle Cloud

One particular moment from the day really stuck with Helen and Steve. As Steve strimmed through a stand of thistles that had already gone to seed, the plants released their contents all at once releasing a great billowing cloud of thistledown which drifted up and out across the clearing. It was the sort of unplanned and slightly magical moment that makes volunteering in a place like Howes Wood so rewarding. You go out to do a practical job and end up standing in the middle of a virtual snowstorm in July.

A Happier Story: The Hazels Are Thriving

While the paths told a story of nature racing ahead of us, another corner of the wood told an even more heartening one.

For years, a stand of hazel at Howes Wood had been buried, quite literally, under bramble and fallen trees, fighting for every scrap of light it could get. Anyone who saw the state of it would have wondered how the hazels were managing to survive at all, let alone put out new growth.

Now that the bramble has been cleared and the fallen trees removed, the change in Howes Wood is remarkable and even our little hazels have responded with real vigour and they’re carrying a good crop of developing hazelnuts.

Why This Really Matters for Red Squirrels

This isn’t just a nice bit of woodland tidying, hazel is one of the single most important food sources for red squirrels. Hazelnuts are a huge favourite and exactly what squirrels need to build up reserves for the leaner winter months. The natural forage that a good hazel crop provides can make a real difference to how well our local population copes with the colder season ahead.

The Isle of Wight is one of the last strongholds for red squirrels left in England, at a time when the species has disappeared from so much of the country. Every hazel tree we free from bramble and every path we keep open to monitor them is a small but genuine contribution to keeping that stronghold secure. Seeing these particular hazels standing tall and fruiting is exactly the kind of quiet win that makes the harder, sweatier jobs (like wading through a thistle blizzard) worth it.

Thank You, Steve and Helen

A huge thank you to Steve and Helen for tackling the paths this month. It’s unglamorous, physically demanding work, done in full sun, in full kit, against a summer that in many areas is bringing faster growth than anyone can quite keep up with and it’s exactly the kind of behind-the-scenes effort that keeps Howes Wood accessible and workable for everyone who cares for it.

If you’d like to get involved with volunteer work parties at Howes Wood, we’d love to hear from you there’s always a path that needs finding again: Become a Volunteer – Isle of Wight Red Squirrel Trust

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Keep the red squirrels close all year round with our 2027 Red Squirrel Calendar

How to Get Your Copy

Calendars are £10 (plus p&p) and there are a few easy ways to get your hands on one:

• Order online through our shop: 2027 Isle of Wight Red Squirrel Trust Calendar
• Pop into a local stockist, you’ll currently find them at Squirrel’s Den Collectables, Arreton Barns;  Crumb Pact Artisanal Cookies & Brownies (at the fairs they are attending) and Briddlesford Farm Shop with more stockists to come…
• Catch us in person, we’ll have copies at various events across the Island over the coming weeks, so keep an eye on our Facebook page (pinned posts) for where to find us next

A word of warning though, these calendars have a habit of selling out fast, and this print run is limited, so if you know you do want one (or five, for stocking fillers), we’d say don’t leave it too long!

Every calendar sold goes straight back into our work at Howes Wood and beyond, funding path-building, tree work, monitoring, and all the day-to-day essentials of protecting the Island’s red squirrels. So really, it’s a present for you, and a present for them too.

Thank you, as ever, for being part of our red squirrel family.  Here’s to a bright, bushy-tailed 2027.

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Keen to get more involved? We’re always looking for volunteers, event helpers, and calendar champions willing to spread the word. If you would like to help with this then please get in touch at admin@iowredsquirreltrust.co.uk , or drop us a whatsapp to 07746 573707