If you’ve ever tried to explain to a fellow volunteer exactly where that patch of flag iris was, or which corner of the wood the water beetles have colonised, you’ll know the problem: Howes Wood doesn’t come with street names. Or rather, it didn’t until now.
Our volunteers have been busy putting up a set of hand-made signposts around the site, each one named after a person who helped create the paths, clearings, and corners that are evolving all the time in Howes Wood. These are in part a practical necessity, but they are also a lovely personalisation / in-joke, above all though, they are incredibly useful. These little wooden markers are already proving their worth for indentifying locations when recording and monitoring plants and insects, as well as helping newer volunteers find their way without a search party.
Here’s a look at a few that have gone up so far:
First up, Sophie’s Shortcut, proof that the best paths through a wood are often the ones nobody planned.
Sophie’s Shortcut; a handy cut-through discovered (and named) by one of our volunteers.
Richard’s Ramble does exactly what it says on the tin (or the timber, in this case), a gentle route through some of the wood’s quieter, sun-dappled stretches.
Richard’s Ramble, waiting patiently for walkers among the dappled shade.
Given how much time Helen spends in this wood, shinning up ladders or patrolling the woods; camera in hand; recording the comings and goings or creatures and volunteers alike and generally keeping things organised, it seems only fair she gets a hideaway named in her honour. The arrow is a nice touch too, even hideaways need signposting.
Helen’s Hideaway, complete with directional arrow for those who might otherwise wander straight past.
Not all of our new signage is quite so whimsical, mind you. This one’s all business, a clear warning by the pond, where the water is deeper (and the footing less certain) than it looks. Read it, heed it, and admire the area from a safe distance.
Not every sign is named after a volunteer, some are simply doing an important safety job.
And rounding things off for now, Ash Grove, a sign that’s doing double duty, marking out a distinct patch of woodland that’s useful to identify separately when we’re recording what’s growing (and living) there.
Ash Grove, marking one of the wood’s distinct habitat areas.
These are just a handful of the signs so far, there are more already up, and more still being carved, painted, and planted as volunteers find new corners of Howes Wood worth naming. We know that it’s a small thing, but it makes a real difference: easier navigation for work parties, clearer reference points for recording plants and insects, and a nice bit of woodland humour for anyone passing through.
We’ll bring you more of the road signs as they go up, including, we hear, a Wiggly Way and a Jon’s Jungle still to come. Watch this space.
If you would like to explore getting involved with volunteering with us then click here to register your interest and we will be in touch to discuss how you think you might be able to help ❤️🐿️❤️