W.I.L.D. is celebrating becoming only the 5th Forest School Association recognised provider in Scotland! We join our friends at OutLET: Play Resource, Auchinairn OSC, Earthtime and Arnhall day nurseries in being worthy of this fantastic achievement. What does it mean? Well, here's what the Forest School Association says: Forest School is a specialised learning approach based in a woodland or natural environment with trees. It offers all participants regular opportunities to develop self-confidence and esteem through hands-on learning experiences. Its roots reach back to early years pioneers in outdoor learning in Scandinavia. In October 2017, the Forest School Association (FSA) - the UK’s professional body and voice for all things Forest School - launched a new scheme to recognise Forest School Providers who demonstrated that they are following good Forest School practice - the FSA Recognised Forest School Provider scheme. Successful applicants such as W.I.L.D. are added to a publicly accessible map on the FSA’s website www.forestschoolassociation.org/find-a-forest-school-provider/ For parents wondering where to send their children, or even for decision makers such as Local Authorities, it is important to know that a provider is operating professionally. Are they working in accordance with good Forest School practice? Are the sessions conducted so that the children’s self-confidence, communication skills, use of tools (among other skills), is progressing week on week? Do they have the appropriate qualifications, First Aid Certificate and risk assessment processes in place? Are the woodland sites well managed? The FSA Recognised Forest School Provider Scheme offers that reassurance! Thanks to Amy, one of our incredible parents for creating this beautiful video explaining the six principles of Forest School and capturing the essence of W.I.L.D.

Let's start at the very beginning with this one. Over 1.3 billion years ago, fungi were the first multi-cell organisms to live on the land of planet Earth. They proceeded to break down geological rock into a life supporting habitat for the plants to grow. The process to create this habitat took around 700 million years, when plants and trees started to appear on earth. I'm finding it quite tricky to imagine a planet without trees, only fungus! Here are some ideas to feed the imagination: 1. scientificillustration.tumblr.com 2. Cover of "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" 3. bizleyart.com Fungi has thrived for all this time and is an incredibly important part of our ecosystem. In this blog post I want to attempt to explain what fungi is and how it contributes to the ecosystem. Mycelium is the main part of the fungus that lives in the wood or soil. The word mycelium literally means “more than one”. This refers to the tiny filaments that make up mycelium, they're called hyphae. The hyphae are branching filaments that transport decomposing enzymes, a mass of hyphae is called mycelium. Mycelium is everywhere as are the minuscule spores that mushrooms send out in to the air. The fruiting body of the fungus sends out these spores to reproduce, when they land on a host (log) they germinate, make more hyphae, mycelium and fruiting bodies, completing the cycle of reproduction. Just like an apple on a tree the mushroom is a fruit of these reproducing fungi. We're not aware but we breath in fungal spores with every breath we take, the fungal spores happily live inside humans too! As we breathe in fungal spores we walk over miles and miles of mycelium under the ground everyday! For every 1m of tree root there is 1km of mycelium, 30% of soil is made up of fungal mass. These magical connectors can sense changes in their environment and make 'decisions' on their most successful pathways to survival. Does fungus have feelings? Our knowledge of fungus and the extent of its capabilities has a long way to go. Here you can see mycelium growing in the trunk of a birch tree that has turkey tail growing on it. The tree was recently snapped by strong winds revealing the mycelium inside. Some species of fungi form symbiotic relationships with plants. Mycorrhizal fungi are associated with plant roots. This relationship is mutually beneficial because mycelium facilitate the transfer of nutrients from the soil into plant roots, and in turn receive carbon from the plant. Carbon is stored by fungi in the soil and therefore is not released as carbon dioxide. It was once thought that plants were the only source of carbon for mycorrhizal fungi. However, research reveals that mycorrhizal fungi can actively decompose organic carbon. As I mentioned, mycelium can be found on the carcasses of animals as well as trees. This fox has been decomposing for almost 10 weeks and has had vary amounts of mycelium working on it. These photos were taken 3 weeks apart, you can see the mycelium, the white substance around the tummy area. Fungus has not just survived but thrived over billions of years and has brought many benefits to humans including penicillin (mould) and yeast which provides us with bread and alcohol. It decomposes all the dead wood and animal matter, keeping our woods pleasant and accessible. It provides plants and animals with nutrients to grow. It provides humans food, medicine and joy from the study of mycology. Fungus may also be the answer to the environmental problems facing the planet, we humans should listen to it. Stop, observe and learn from mother nature, for she has an answer to everything. Take care, W.I.L.D. Referenced with thanks: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/decomposition-of-organic-matter https://thegreentemple.net https://www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/ If you want to find out more about Fungi, here are a few suggestions: Entangled Life - Sheldrake Mycelium Running - Paul Stamets Fantastic Fungi (film) - Paul Stamets (he also has lots of great YouTube vids and Ted Talks)

It’s such a boost of positive energy to get out in the woods for a walk just now. This week on a wander I stumbled upon several gorgeous Turkeytail fungi’s so thought it would be a good one to share with you. It is very common and abundant all year round. But is especially visible just now as the broadleaf trees are bare and a lot of ground growth has died back so it’s really out there on show! The shape, colours and patterns of Turkeytail as I’m sure you can imagine - resemble a Turkeys fan like tail feathers! Also in China it is known as the Cloud Fungus! It is Saprobic so that’s a wood rotting fungus which colonizes its host, gaining and distributing nutrients and decomposing of the rotting wood. It is a Bracket Fungi so we’ll find it on standing or fallen down deadwoods, tree stumps or damaged trees. It’s a Polypore Bracket so has lots of tiny pore holes on its underside. It’s wonderful scientific name is ‘Trametes versicolor’ - meaning ‘thin in sections’ and ‘of several colours’ which makes sense. It comes in a stunning array of coloured layers which can be red, yellow, green, blue, brown, grey or black or a mixture of these colours. It is also known as Coriolus versicolor and Polyporus versicolor, and it even used to be known as the Many Zoned Polypore! Check out this week’s video to see one of the Turkeytails I found in Linn Park and have a look at the identification traits below for tips on spotting it. It may be common and easy to see but you will need to use your detective skills to confirm if it is definitely a true Turkeytail or a beautiful lookalike! Identification Traits · Grows in tiered semi-circular discs that are only about 1-3mm thick and up to 10cm wide. · · · They may overlap each other to form much larger fruiting areas. · The outside edge is always a pale white/cream. · Texture of cap surface – Fuzzy and velvety to the touch with fine hairs you can see with a magnifying glass. The texture changes as colour changes. · Underside is white/crème/grey and is covered in lots of tiny shallow pores – this is where the fungi’s spores are produced and will drop down from. Use a magnifying glass to see them! · Where – found on dead/damaged hardwood deciduous trees like Oak or Beech. Question - is it a true Turkey Tail or a false Turkey tail? There are lots of other bracket fungi species that are similar to Turkeytail. There are also Crust Fungi that look like it too! Use this test to check if true turkey tail is what you’ve found! ? Can you see several distinctly different colour zones in the layers on the cap? ? Does the top surface feel fuzzy/velvety and change texture between the coloured layers? ? Are the new mushrooms thin and flexible? ? Is it on a hardwood broadleaf tree (one that loses its leaves) and not a conifer (which are mostly evergreens)? ? THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION - is the underneath white/grey with lots of tiny pore holes when seen magnified? (3-8 pore holes per mm). Bring a magnifying glass to check! If the answers are yes to these questions then you have found true Turkeytail! – and if not it’s an equally interesting lookie-likie! Lookie-likies! A similar bracket fungi I see is Purplepore Bracket Fungus. See the photos below for a comparison. This one is on its favoured deadwood - a conifer tree. The cap feels bumpy to the touch, the colours are paler and more similar to each other and when I looked underneath it had tooth like pores. When this fungi was younger it would have been more purple, now it’s stained green with Algae. Still another beautiful fungi to have a look out for! I also keep finding all different kinds of Crust Fungi which at certain stages in their development look really like Turkey Tail, whilst at other times they are nothing like it! Some crust fungi have even been called False Turkey Tails. Looking underneath the fungi is the key way to check if it’s Turkey tail or not. For example on these fungi below I could see that the underneath was smooth and shiny and an orange colour so not Turkey Tail! Value to Wildlife Bracket Fungi tend to last longer than others – Turkey Tail can last a year plus. It can often survive the winter season as its tough and flexible, due to this many invertebrates make use of it. Fly or moth larvae burrow and mine into it for shelter, some beetles and slugs get a meal from it – and some insects and birds will eat the other insects living in the fungi! Deers may even have a nibble on the fungi too! Other Uses Turkey Tail has been researched and used medicinally for its apparent immune system boosting benefits. Also as it is so colourful people used to use it to decorate their hats or as table decorations! As with all fungi – I’m always respectful of it, not damaging or having any need to remove it. It has such an important job to do in the woodland. Turkey tail is safe for most of us to touch but if I am touching any fungi I make sure to wash my hands after (we are experts at doing this anyway just now right?). I bet you can think of lots of different times in the year when you have seen Turkey Tail. Good luck in finding it or comparing it to one of its lookalikes this week and perhaps you might even see some invertebrates making use of it! We look forward to hearing all about what you’ve found. Take Care all! Love W.I.L.D. #ForestSchool For reference with thanks: https://www.first-nature.com Books: Collins Fungi Guide.

Good Morning, Your first tree to spot is the Willow tree! You'll need to look for the buds on branches and the bark of the trunk as there are no leaves at the moment. The Willow is one of the first trees to wake in spring. 🙃🤞👀 The large silver furry catkins buds in the photo belong to the Goat Willow, sometimes known as a Pussy Willow. Goat Willow pollen is loved by bees. The bark is beautiful, very rough and made up of lots of diamond shapes fitted together. The catkin in the video is a male catkin and has yellow pollen on it. You may also find female ones which are plainer. Willow is significant in lots cultures across the world, from Ancient Greece to Japanese Anime, people have both feared and worshiped the tree. The phrase 'Knock on wood' comes from folklore about the Willow tree. If you knock on the tree trunk then whisper a secret, the Willow will hold on to it forever...💚🧚‍♀️ Enjoy your walk! WILD 💜🐝🌷

Hi Wild Friends! This week we thought we'd share a few of the wildflowers I see when I am out on my daily exercise at the moment. There are lots of stunning flowers popping up on verges, grassland, by the river and even in our gardens that we all pass each day. If you get the time to really look at them it’s incredible how beautiful and detailed they all are. Check out our video introduction to this below with suggestions of what to look out for to identify some wildflowers. There are also lots of great pocket sized I.D books available out there. I like to use the iNaturalist phone App. Cuckoo Flower I spotted these lovely Cuckoo Flowers, and there seems to be an abundance of them around this year. It has lots of names, I know it better as Ladies Smock but it is also known as the Mayflower, Milkmaid or the Fairy Flower. It grows in damp verges and meadows. Look out for its lovely delicate pale lilac/pink flowers in clusters with yellow anthers inside quite tall on thin stems with little thin stemmed leaflets. The Orange tip butterfly loves this flower! Marsh Marigold This cheerful member of the buttercup family lives in damp woodland. I saw this flower and others whilst walking a path by the river. It’s a beautiful sturdy plant. It has 5 golden yellow cup shaped sepals (not petals) and dark green shiny heart shaped leafs on a stong hollow stem. As it’s so bright they are pretty easy to spot even from afar. Wood Anemone In full flower at this time of the year (March-May) is the Wood Anemone. It is found in mature woodland, and is an indicator that you are likely standing in an ancient woodland site. It grows in great swathes like these ones. The gentle white leafed flower head turns in the direction of the sun throughout the day. It has 3 distinctive lobed leaves. A joy to see. Slender Speedwell This tiny little wildflower is often overlooked growing in grasslands and even sometimes on your lawn! It has lovely bluish flowers with white tips and kidney shaped leaves. It’s also sometimes known as Creeping Speedwell as it creeps through the grass. Keep an eye out for it. Lesser Celandine I love this Wildflower. It can be found in hedgerow and open woodland. It’s the first of the buttercup family to appear in spring. Growing low to the ground its bright cheery yellow petals stand out from its dark green shiny heart-shaped leaves, the flowers will only open up in the sun so look out for them. This is a good one to compare to the old faithful Creeping Buttercup or the Marsh Marigold – all from the same Family but they have differences! I hope you've enjoyed a wee look at my local wildflowers. I'm sure you'll spot lots of different ones too! Take care & stay safe! Love from WILD #lovethenatureonyourdoorstep

Hi Wild Friends, Today’s tree you might be lucky to spot around your neighborhood when you are out on your daily exercise at this time of year is the Wild Cherry Tree! This beautiful tree is very distinctive to spot especially at the moment as its blossom has just started bursting open and it has an absolute abundance of white flowers. Have a look at our video or check out the Wild Cherry Tree Identification Traits below. WIld Cherry Tree Identification Traits Flowers: Wild Cherry white flowers are in a cup shape and have 5 petals, the flowers grow in long stemmed clusters and they provide a welcome early source of pollen and nectar for bees. Leafs which are emerging along with the blossom at the moment are long – up to 15cm, they are toothed, slender and pointed at the tip. the stem turns red as it nears the branch. These leafs provide a bounty of food for the caterpillars of various moths that will be in the tree. Bark: The bark of the Wild cherry is very noticeable as the brown or grey branches have striped markings. The mature tree trunk like the one in these photo’s and videos have cream coloured horizontal strips on it that are called lenticels. Fruit: Later in the year the tree fruits small red berries which are loved by Blackbirds and Thrush, Wood mouse and Dormouse alike. Wild Cherry Folklore: In highlands folklore, Wild Cherry had mysterious qualities, and to encounter one was considered auspicious and fateful. Compare: You could compare this blossom to the Blackthorn Trees white blossom that’s also out just now. The Blackthorn flowers are much smaller, with smaller stems closer to the branch. Also the Blacktorn Trees blossom appears before the leaves. A splendidly beautiful and useful tree! Definitely worth keeping an eye out for! Take care folks - and we’ll see you all next week. Love from WILD

Hello Everyone This week's tree is the Ash. Ash is unpretentious and graceful in appearance. You can find Ash throughout Linn Park and surrounding area. Ash has beautiful smooth silvery bark in it's youth. Over time the bark becomes rougher and forms diamond shapes, similar to that of the Willow. Ash is an extremely strong wood, this may be a reason it is known for it's protective and healing properties. At the moment the buds are still closed. They're distinctive, black 'claw like' buds, contrasting with the silvery green of the tree's bark. Some say the buds look like 'witches fingernails'! The Ash tree is significant in many cultures and mythology. In Norse Mythology the Ash Tree is know as the World Tree or Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil connected the ocean to the earth to the sky along with all the creatures that lived in each element. If you like stories about Mythology, Gods and nature, this is great book for you. It also reminds us that all living things are closely connected. Have a safe week exploring the nature around you. Love from WILD

The leaves are just beginning to appear on this awesome tree. They're all tender and baby soft in comparison to the immense trunk and branches of tree. Oak is the second most common species of tree in the UK next to Birch. It supports an abundance of life. Oak forests support more life forms than any other native forest. They are host to hundreds of insect species, supplying many birds with an important food source. In autumn, mammals such as squirrels, badgers and deer feed on acorns. Flower and leaf buds of English oak are the food plants of the caterpillars of Purple Hairstreak butterflies. Bats also roost in old woodpecker holes or under loose bark, as well as feeding on the rich supply of insects in the tree canopy. The oak was sacred to many gods, including Zeus and Jupiter. Each of these gods ruled over thunder and lightning, and oak trees are often hit by lightning as they are the tallest living feature in the landscape. Good luck with finding an Oak tree on your walk. Take care, WILD :)

Hi Folks This week’s tree that would be nice to keep an eye out for is the Hawthorn. May really is the month that Hawthorn comes to life. It is very common and you can see it anywhere from gardens, lanes, verges, hedgerow and woodlands. It’s spiny bare branches now have a fresh coat of strong leaves and it’s stunning scented white blossom sets it apart from the crowd. Have a look at our video of the Hawthorn or see the identification traits to look out for below. Leaves – Feel tough to the touch with tufted hairs, darker green above paler below. They are small with 3-5 deeply divided toothed lobes. Flowers – They appear initially as tiny white balls in clusters then the white flowers open with a fantastic scent, white flowers with a pink tinge. The mass of leaves and flowers cover the whole tree and the branches droop as they are weighted down with them. Bark – Orangey and cracked, becoming gnarly with age in older trees. Value to Wildlife – Hawthorn provides food and shelter to lots birds, small mammals and a variety of insect life so is a very important tree! It’s home to many varieties of moth larvae like Ermines and Lappets, with the leaves a meal for the emerging caterpillars and the Hawthorn shield bug amongst dozens of other insects. Its seeds are sown by the birds, voles, mice that eat them. History - A Hawthorn can live for over 400 years and remains of it have been found in megalithic tombs. Hawthorn is so engrained in ancient history that its life cycle has become part of village life. From May-day celebrations to weddings, poets and writers have written about the Hawthorn representing human nature, rebirth and fertility. Mark the fair blooming of the Hawthorn tree, Who, finely clothed in a robe of white, Fills full the wanton eye with May’s delight. Chaucer. Good luck with finding the beautiful Hawthorn tree this week! Take care Love fromWILD

The Elder tree is one which is at the heart of Scottish Folklore and Mythology, sometimes referred to as the 'Mother of the Woodlands' due to it's protective, medicinal and culinary qualities. Elder are fairly small, growing up to 15m in height. It can be found across the UK in woodland and hedgerows. The flowers provide nectar for a variety of insects and the berries are eaten by birds and mammals. Small mammals, such as dormice and bank voles, eat both the berries and the flowers. Many moth caterpillars feed on elder foliage, including the white-spotted pug, swallowtail, dot moth and buff ermine The Elder flowers grow in large clusters of tiny white flowers. They can be used to make Elder flower cordial or Champagne. The flowers are edible when cooked, Elder flower fritters are a popular dish to make with them. The flowers are mildly poisonous so make sure they are cooked before eating. :) When pollinated by bees, flowers will turn to fruits in August/September. The berries can be used to make Elder berry wine or jam. The berries can also be used to make dye. The purple/blue colour they produced was used by Harris Tweed to achieve the desired colours for their yarns. The leaves of the Elder can have 5-9 leaflets which are oval shaped and toothed. Elder bark is grey/brown with a look of cork. The wood has a soft, pithy centre. If you find any dead Elder wood, branches or trees, you will notice a fungus growing on it called 'Jelly Ear'. This fungus is dark brown/purple, dome shaped, has a jelly like consistency and a velvet touch. It's advisable not to touch any fungus so have a close look if you do find some. Elder wood is great to craft with and makes a superb whistle or pea shooter. It's simple to hollow out due to the centre of the wood being soft and spongy. You can do this by using a skewer or stick. Here's a link to some brilliant things you can make with Elder. https://richardirvine.co.uk/2017/01/elder1/ Take Care, WILD

This weeks tree to identify is the Bird Cherry. It can be found in wet woodland and hedgerows as it seems to like to grow in cramped conditions. These photos of the Bird Cherry in our blog were taken on the banks of the White Cart river near Linn Park. As you can see the beautifully scented blossom is currently on show, spring time is best for all blossom displays. The flowers are clustered along short stalks. Like wild cherry, the flowers provide an early source of nectar and pollen for bees. The cherries are eaten by birds, including the blackbird and song thrush, as well as mammals such as badger and wood mouse. The leaves are oval and smooth except for the tufts of hair under the vein joints. Unlike wild cherry, the edges have fine, sharp serrations, with pointed tips. The leaves are eaten by caterpillars of many moth species, including the Bird Cherry Ermine Moth. The Bird Cherry Ermine moth larvae creates web-like nests sometimes covering the whole tree. They feed on the leaves and grow very quickly into caterpillars which in turn pupate into the (really quite beautiful) Bird Cherry Ermine Moth. Keep your eyes peeled for these webs as it's incredible to see just how many caterpillars are inside them. The bark of the bird cherry has the familiar stripes and papery thin features of all trees in the Cherry family. It's dark brown and has an acrid smell when cut. The smell is so strong it was believed to ward of the plague from a household if a branch was placed at the front door! Good luck in finding a Bird Cherry and everything that lives in it! Happy hunting :) W.I.L.D

I really do find that spending time in nature is always therapy for me. It's a chance to connect with the natural world as well as grounding myself with the calmness. Today I'm taking a bit of time to take in the wonders of the natural world as I walk up through the woods in Linn Park to find our Scots Elm or Wych Elm as it's known. I've chosen this tree to look at today as it is real sensory experience. It's early morning and the sun is breaking through the clouds, the light and shade glimmers and cascades through the canopy of leaves above me in all their subtle tones of greens. Activity Idea - Sit Spot This is lovely activity to do to foster our connections with nature. It's so simple - just take some time to sit in one spot in the woods. I like to find a tree and sit against it. Even just for a few minutes, it's amazing what you can see and hear. Seeing the many different leaves, the mosses, the wildflowers, and dropped seeds. The spider wandering across it's web. Closing my eyes heightens the other senses and I can hear birds near and far, spotting the blue-tits as they fly close repeatedly to help themselves to the Elm Seeds. I take in the earthy smell of the woods, grasses, bark and start to single out the different noises the trees are making as the wind flows through their leaves. Wonderful! The Scots Elm This is a resilient, determined, and hardy survivor of a tree! Elms generally have been in decline due to Dutch Elm Disease (a fungal infection carried by a beetle). The Scots Elm is hardier than most and although rare we still see it in good numbers in the NW of Scotland. This tree is unique for several reasons and if you check a tree identification guide under 'similar species' it says "none". I always feel so happy to see it. Have a look at our video or identification traits below to see what to look out for to spot this special tree. The Leaves The leaves are unique as they are asymmetric (most leaves are symmetrical). This means they are bigger on one-side than the other or unequal. They are also quite large and toothed with tapered points. A beautiful green, they have hairs on both sides of the leaf which when touched is rough to the feel like sandpaper. The Bark The bark of a mature tree is quite brown with deep vertical cracks - its very rough to touch. A younger tree is more grey and smooth. The branches are the other way round with a mature trees branches grey and the younger tree branches brown. The Seeds The Elms seeds are very visible just now. The are light green, flat papery round pods in clusters with the seed inside. The birds love them as a food source. They are falling off the tree like snow at the moment with lots lying on the ground to look at too. Other Elm species produce new trees through suckers that grow off their root systems, but the Scots Elm doesn't and new trees only grow from the seeds it sows. So that is our sensory journey around the Scots Elm tree. The rough hairy unequal leafs, cracked brown bark and papery light green seed pods to look out for. Finally the shape of the tree - historically Elms could be giants that lived for over 500 years but now it is much rarer to see older trees, however mature trees can be as tall as 40 meters and have several prominent trunks rising from one stout bole. It's been a real pleasure to be out in the woods this morning, I hope you all manage to get out and spend time in the wonder of nature too this week. Take care folks! WILD