Woodsman's Diary, April 2024
Written by Peter Forrester, Bushcraft Instructor

Spring has sprung and the sun is shining brightly (some of the time). This time of the year brings us both meteorological and astronomical spring, the latter referring to the earths position in its orbit and the former referring to when spring arrives based upon fluctuations in annual temperatures.

For us in the woods the stars rarely have an impact, but at this time of year those rising temperatures do, from around mid march it is possible most years to begin tapping birch trees for their delightful, slightly sugary sap which also contains numerous vitamins and minerals that are otherwise lacking in nature for the winter months. If you are going to get out and tap a birch tree however be sure to do it responsibly, as being overly enthusiastic when extracting the sap can cause the tree to become diseased and eventually die.

Whilst you enjoy your brew take a moment to stop, look and listen as the birds have begun their flurry of activity and are singing much more loudly than they did just a few weeks ago. Whilst the canopy above is making a fast yet hard to notice transition from dark brown to light green, as the first leaf buds of the year begin to open.

Take a Moment to Notice...

March, for me is a time to stop slow down and notice what is happening in nature as it wakes from its frozen winter sleep, in fact if you look at the ground you may see the first birds eggs littering the floor as they have been raided by hungry competitors, and squirrels are unearthing the last of their winter food stores leaving flashes of red and coffee brown left over and preserved from the previous years autumn. These changes may seem slow taking place over a few months but they are still ‘blink and you’ll miss them’ affairs.

Find out more about Peter and his outdoor adventures over on his YouTube Channel