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The weather continues to yo-yo between heavy rain and super-bright sunshine, which is great, but the sun is so low in the sky that we have to imagine where it might be in the spring and summer, after being blinded by it every time we look up!!

Luckily for us, today was a sunny day, although very wet underfoot, and nine woodlanders came out of the woodwork for a busy morning.

Matt, David, Steve, Marcus, Reece, Mark, Andrew, Dave, and Paul braved the cold and chopped back the second 150 metre length of this section.

It seems a bit brutal, but these trees are growing horribly crooked and are stopping the path floor from getting a decent hit of sunshine.

In a paragraph or two, I will show you what happens when trees are given the room to grow naturally, but before then, we had to squeeze in a coffee and flapjack break.

The thorny subject of a workday on the Wednesday before Christmas came up, which is Christmas Eve.

Shall I let them have a day off???

I had to have a conversation with Dougie, our Douglas Fir Christmas tree, to find the answer.

Sadly for me, I slipped over and slid 10 metres down the bank on my backside. Not happy and left me feeling even less charitable!!

Anyhow, we finished this part of the section, and it looked pretty good.

This is going to look awesome in the spring and summer.

We have some drainage pipes that we can install under Berrybanks and get this area dry again.

A big thank-you to the kind person who salvaged them for us. A job for the summer, me thinks.

We enjoyed our Christmas Lunch at the Bear Pub after the workday. Thanks, Steve, for organising.

Heavenly food and just nice to chat and chill, away from the actual path for a bit.

So, what happens if trees are allowed the space to grow?

If you remember, the path is part of a circular walk incorporating Cawston Greenway, Dunchurch Bridleway, and Cawston Spinney.

I spent some time with a group on Sunday doing a litter pick on the spinney part, and couldn’t help but notice the tree spacing.

Look at these beauties… Worth all the effort on the greenway path, don’t you think?

And a good haul of litter, too.

I also spent some time with another volunteer group further towards Leamington Spa, but on the same disused railway line. Lots of stuff newly learnt and ready to share, but that will have to be for another day.

Fungi Feature

Today is our last fungus, but oh boy is it a corker!

The stinkhorn is a phallus-shaped fungus that emerges from an egg-shaped base. It has an unmistakable and intense stench that has been likened to rotting meat. It can be found in woods and gardens, and is associated with rotting wood.

We found one in Cawston Spinney, and it don’t half pong…

Scientific name: Phallus impudicus

How to identify: It has a white stem-like structure that erupts from an ‘egg’, topped with a bell-shaped, olive-brown and slimy head. It has an offensive smell.

Where to spot: Woodland and gardens

When to spot: June to October

Did you know? The spores of the stinkhorn are contained within the slime that covers its cap. Flies are attracted to the offensive-smelling slime, in turn, scattering the spores.

I think that’s about it for this week. Thanks for reading, supporting, and otherwise just being on our side. Next one is in Dunchurch this Friday, which we still have space for anyone who would like to join in.

Until next time!

Paul