Westonbirt

We've spent a very enjoyable and educational day at the arboretum, with November sunshine too, and less mud than at Earlswood yesterday. Our friend had booked a guided walk around the old wood. Sadly he couldn't make it today - he would have loved it. There were just 10 of us in the group and although we had probably just missed the best colours it didn't really matter as the two guides were very knowledgeable and entertaining. 

The main blip shows the group setting off, with the rear marker guide looking back at me wondering what I was doing (I had spotted some fungi) and worried that she was going to lose one of the group from the start.

It was unlikely they were going to lose anyone in a group of 10. However there were hundreds of primary school children on visits, including 210 from one school in Bristol alone. Luckily we got to the loos before them, the queues afterwards were rather long. How on earth do the teachers keep track of them all?

We learned a lot about trees:

Apparently oak trees take 300 years to grow, 300 years to mature, and 300 years to die.
Forest bathing - shinrin yoku - is a Japanese process of relaxation, a simple method of being calm and quiet amongst the trees, which can help both adults and children de-stress and boost health and wellbeing in a natural way
Why leaves turn brown, red and then fall.

In the extras - a view of Westonbirt School which used to be the home of the Holford family who set up the arboretum in Victorian times
Some more fungi
Possibly the last acer leaf standing? (the guide said 'you should have been here last week!')

A great day out. Did I mention the sausage buns and hot doughnuts?

One year ago:
Wonky