Woodland Wisdom

Nick Pierce is an editor and author. He studied English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford and is an enthusiastic rambler and forager, often spending his weekends exploring Britain’s majestic woodland. His other interests include cinema and history. He has yet to try harvesting and cooking snails or grasshoppers, but is sure that one day he’ll feel brave enough to try! He is based in West Sussex.

This beautifully presented book is a treasure trove of practical information, magical tales and folklore about forests. On the practical side, there is much to learn about the different types of woodland, the biology of a tree, dendrochronology and the various species of animals and plants that live in forests around the world. To put some of this knowledge to use, there’s a craft section with plans for a bird house, an introduction to whittling techniques and a guide to coppicing. If approached with caution, the forest can be a source of food and medicine too, as the section on foraging and folk remedies proves. Safety advice is provided throughout alongside guides to identifying edible plants and fungi and even invertebrates – apparently ants and grasshoppers can be tasty snacks! The traditional remedies include herbal poultices for aches and pains. Perhaps the most fascinating chapter is that on folklore, which includes forest-related mythology and fairy tales from around the world, as well as exploring the wood’s place in traditional and modern literature and music. With its entertaining prose and beautiful illustrations, this is a perfect book to dip into when you’re taking a well-earned rest from furniture making!

• Introduction 6 WOODS, TREES & FORESTS 8Woodland & forests 12A world of forests 14Main types of forest 15The evolution of forests 18Frozen forests 22Life cycle of a tree 24Know your roots 28Inside the trunk 30Branching out 31Big trees 32Green energy 34How to identify trees 36Dendrochronology 44Weird woods 46 FOREST FAUNA & FUNGI 50Fungi 54Insects 54Mammals 62Birds 66Reptiles 70 WOODLAND CRAFTS 74Make a bird house 78Make a besom 81Whittling for beginners 82Pressing flowers 84Coppicing & pollarding 86 FORAGING & FOLK REMEDIES 88Safe foraging 92Edible plants 94Foraging for fungi 100Edible invertebrates 104Folk remedies 106Treating aches & pains 108What to do if lost in the woods 110 FORESTS IN FOLKLORE 112Forest mythology 116Forests and fairy tales 120William Shakespeare’s woods 122Forests in modern culture 124 Further reading 126Useful websites 127