Whether you’ve taken part in activities for our woodland week or not, try and take some time to visit the woodland in the coming weeks. Started in 2009 and with over 10,000 trees planted so far the Alderney Community Woodland is aimed at being a great natural asset to the island. Not all of the thousands pf saplings planted will go on to become grand old trees, many will be naturally out-competed and some will not survive in this fairly hostile environment (full of strong winds and salty air). However those that do, native, broadleaf trees such as oak, birch, beech and ash will become vital habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, increasing the diversity on island.

You might have heard of ‘forest bathing’ which gained popularity this year, from the Japanese practise of shinrin-yoku, this focuses not on exercising as with when you go running or hiking, but rather immersing all your senses in the natural world. It can be going for a slow walk in the woods, with no planned route or time frame, making sure to leave your phone and camera at home. This lets people unplug and de-stress by re-connecting with nature, participants have been shown to have significantly lower rates of depression and anxiety. There’s no reason to confine yourself to a woodland either, but why not let that be your starting point – you never know what benefits you might gain from something as simple as a walk amongst the trees.