Monday's blog comes from Adam, a previous intern at Coombes Valley:
Aching, covered in mud, and more than slightly damp from the perspiration that comes with a day’s hard work, we called it quits. It was the end of my third day helping out with some chainsaw work at Coombes. It had been a year since I was last in these woodlands, but by the middle of the first day my mind suddenly remembered this job. The burn in the arms, the lack of grip between glove and moss covered log, but more so the stunning views and the sense of achievement when the work was complete. Hard work coupled with a constant reward for the senses and knowing you’re giving nature a home; this was the Coombes I know and love.
The re-spacing and thinning work we were doing should open up the canopy, letting more light into the woodland floor. This should encourage a rich diversity of flora in years to come, as well as create more room for star species, such as the dapper pied flycatcher and colourful redstart. It will also create a diversity of micro-climates, creating many niches for poikilothermic species (species that heat up in the sun), such as butterflies, moths and common lizards. Hopefully future visits will show how the habitat here develops and to see if the wildlife likes the renovations we have made to their home.
It was hard to believe it had been so long since I last worked here. The memories were still fresh. So fresh in fact, that stories of previous events struggled to not pour out of me. “This was where I sat when I decided to become a conservationist. And that’s where I saw my first ever nuthatch. Oh, I remember when…” I probably bored the others with such tales, but I had thousands more ready to relive.
Coombes Valley by Adam
It was so nice to have these memories refreshed; it reminded me of why my affinity for Coombes is as strong as it is. Amongst these trees was where friendships were made, strength of character (and bicep) discovered, and where my undying love for nature first blossomed. I’m sure that anyone who has visited would surely agree; Coombes Valley is indeed a very special place.
Not happy with the amount of memories it had already given me, Coombes worked some of that magic again. The strong sunlight drifting through the ageing oak leaves was breath-takingly beautiful.
Fieldfare by Kaleel Zibe - RSPB images
As I heard a quick chuck-chuck in the car park, I spun around, looking to the skies, to see a passing flock of fieldfare; my first of the season. What a gorgeous bird fieldfare are and that call is undoubtedly the definitive call of Autumn for me.
As we turned the chainsaws off and stopped to catch our breath, a peacock butterfly fluttered past us as if we weren’t even there. Watching it float quietly through the woodland in the dappled light, pure poetry.
Peacock by Adam
No matter how many times you have been here, Coombes keeps on gifting those special moments. The rich variety of flora and fauna, mixed with the incredible people who work there, continuously create countless memories for anyone who visits. And that, to me at least, is the beauty of Coombes.
For now, my time here has finished again. I’m certain to be returning in the future though, either for a nice woodland wander or to help out if I can. I’m sure you’ll agree, that once you have been to Coombes, you really can’t help but feel the need to keep going back.