International Forest Day

Sunday was International Forests Day and we had a lot of fun on Instagram posting some photos and memories of some of our favourite forests. We thought we’d pick some of the best and put them on our blog. Enjoy!

First here are a few photos of Wistmans Wood, one of the very few remaining fragments of virgin Dartmoor forest.

This beautiful photo is taken near Hound Tor, this is Becka Brook in Becky Falls Ancient Woodland Park.

This is a personal favourite [Rich], the Forêt de Brocéliande around Paimpont in Brittany. Many of the Arthurian legends are set here and one of these shots shows a site called Merlin’s Tomb – there is a fountain of eternal youth nearby! There are a number of ancient and remarkable trees in the forest but the saddest is perhaps the Arbre d’Or, a golden tree ‘planted’ in memory of the devastating fire that swept through the forest in 1990.

These photos are from England’s only private woodland, Savernake Forest near Marlborough in Wiltshire. Some of the trees here are really old and you can sense the immense height of the canopy when you walk around. Many of the oldest trees are landmarks in their own right and their names are often marked on signposts. There is an amazing campsite there too which is the perfect place to explore the forest from.

These photos are from the woods around North Teign River, Gidleigh Park, and Fingle Woods. Love the different shades of green in the photos.

We’re back to Brittany in France now at the amazing Forest of Huelgoat. The village of Huelgoat is on a beautiful lake backed with ice cream shops and creperies. At the end of the lake you clamber over some boulders and find yourself in this stunning forest full of stories and legends. We enjoyed the 100 ton ‘Roche Tremblante’ which gently rocks and trembles as you push on it. It’s one of the few areas of ancient forest that once covered Brittany.

Did you know that forests cover 31 percent of the global land area, the tallest tree in the world is called Hyperion or that spending time in a forest is good for our physical and mental wellbeing as it boosts our immune system, lowers blood pressure and promotes relaxation?

What was your favourite experience in a forest? Maybe you have seen an elk bathing in a lake in the middle of a forest, gone forest bathing during a summer day, heard a woodpecker or built a hut out of branches?

The theme of the 2021’s International Day of Forests is ‘Forest restoration: A path to recovery and well-being’ Please read more about it here: https://www.un.org/en/observances/forests-and-trees-day

We will be posting some images of our favourite forests on our Instagram account through the day so if you haven’t found us already please take a look and follow us there!

Our Favourite Forests

International Day of Forests

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