Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2012 | Page 84

Countryside news with Tony Ridd What to look out for... Woodland therapy Scientists have found that a two-hour woodland walk enhances immune functions, reduces levels of stress and lowers blood pressure compared to similar walks in towns and cities. Researchers suggest that trees emit a fine mist of health-giving wood essential oils. In C anada, a study found that a 50-minute walk in woodlands improved cognition as measured by participants’ ability to remember a random string of digits and repeat them in reverse order, compared to those walking in town and city streets. A summer of mud One thing that has continued uninterrupted by this summer’s extraordinary weather conditions is Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s Forest School Programme. Reception children have enjoyed designing and sailing boats made from natural materials on the huge puddles created by the summer floods; made muddy ‘Gruffalo Pie’ and 84 www.visitislandlife.com gone on expeditions through Bouldnor Forest to the beach. Forest School sessions chiefly take place at the Trust’s Bouldnor Forest Reserve, where children can access woodland, heathland and coastal habitats. To find out more please contact Kathy Grogan on 01983 760018 or email [email protected]. Flying ants On hot days, winged ants can suddenly swarm out of the nests and fly away. These are males and new queens. Mating begins in the air and is completed on the ground, with the males dying shortly afterwards. Each queen must then either find an anthill with workers, which will accept her, or create a new colony. Puffballs The giant puffball is probably the largest fruiting fungus of any kind. They appear in late summer and autumn and can be the size of footballs sometimes much larger. When they are mature the outer wall breaks open and spores are released in response to physical contact such as a rain splash. Bats Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly, rather than glide. There are 18 species found in the UK of which 14 are found on the Island. All British bats are nocturnal and feed solely on insects, which is good this time of year as they can eat up to 1000 insects an hour, including gnats! Meadow Sweet This is one of the flowers of our countryside in the summer. Preferring damp ground, it produces a creamy-white frothy like mass of flowers, that give off a sweet and slightly sickly scent on a warm summers evening. It used to be laid on the floor in churches and other buildings to sweeten the air.