15 Tuesday Jan 2019
Posted in 365DaysWildin2019, nature, trees, weather, winter
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More un-forecast rain stopped play today or, at least, limited it to a stroll around the town in full wet weather gear. Still, there are always things to see, especially if you work with the weather, and use a little imagination. So, while you might think this is just water running down a tree trunk, I see an eye shedding a tear.
05 Monday Feb 2018
Tags
bark, bracket fungi, lichen, nature's patterns, patterns, patterns in nature, reeds, water, wood
The ‘undiscovered country of the nearby’ ~ Robert Macfarlane, The Wild Places
11 Thursday Jan 2018
Tags
bark, bark of trees, Birch bark, properties of bark, Scots pine bark, Sessile oak bark, tree bark, treecreeper, uses of bark
The skin of a tree is an amazing thing but, rather than launch in to a scientific description of its various layers, I thought I’d share just a few examples of its incredible capabilities.
The bark of the Birch tree (Betula sp.) contains good quantities of volatile oils, making it both waterproof and highly resistant to decay – the wood inside rots before the bark does.
The cracks and crevices in the bark of many tree species are great hidey holes for a wide range of small insects that make their homes there.
A good number of insects means a plentiful supply of food for birds like the Treecreeper whose beak can easily probe those hidey holes.
The high levels of toxic tannins in the bark of the Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) help protect it from insects.
The bark of the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is thick enough to protect it from the fires that would occasionally sweep through its forests in prehistoric times.
Bark is also home to huge numbers of different lichen and moss species, many of which have adapted to life on the barks of specific trees.
Some animals eat bark – voles, deer and beavers, for example, and squirrels will strip the fibrous bark of certain trees to make their dreys warm and cosy.
The bark of some trees is fibrous enough to make rope and weave baskets.
11 Monday Jan 2016
Posted in nature, nature photography, trees
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During a recent walk through the cemetery after a particularly stormy night, I noticed paper strewn around amongst the graves and was angrily muttering to myself about disgusting humans when I realised it wasn’t paper but bark. The Paper birch (Latin name: Betula papyrifera; other common names: white birch and canoe birch) has quite striking white, sometimes pinkish, bark that peels to reveal a pale orange bark underneath.
The Paper birch was introduced to Europe in the mid 18th century and is still a popular ornamental addition to parklands and large gardens, but it is native to North America, where its oil-rich bark has been used by the indigenous peoples to make various items, from cartons and boxes to canoes and tepees. As the bark will even ignite well when wet, it is a useful fire starter, and it also has medicinal uses, as a poultice on wounds, as a cast for broken bones and for treating respiratory problems. More recently, it has been used to make ice-block sticks and toothpicks, and strips of bark are used to make handicrafts and to decorate floral arrangements. I think I’ll be picking up all that ‘paper’ and bringing it home next time!
