Charles 'Chuck' Cuthbert
@charlie-cheeze.bsky.social
Chartered Forester with the ICF.
Ecology graduate.
Interested in wildlife, cycling and nice places.
Easily distracted by trees.
Ecology graduate.
Interested in wildlife, cycling and nice places.
Easily distracted by trees.
Whole tree harvesting utilises every grown part of a tree so that there is no waste product. Expensive hardwood logs, firewood & biomass chip going out regularly. Combining expertise from many contractors, these woodlands will have more habitat niches now than for many years. Better biodiversity.
July 29, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Whole tree harvesting utilises every grown part of a tree so that there is no waste product. Expensive hardwood logs, firewood & biomass chip going out regularly. Combining expertise from many contractors, these woodlands will have more habitat niches now than for many years. Better biodiversity.
Reposted by Charles 'Chuck' Cuthbert
The Big Butterfly Count 2025 is here and butterflies need our help 🦋🚨
This isn't just a survey, it's a rescue mission, and we need everyone to get involved.
No lab coats. No science degrees. Just 15 minutes of your time. ⏱️
Get out for the count 👉 bigbutterflycount.org
This isn't just a survey, it's a rescue mission, and we need everyone to get involved.
No lab coats. No science degrees. Just 15 minutes of your time. ⏱️
Get out for the count 👉 bigbutterflycount.org
July 18, 2025 at 6:30 AM
The Big Butterfly Count 2025 is here and butterflies need our help 🦋🚨
This isn't just a survey, it's a rescue mission, and we need everyone to get involved.
No lab coats. No science degrees. Just 15 minutes of your time. ⏱️
Get out for the count 👉 bigbutterflycount.org
This isn't just a survey, it's a rescue mission, and we need everyone to get involved.
No lab coats. No science degrees. Just 15 minutes of your time. ⏱️
Get out for the count 👉 bigbutterflycount.org
What can be better than to just chill out and watch butterflies for 15 mins wherever you are!
The @savebutterflies.bsky.social Big Butterfly Count begins!
Let's see if 2025 really is a better year than last (it seems to be so far 🤞)
Visit bigbutterflycount.org for more.
📷 White Admiral © Bob Eade
Let's see if 2025 really is a better year than last (it seems to be so far 🤞)
Visit bigbutterflycount.org for more.
📷 White Admiral © Bob Eade
July 18, 2025 at 3:19 PM
What can be better than to just chill out and watch butterflies for 15 mins wherever you are!
First records submitted for this year's Big Butterfly Count.
A lunchtime garden check with 9 spp! Nearly all on the buddleia, Gatekeeper on the Knautia and Common Blue on the globe thistle.
@savebutterflies.bsky.social
A lunchtime garden check with 9 spp! Nearly all on the buddleia, Gatekeeper on the Knautia and Common Blue on the globe thistle.
@savebutterflies.bsky.social
July 18, 2025 at 1:56 PM
First records submitted for this year's Big Butterfly Count.
A lunchtime garden check with 9 spp! Nearly all on the buddleia, Gatekeeper on the Knautia and Common Blue on the globe thistle.
@savebutterflies.bsky.social
A lunchtime garden check with 9 spp! Nearly all on the buddleia, Gatekeeper on the Knautia and Common Blue on the globe thistle.
@savebutterflies.bsky.social
A different site, some failing ash were removed through a light thinning to improve the remaining oak in the stand, creating open space & more daylight to the pond. All hand felled by an experienced chainsaw operative and extracted with tractor forwarder to roadside stacks for firewood sales.
July 16, 2025 at 5:30 PM
A different site, some failing ash were removed through a light thinning to improve the remaining oak in the stand, creating open space & more daylight to the pond. All hand felled by an experienced chainsaw operative and extracted with tractor forwarder to roadside stacks for firewood sales.
All the big timber stacks today! - Ash logs going for furniture making have been inspected by FC & cleared for export by Vastern.
- Firewood lined up as well, the 2 stacks pictured have been cut to 3m lengths and total 348m3.
- 29 year old ash with a 37cm diameter butt.
Plenty more to do on site!
- Firewood lined up as well, the 2 stacks pictured have been cut to 3m lengths and total 348m3.
- 29 year old ash with a 37cm diameter butt.
Plenty more to do on site!
July 16, 2025 at 2:26 PM
All the big timber stacks today! - Ash logs going for furniture making have been inspected by FC & cleared for export by Vastern.
- Firewood lined up as well, the 2 stacks pictured have been cut to 3m lengths and total 348m3.
- 29 year old ash with a 37cm diameter butt.
Plenty more to do on site!
- Firewood lined up as well, the 2 stacks pictured have been cut to 3m lengths and total 348m3.
- 29 year old ash with a 37cm diameter butt.
Plenty more to do on site!
Hare Vs Range Rover from my GoPro video of my road ride last week. The hare made it safely through as the car stopped in time! It was a crazy few seconds though!
July 14, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Hare Vs Range Rover from my GoPro video of my road ride last week. The hare made it safely through as the car stopped in time! It was a crazy few seconds though!
Slovene Lesson number 1:
Hello = zdravo
Please = prosim
Thank you = hvala
Beer = pivo
Water = voda
Sorry = oprostite
Only English = samo Angleshko
Easy right?!? It'll be harder to talk about wildlife, countryside management and forestry though...
Hello = zdravo
Please = prosim
Thank you = hvala
Beer = pivo
Water = voda
Sorry = oprostite
Only English = samo Angleshko
Easy right?!? It'll be harder to talk about wildlife, countryside management and forestry though...
July 14, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Slovene Lesson number 1:
Hello = zdravo
Please = prosim
Thank you = hvala
Beer = pivo
Water = voda
Sorry = oprostite
Only English = samo Angleshko
Easy right?!? It'll be harder to talk about wildlife, countryside management and forestry though...
Hello = zdravo
Please = prosim
Thank you = hvala
Beer = pivo
Water = voda
Sorry = oprostite
Only English = samo Angleshko
Easy right?!? It'll be harder to talk about wildlife, countryside management and forestry though...
It certainly feels like a good butterfly year but data like this is invaluable for a better and deeper understanding of population levels.
@ukbutterflies.bsky.social
The UK's Butterfly Conservation Big Butterfly Count is now just days away...
@ukbutterflies.bsky.social
The UK's Butterfly Conservation Big Butterfly Count is now just days away...
Is 2025 (red lines) a good butterfly year? Yes, on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects there are more butterflies than in 2023 and 2024. Numbers almost exactly equal 2022. But look at the 1990s. Compared to then it is a poor butterfly year. Shifting baselines!
July 14, 2025 at 12:21 PM
It certainly feels like a good butterfly year but data like this is invaluable for a better and deeper understanding of population levels.
@ukbutterflies.bsky.social
The UK's Butterfly Conservation Big Butterfly Count is now just days away...
@ukbutterflies.bsky.social
The UK's Butterfly Conservation Big Butterfly Count is now just days away...
UK to Slovenia by train now booked. 2 overnights on the way there, 1 on the way back:
July 13, 2025 at 2:22 PM
UK to Slovenia by train now booked. 2 overnights on the way there, 1 on the way back:
Steep(ish) ground and Storm Darragh windblow tidying up in Yorkshire. Experienced team working through trying to recover as much spruce timber as possible. Had to wait for FC felling licence and breeding birds to finish but can now crack on. Restocking plans to make now already for this autumn.
July 7, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Steep(ish) ground and Storm Darragh windblow tidying up in Yorkshire. Experienced team working through trying to recover as much spruce timber as possible. Had to wait for FC felling licence and breeding birds to finish but can now crack on. Restocking plans to make now already for this autumn.
SSSI in Yorkshire which was spruce and larch now restocked with native broadleaves. Natural regeneration being heavily browsed by hares but survival rates are about 92% with the cell grown nursery supplier we used. In the drought of this year, that's really good!
July 4, 2025 at 1:46 PM
SSSI in Yorkshire which was spruce and larch now restocked with native broadleaves. Natural regeneration being heavily browsed by hares but survival rates are about 92% with the cell grown nursery supplier we used. In the drought of this year, that's really good!
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
An excellent radio interview with the Royal Forestry Society here & partnership with Gateshead Council school projects. Was broadcast yesterday. 1st bit starts about 2 hours 16,
& 2nd bit about 2 hrs 40 ish.
@royalforestrysoc.bsky.social
@gatesheadcouncil.bsky.social
An excellent radio interview with the Royal Forestry Society here & partnership with Gateshead Council school projects. Was broadcast yesterday. 1st bit starts about 2 hours 16,
& 2nd bit about 2 hrs 40 ish.
@royalforestrysoc.bsky.social
@gatesheadcouncil.bsky.social
Anna Foster - 30/06/2025 - BBC Sounds
Stories, Music, Life, including Time Of Our Lives from 1pm to 2pm with Anna.
www.bbc.co.uk
July 1, 2025 at 1:03 PM
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
An excellent radio interview with the Royal Forestry Society here & partnership with Gateshead Council school projects. Was broadcast yesterday. 1st bit starts about 2 hours 16,
& 2nd bit about 2 hrs 40 ish.
@royalforestrysoc.bsky.social
@gatesheadcouncil.bsky.social
An excellent radio interview with the Royal Forestry Society here & partnership with Gateshead Council school projects. Was broadcast yesterday. 1st bit starts about 2 hours 16,
& 2nd bit about 2 hrs 40 ish.
@royalforestrysoc.bsky.social
@gatesheadcouncil.bsky.social
Just added up the planting reservations for 25/26, looks like we'll be putting more than 64ha of new woodlands in the ground within the next 6-8 months!
June 30, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Just added up the planting reservations for 25/26, looks like we'll be putting more than 64ha of new woodlands in the ground within the next 6-8 months!
Glow worms at Ketton tonight
June 28, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Glow worms at Ketton tonight
skywriter.blue/pages/did:pl...
Some interesting points in here from Monbiot. I don't like antagonising anyone, or calling out & pointing at the way other people do things, but it's true that there are great disparities & there's got to be new answers sought. Must think about what's best though.
Some interesting points in here from Monbiot. I don't like antagonising anyone, or calling out & pointing at the way other people do things, but it's true that there are great disparities & there's got to be new answers sought. Must think about what's best though.
Page by George Monbiot | @georgemonbiot.bsky.social
1. Researching my latest column, I was astonished to stumble across this. Sarah Langford presents herself as a guardian of the countryside and champion of rural people and their culture. Yet it’s hard...
skywriter.blue
June 28, 2025 at 1:44 PM
skywriter.blue/pages/did:pl...
Some interesting points in here from Monbiot. I don't like antagonising anyone, or calling out & pointing at the way other people do things, but it's true that there are great disparities & there's got to be new answers sought. Must think about what's best though.
Some interesting points in here from Monbiot. I don't like antagonising anyone, or calling out & pointing at the way other people do things, but it's true that there are great disparities & there's got to be new answers sought. Must think about what's best though.
Checking in with the 18ha afforestation from last PY24/25, now gives full public access to a site which previously farming operations couldn't allow. The farmer just wanted trees rather than a less productive small farm. About 17% losses with the drought. And a Leopard Moth, not common for the VC.
June 26, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Checking in with the 18ha afforestation from last PY24/25, now gives full public access to a site which previously farming operations couldn't allow. The farmer just wanted trees rather than a less productive small farm. About 17% losses with the drought. And a Leopard Moth, not common for the VC.
Deadwood retentions and healthier ash seed trees, amongst the excellent harvesting job the contractors are fulfilling. Brash material stacks utilise every part of the tree, with most trees being good timber logs and so far about 1/8 total volume as firewood.
June 26, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Deadwood retentions and healthier ash seed trees, amongst the excellent harvesting job the contractors are fulfilling. Brash material stacks utilise every part of the tree, with most trees being good timber logs and so far about 1/8 total volume as firewood.
Ash logs getting laid out for sale. These are the first of 1900m3 being worked from now into the next few weeks by very experienced contractors on a private estate.
It was very hot work for the contractors, & I recognise their efforts involved in getting these already prepared for uplift.
It was very hot work for the contractors, & I recognise their efforts involved in getting these already prepared for uplift.
June 19, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Ash logs getting laid out for sale. These are the first of 1900m3 being worked from now into the next few weeks by very experienced contractors on a private estate.
It was very hot work for the contractors, & I recognise their efforts involved in getting these already prepared for uplift.
It was very hot work for the contractors, & I recognise their efforts involved in getting these already prepared for uplift.
Found Bambi yesterday just laying around in the woods.
June 18, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Found Bambi yesterday just laying around in the woods.
I visited this colony when the parent birds were just back from over wintering, to see the chicks now would be lovely. Another trip to Suffolk needed very soon!
Sand Martin chicks at the entrance of their nest burrows at Minsmere, Suffolk, waiting for the parent birds to bring food, and almost ready to fly!
@rspbminsmere.bsky.social @rspbengland.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social @suffolksnaps.bsky.social
@rspbminsmere.bsky.social @rspbengland.bsky.social @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social @suffolksnaps.bsky.social
June 3, 2025 at 7:41 PM
I visited this colony when the parent birds were just back from over wintering, to see the chicks now would be lovely. Another trip to Suffolk needed very soon!
Finally made it to the Forest of Dean and it was a windy and damp arrival, but brought out a green lushness to the forest mosses and I'm sure the birds were singing more brightly for it too! Noted wild boar snuffling marks already and much understory in this mixed oak, even-aged part of the woods.
May 27, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Finally made it to the Forest of Dean and it was a windy and damp arrival, but brought out a green lushness to the forest mosses and I'm sure the birds were singing more brightly for it too! Noted wild boar snuffling marks already and much understory in this mixed oak, even-aged part of the woods.
Just the crackling fire to keep us warm and the background roar from the weir where we swam earlier.
May 25, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Just the crackling fire to keep us warm and the background roar from the weir where we swam earlier.
Enjoying simple riverside life this weekend. Some lovely old willows falling apart and lots of birdsong all around.
The woodsmoke drifting and blending with coffee aromas into my senses.
Occasional showers of rain coming through to keep everything feeling fresh.
Canoeing later.
The woodsmoke drifting and blending with coffee aromas into my senses.
Occasional showers of rain coming through to keep everything feeling fresh.
Canoeing later.
May 25, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Enjoying simple riverside life this weekend. Some lovely old willows falling apart and lots of birdsong all around.
The woodsmoke drifting and blending with coffee aromas into my senses.
Occasional showers of rain coming through to keep everything feeling fresh.
Canoeing later.
The woodsmoke drifting and blending with coffee aromas into my senses.
Occasional showers of rain coming through to keep everything feeling fresh.
Canoeing later.
I'm delighted that there is a result in this court ruling favouring a person's right to wild camp without breaking the law on Dartmoor.
I believe with the right and reasonable measures in place this ought to be possible in other areas.
Leave no trace & respect the natural world & private property.
I believe with the right and reasonable measures in place this ought to be possible in other areas.
Leave no trace & respect the natural world & private property.
Victory for wild camping at the Supreme Court!
The verdict is a relief– but Dartmoor remains the *only* place in England & Wales where the public has a right to wild camp
Labour must now pass a new right to roam act to defend & extend the public’s access rights
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
The verdict is a relief– but Dartmoor remains the *only* place in England & Wales where the public has a right to wild camp
Labour must now pass a new right to roam act to defend & extend the public’s access rights
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Wild camping on Dartmoor is legal, supreme court rules
Case came to supreme court after court of appeal determined the term ‘open-air recreation’ included camping
www.theguardian.com
May 21, 2025 at 8:20 PM
I'm delighted that there is a result in this court ruling favouring a person's right to wild camp without breaking the law on Dartmoor.
I believe with the right and reasonable measures in place this ought to be possible in other areas.
Leave no trace & respect the natural world & private property.
I believe with the right and reasonable measures in place this ought to be possible in other areas.
Leave no trace & respect the natural world & private property.