May Journal: Hope on the waters edge
2nd May
Most of the brown hues left over from winter have now left the land. Fresh green reeds are pushing their way past the dead husks from last summer, fringing the ponds and ditches with vibrant new growth. The large oak trees are the last to come into leaf, slowly filling out the canopy across the landscape. Temperatures are climbing and our wild swimming lake is busy with bookings. The water is now only momentarily cool before the body quickly acclimatises.
5th May
Today we hosted a group visit from Stroud District Council to show them our rewilding land, eco-tourism projects, and talk about the future plans we have for the Estate. The cuckoo put in an appearance, delighting everyone.
In the afternoon, we were invited to attend a careers talk at Hartpury College to inspire students looking to work in the sector and showcase the many different paths into ecology and conservation. We love working with local colleges, whether as part of a research project, a location for fieldwork, or simply to inspire a sense of stewardship towards the natural world.
6th May
The next day, a PhD student from Hartpury College visited. They are undertaking a long-term project analysing the effect beavers have on biomass. The student had pre-mapped a detailed, overlapping route to fly her drone across the rewilding land, programming it to take a photograph every second. After three days, she had captured thousands of images, which will be stitched together to create a highly detailed bird's-eye view of the area where the beavers will be located.
She will return at this time each year to analyse changes in biomass and landscape as the beavers reshape the environment.
10th May
The cattle egret is back, staying so close to the herd that I worry he will be inadvertently trampled. But he knows exactly what he is doing, quickly darting in to feed on insects and worms revealed by the cattle's grazing and trampling.
13th May
Today we moved trees, which called for hands down the best machine ever: the tree spade. There is something endlessly mesmerising about watching it at work. The precision, the sheer power, and the way it can carefully lift and relocate entire trees never gets old.
In just one day, we moved eight hazels, five oaks, two alders and two limes, giving each the room it needs to thrive. These trees were carefully removed from a dense woodland in need of thinning. While it can sometimes feel counterintuitive, selective thinning plays an important role in creating healthier, more resilient woodlands. By opening up the canopy and reducing competition for light, water and nutrients, it allows the remaining trees and ground flora to flourish, encouraging a richer, more complex, multi-layered habitat full of life.
A little more light. A little more space. A woodland with the opportunity to breathe and evolve.
16th May
This week's heavy rainfall has re-saturated the ground, which is now flourishing with "weeds". The water level in the scrapes has crept back up, and a little egret can be seen stalking through the shallows. Along the banks, lapwings pace back and forth, releasing their high-pitched calls - an unmistakable sign that they are nesting.
With all this activity, I set up a few trail cameras in the hope of capturing these moments.
18th May
Our friends from Hartpury College are back, placing acoustic monitoring devices across the Estate's different habitats to capture birdsong through near-constant recordings. These will remain in place for two weeks before being collected and analysed. We are hoping they will reveal all sorts of birds we didn't even know were present.
20th May
The trail cameras have been collected and the recordings are delightful. Three lapwing chicks can be seen scurrying along the banks, their soprano calls rising above the wind. And this is just one brood - I suspect we have three or four breeding pairs in total.
It is such a joy to know that, for another year, these birds have found the safety they need to breed and help secure the future of this Red List species.
21st May
Elderflower seems to have bloomed overnight, filling almost every hedgerow with bright clouds of creamy white blossom. I collect it for the kitchens, where it will find its way onto our menus to nourish our wedding guests. We move in rhythm with the seasons, eating as much as possible of what nature offers.
Purple-blue comfrey lines the footpaths, thrumming with the sound of bees.
22nd May
The vet came out earlier in the week to carry out TB testing on our herd of Longhorn cattle. Today the results were read, and every single cow passed.
As ever, it is a huge relief, but especially so with calving just around the corner next month. We consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to be home to both a large badger sett and a happy, healthy herd of cattle.
23rd May
A week-long heatwave has arrived. Temperatures climb into the 30s and our newly planted trees require huge quantities of water to keep them alive. Meanwhile, the uncut meadows have grown waist high. The cover they provide from predators is invaluable, while overhead buzzards, red kites and kestrels scour the land in search of prey.
27th May
We now have six cattle egrets in residence. When startled, they break away in a pure white flock before dropping back down among the cattle once more. It is a beautiful symbiotic relationship, one we hope to emulate.
31st May
The team has been doing a great deal of work behind the scenes to launch a programme of Wellness and Nature events, beginning in June. From weekly yoga classes in the beautiful Gillyflower and a Summer Solstice Sound Journey, to Morning Chorus walks with an ecologist and Earth Listening Circles at the wild swimming lake, we hope to create experiences that welcome both guests and local people alike.
Our aim is to foster a community of people who want to live more mindfully and feel deeply connected with nature.
For more details and to book, please visit our Things to Do page. We would love to welcome you to Elmore Estate.
Written by Hazel Alabaster - Estate Ranger
