Summer 2026 - The inevitable is here
The consequences of climate change have arrived and no longer form a part of a hypothetical future. All records for temperature have been shattered and rainfall none existent. The decline in insects at five acres is now reflected across a range of ecosystems both in the UK and throughout Europe. After a record breaking wet Winter the excess of rain was an indicator that the opposite could happen in the Summer.
This apple tree is hanging on but, in my experience, will not recover. It has also been severely damaged by an unknown herbivore likely to be Roe deer due to the height of foliage grazed.
This apple tree looked the same as the one described on the left last year. It started off with leaves but has since declined and with the high tempertures has not recovered.
The Winter soil was supersaturated and in the Summer baked hard. The soil is home to invertebrates and roots so its hardly surprising that insects and trees are struggling to survive. It is also quite clear that any plant that is isolated from other ground cover (from neighboring plants) struggle the most.
The trees below broke early season after the first two heatwaves. The wood was very brittle and dry. I have not cut them back as the large still alive branches provide a habitat for willife and further protect the ground
Below a well established apple tree struggling with newly planted trees in the background. This tree had a bumper crop last year.
Below this amazing apple tree gives me a great harvest 2 years out of 3 but has been severely damaged by herbivore grazing.
Project Bumblebee
Bumblees are around and I was lucky enough to film the one below trying to bury itself in the ground.
Late Spring and Summer 2026 - and project Bumblebee
Half the site is now dominated by established trees which are changing the soil climate beneath. With grass under trees giving way to dead leaves and twigs the diversity of invertebrates will change. I hope to encourage a different range of moisture levels and therefore bacteria, fungi and other beneficial microbes. A healthy ecosystem is built on the soil and harnesses a broad biological community.
Looking from left to right lush grass grows in the light gradually giving way to clumpy irregular growth and bare soil to the edge of the now receeding bramble. Light is the limiting factor of grass growth here.
This image shows soil here gets limited direct light and is surronded by different tree species. The thistle has spread its leaves as widely as possible to extract as much light as it can. An adaptive behaviour as they normally grow up towards the light to compete for solar energy.
This is a Tree Bumblebee, I think. I have a lot of wood piles in my bug zones, and this explains why I have a healthy population. They are especially fond of tree blossom and comfrey. This one was very thorough and systematic in its hunt for nectar and pollen.
As project Bumblebee gets under way I intend to monitor the many wildlife hotels on my site and attempt to identify as many species of bee as possible. Below is one of my well established invertebrate zones that I’m sure will be of interest.
Holy Bees - enhancing the habitat to encourage bee diversity
I’m in the process of creating a range of holes in various wood piles to accommodate bees. I recently watched a Martin Dohrn BBC documentary about garden bees and it has inspired me to do even more to encourage bee diversity at five acres. Bees love holes, a behaviour I have seen many times explained and collaborated by Martin.
Rabbits are difficult to film as they are so skittish. See if you can spot how many rabbits can be seen at the start compared to the end of this sequence.
Walnut trees are the last to come into leaf and the last to lose their leaves. This picture (left) shows the male flowers which along with the help of wind pollinate female clusters of smaller flowers (below). I have these around the site in different zones. It took a long time to get any walnuts but yields have imrpoved in the last couple of years.
