Summer 14 Update Including Karaoke!

All the living roofs at the Centre are looking lush and verdant after spring rainfall and sunshine:

 

Roundhouse roof

 

Recycling Centre Roof

 

 

Dean Garden Room roof

 

As well as looking good they provide habitats and food for insects and help with retaining storm run off

The willow sculptures above the Tunnel System are also bushing well since planting in January.

 

We have installed a new sliding and concertinaing wall in the Dean Garden Room that separates the end of the building into a separate meeting room. This can then be opened back to create a larger space.

 

We  have also now equipped the main room with disco and Karaoke equipment for use by groups which is proving popular! 



Summer is here

Summer is definitely here with temperatures up to 29 degrees Centigrade today. The Pond Cabin Laboratory is hidden in the foilage and staying nice and cool over the pond.

The dragonflies are darting about the pond reeds.

The wild flower meadow on the roof of the Dean Garden Room is wafting gently in the breeze and attracting it's own collection of insect life.

There are many different varieties of wild flower growing. The grass will soon need a cut and we will then let it lie like hay on the roof to allow any wild flower seeds to disperse before then clearing the grass off. Removing the grass prevents too much nutrient build up in what should be a fairly poor soil. Cutting the grass a couple of times replicates grazing and prevents the grass out competing the wild flowers.

The living roof of the roundhouse is also looking good but we don't plan to cut it.

A wren has made a nest in the outside of the wall under the eaves. See red circle on photo below. 4 chicks are busily being fed by the parents and look about to fledge.

Roundhouse Receives International Acclaim!

The new Roundhouse has now been used by Forest Tots for the last two Fridays. It was particularly popular on Fri 12th April when a very heavy shower of rain had people scampering inside to keep dry.

Both Fridays new parents and toddlers have turned up for the first time and the Forest Tots organisers are planning for a busy summer. If the weather's anything like last summer they will certainly be glad of the roundhouse to shelter in at times.

The local paper (The Forest of Dean & Wye Valley Review) featured a nice 1/2 page article in last weeks edition and the Forest Tots Facebook page has been going viral with comments about the roundhouse with 'likes' being posted in America and other countries.

Tony Wrench, the Roundhouse Course Trainer, has just put a video up on YouTube about how to build a roundhouse that features our roundhouse. So if you want more information about how to build a roundhouse than shown in our last Blog post then have a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w42xQNov9qA

Roundhouse

For the last year we've been planning to build a roundhouse in the Centre Garden. It will provide a great shelter for Forest Tots - the Outdoor Parent and Toddler Group who visit every Friday - see Blog post March 12. We also intend to use it as a shelter when running bushcraft sessions. 

So How Do You Make a Roundhouse?:

1: Find someone who is an expert at making roundhouses - Tony Wrench

2:  Recruit lots of enthusiastic people who want to learn how to build a roundhouse. Provide warm and comfortable accommodation for them.

3: Source lots of wood. The majority of our wood was sourced within 50 metres of the build site. Additional wood came from the offcuts from a local sawmill and also scrap wood from the classroom build.

4: Mix ingredients 1-3 together.

6: Simmer on a low heat - averaging 3 degrees Centigrade! for 5 days

7: At this point you will have got the skelton of a roundhouse - a wooden henge and reciprocal frame roof.

8: Rest for two days so that you are ready to continue with renewed vigour

9: Clad the roof leaving a hole for light that you later cover with a recycled van windscreen to keep out the rain.

10: Cover with old carpet and then a waterproof membrane before cutting turfs 20 metres away to put on as a living roof.

11: Mix a cob from clay, sand and water to bind the log round wall together.

12: Add some magic in the form of recycled bottles that glow in the sunlight.

13: And put in a few port holes at toddler height made from old washing machine doors.

14: Feel a sense of satisfaction with a job well done.

15: Have an opening ceremony the next day with one of the main user groups - Forest Tots and find out what they think about your wonderful creation.



16: Well we think that's a thumbs up from the toddlers.

17: What a fantastic achievement from a great bunch of people in only two weeks that will give great enjoyment to many people for many years to come.