The first frost means that the blackthorn bushes (Prunus spinosa) of your Tiny Forest will be ready for picking! When foraging, it is important to leave enough for wildlife to eat. Fruit produced on trees and shrubs are a crucial source of food particularly for birds in Winter. A general rule of thumb for foraging is to only take up to a quarter of the total hoard that you find. However, if lots of people take this approach then there can still end up being very little left! Instead, make sure to always be leaving a generous amount behind. And if there is not much there to begin with, it is best to leave it all. 

Whether we celebrate Christmas or not, many of us in the UK will get some time off at the end of December. It can be tempting to spend it on the sofa, eating mince pies and watching films all day (and there is nothing wrong with that!), but it would benefit us and nature greatly if we added some time spent outdoors. The Wildlife Trust is challenging you to sign up for their free 12 Days Wild winter challenge, encouraging you to do one wild thing a day from the 25th December to the 5th January. Their Random Acts of Wildness include activities such as investigating animal tracks or taking photos of frozen cobwebs and leaves. Your Tiny Forest is the perfect place for this winter challenge! Aim for one visit a day for 12 days and your mind, body and nature will be thanking you!  

Another great action you can take for nature in December is to help grow our Tiny Forest movement and give a unique and meaningful gift of a tree. Find out how to Champion a Tree and make a difference this December. 

Head to your Tiny Forest during the first weekend of December to celebrate the annual Tree Dressing Day. Tree Dressing Day is all about celebrating the crucial role trees play in our lives, bringing out many old tree-decorating customs. From the Hindu tradition of Raksha Bandhan, through Japanese tanzaku and Christmas tree decorating, to very recent ‘yarn bombing’ - people all around the world have been gathering to celebrate the trees’ significance. Find inspiration at Common Ground or the Woodland Trust and choose a Tiny Forest tree to dress. Look for more sturdy trees or, in case of very young saplings, decorate the Tiny Forest fence or a well-established tree nearby the Tiny Forest. Oh, remember those blackthorn berries? Making sloe gin is a popular option for wild-crafting with sloes. It’s simple... you just need to wash and prick the skin of your sloes, then let them sit in a jar of gin for up to three months. Once you’ve collected some sloes, you can look for recipes online. 

With long nights, December might feel like a short month. On top of that many of us are busy buying gifts, preparing meals and holding Christmas parties. To make it possible to stay connected to nature in December, your task this month is quite simple. Firstly, you can Champion a Tree as a gift to help bring Tiny Forests to more people. Secondly, you can promise to simply visit your Tiny Forest at least once before the 25th of December!