Welcome! Moors Wood is a small private woodland owned and managed by Sarah and Ian Blenkinsop as a nature reserve and as a sustainably managed source of various wood products.

Sarah is a freelance Environmental Educator, Lecturer and Forest School Leader. Based at her own site at Moors Wood, Sarah provides fun natural/recycled craft workshops; play or storytelling sessions; eco themed parties; workshops on food preservation, setting up an organic garden, setting up a composting area or keeping chickens; or training courses in various woodcraft and play skills. These services are available for adults and/or children. Sarah is also very happy to come to you and deliver any of the above, or to give talks to groups.

Follow the links to find out more about what is on offer. Please click on the photos if you need to make them larger. Also visit Sarah's other site, The Compost Bin, for more general info and advice on sustainable living.

A very Merry Christmas from all of us at Moors Wood







... to you all.


Hope all of you are well and happy and stay healthy!

with love from Compostwoman and all the family (human, cat and chicken plus all the wild creatures in the wood and garden )


Look forward to meeting you on a course, an event, a workshop, a talk or just for a chat in 2018

xxx

Compostwoman been hacked on Instagram :(


Anyone who follows me as Compostwoman on Instagam, my account has been hacked and it's now no longer under my control. You will still see a load of my photos up there, but under another email and name :(

I have complained to Instagram but they have been utterly useless, so PLEASE do unfollow the imposter and follow me, instead as sarahblenkinsop. 

The Instagram button on the LH sidebar takes you to the new Instagram page, as does THIS LINK to my instagram account :)

Thank you, and if you feel like complaining BEFORE you unfollow the imposter - do feel free!

Damson Vodka ( or Gin)


Quite a few people recently have asked me how I make the  Damson and the Blackcurrant flavoured Vodkas I give away as Christmas gifts. Anyone who was at the FSA Conference a couple of years ago,  will have tasted some of my Hedgerow vodkas :) 


Well, if you come on one of my Preserving talks, or workshops, you can find out :)

But as it's near ish to Christmas/Yule I thought I would tell you ( and show you!) how *I* do it. 



Take a clean jar, I used a Le Parfait jar, but any wide necked jar will do.

Put in washed, pricked fresh fruit and add spirit of choice. I have found Vodka or Brandy to be good - it doesn't have to be an expensive brand. Gin is also do- able ( but I don't like Gin!) 

If you don't want to have to prick the fruit, freeze the fruit whole, then put it in the jar and pour on the spirit. The liquid will rapidly cause the fruit to split.

Add sugar. It is better to add too little as you can always add more, if you want it sweeter when you taste test it!

Put the jar somewhere you can shake/upend until all the sugar has dissolved.

Put away in a cool, dark place.

Leave for up to a year...I have found if you leave it longer than that it might get a slightly musty taste.On the other hand it might become divine and utterly delish! So it is up to you to keep on tasting the jar occasionally!

Strain (I use one of those permanent coffer filters for this inside a funnel, all sterilised) into a suitable bottle ( I save the small wine bottles one can get (25 or 35 cl) is these are ideal to give as gifts as well!)



Label.

Drink!


Damsons in Vodka and sugar


After a day of shaking/soaking

PDC completed!


Our final design for The Hub area :) 

What the area looked like in March




During our final weekend in June






Finished work at the end of the 6 month weekend PDC :) 






Image may contain: 3 people, people standing, grass, beard, tree, child, outdoor and nature
So now I have a Permaculture Design Certificate

Moors Wood NOT at Hellens in June 2017!

Please note, I am NOT at Hellens in June  this year - I'm doing the final weekend of my PDC that weekend!

The Big Apple Blossomtime.


Yet again the Wheel of the Year turns around and it is May Day weekend!

So, as always, I was "just up the road" at Putley Green for The Big Apple Blossomtime celebration weekend.





I took Peck and Magpie along as their first outing to Blossomtime, as Fleck wasn't feeling too well.



Seed planting, plant sales,  compost and chicken keeping advice and general talk on growing plants, sustainability and a greener lifestyle.


And cider :)

Spring Greens Schools event at Court of Noke, Herefordshire


Inaugeral outing for Son of Algy, Magpie and Fleck and Peck the Serama pullets



Fabulous marquee, where I ran 45 min long workshops  throughout the day, on composting and chicken keeping for six different primary school groups. Each child also got to decorate a paper cup and plant a seed in it to take away :)


The amazing barns






The theme of the event, held over two days , was 'The Idealistic Home' and what it might contain.

My idealistic home obviously contained composting, chickens and lots of veg growing space along with a wildlife habitat :)

RIP Algy the Serama cockerel

RIP Algy. The one and only @Algythechicken. 


He died peacefully last night around midnight, whilst being cradled in my arms. Much loved companion, who has done so much to educate (and enchant) people about the delights of keeping chickens. 
Those of you who have seen me at events, or workshops or ever been to Moors Wood in the last 4 years will no doubt have met Algy! Small in stature but big in personality and affection


I shall miss your company enormously whether at events, in my tent at festivals, 





when we did workshops and shows, at festivals, 


in the polytunnel and just by my side pottering in the garden.


Fly high and free little fellow and enchant everyone, wherever it is you are headed.

The chickens are out!



Finally!

After nearly 3 months of being kept inside due to the Avian Flu lockdown I let the chickens out to taste fresh grass for the first time since December :)










So of course they came and " helped" me with my composting work. Normal service resumed :)


10 years ago, today

10 years ago today, it was snowing here at Moors Wood !







and had been for some days.





Bit of a contrast with today! Last night we had a terrific storm, which actually managed to overturn this (heavy!) hen run on to its top. Fortunately it was empty, all the big hens are still inside the Mega Hen Pen as part of the Avian flu lockdown and all the Seramas (apart from Algy) are in the polytunnel for the same reason. Algy is, of course, inside the house with us ;)

No snow at all this last winter, here.

Weekend 1 of PDC at Applewood

I've finally started doing something I've wanted to do for a long time - a Permaculture Design Certificate.

So I've spent the last two days at Applewood Permaculture Centre doing the first weekend of a 6 weekend, 12 day PDC


Learning about stacking and edge effects


Making a mulch bed.





Made some new friends as well :)

Hard work, long days and I loved every moment of it :)

I'll be at Applewood for a weekend every month, ending in June, after which, fingers crossed I will be the proud posessor of a Permaculture Design Certificate :)


Hard work, long days and I loved every moment of it :)