Acorn collecting with Bere Regis Primary School

Wild Woodbury was a hive of activity recently as pupils from Bere Regis Primary School came to visit. Their mission was to collect acorns to be planted on site at a later date, marking the beginning of the ambitious Oak Henge Project.

After a busy summer of wildlife surveying and habitat monitoring at Wild Woodbury, our team were ready to progress onto the next phase of Dorset Wildlife Trust’s first community rewilding project; Oak Henge.

The Oak Henge project serves as a true symbol of the vision of Wild Woodbury. The aim is to plant hundreds of acorns in the 40-acre open access field, creating the beginning of what will be an 800-year living Oak Henge. By facilitating such a long-term project, the hopes are to inspire future generations to enjoy and engage with nature and create long-lasting positive change to combat the climate crisis.

Local artist's impression of Oak Henge after two years

Local Artist / What Oak Henge will look like two years after the acorns have been planted at Wild Woodbury

A local artist's impression of Oak Henge after 80 years

Local Artist / What Oak Henge will look like 80 years after the acorns have been planted at Wild Woodbury

A local artist's impression of Oak Henge after 400 years

Local Artist / What Oak Henge will look like 400 years after the acorns have been planted at Wild Woodbury

But before we could begin to plant the acorns, we needed to collect them. To gather the 300+ acorns required for such an ambitious project, we enlisted the help of the pupils from Bere Regis Primary School. The children arrived on a wet, grey morning at Wild Woodbury, but they didn’t let the autumnal conditions dampen their spirits.

The site was soon filled with the sounds of excitement and laughter as the first wave of enthusiastic schoolchildren rushed to the open access field. There, they were met by Seb, Wild Woodbury Community Engagement Officer and Rob, the Project Manager. After a captivating introduction to the project and mission for the morning, the pupils began to eagerly explore the floor of the woodland.

Although tasked with collecting acorns, the children were often understandably distracted by the diverse nature that Wild Woodbury has to offer. It was inspiring to witness young and inquisitive minds so captivated by discoveries of woodlice, shield bugs and fallen leaves. Seb and Rob became inundated with questions which were patiently answered with a matched passion. These interactions demonstrate the importance of Seb’s role as Community Engagement Officer.

Speaking to the schoolchildren reaffirmed the value of nature to younger generations. Often dismissed as being tech-obsessed and disconnected from nature, a simple acorn picking task revealed that young people are heavily invested and take tremendous joy in nature. Amongst the competitive chatter of who had stuffed the most acorns in their pockets were extremely nature-positive statements. “I love wildlife!” stated one child, who proceeded to tell me that their favourite animal was in fact a seagull – an unusual yet heart-warming proclamation! Some of the older children were able to understand and communicate the long-term aim of their task and the overall project, explaining their role in creating a long-lasting space for nature and people that will be enjoyed “even after we’re all gone”.

Before long, it was time for the children of Bere Regis Primary School to head back and prepare the acorns for planting. Prior to their arrival, Seb and Rob provided the school with soil taken from the field in which the oak saplings will be planted to allow the acorns to acclimatise to the soil conditions on site. Once the children have had the chance to witness the acorns germinate and grow to a suitable size, they will be planted in the open access field next year.

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