Debris

 

Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) have been busy.

Cone resin

Of late I've seen several of the forests' Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) cones oozing sticky fragrant resin, not just the cones either, their needle like leaves too. As well as being a highly prized and versatile timber with wide ranging use, and its needles making a renowned healing tea, the resin of the Douglas can also be used as an antiseptic to treat wounds, chewed as a gum, or used to treat coughs, colds and sore throats. I just love the smell of it. 

Fir Cone

 

We're more used to seeing coniferous cones in their final dry brown form littering the winter stands-if we register them at all, it's easy to forget how they began verdant, supple, delicate in form and colour; natures' designs are so cool. There are few different cones found in the New Forest, this one belongs to a Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).