Deck the halls...with sustainable decorations this year

As winter draws in and the incessant rain of this autumn gives way to sleet, snow and a frosty glaze covering the morning earth, preparations for the Christmas festivities are appearing all around us. Towns and villages across Shropshire have been putting up their Christmas lights and decorations for a few weeks now; whilst as I write this, Shrewsbury itself prepares for the big switch on of Christmas lights this evening (20^th November). A few of the FSC Preston Montford team will be in attendance to enjoy the music, lights and joy – by the time you’ve read this we won’t still be there, but if you want to imagine us to still be at the Christmas lights party, feel free. This however, started me thinking about how I’ll decorate my flat and how we will decorate FSC Preston Montford as sustainably as possible.

One of the most straight forward ways for us as a centre to achieve this is to use the natural materials around us to create some lovely wreaths. All that is required is some willow or bendy hazel and a range of plants that can be attached to the willow / hazel ring. We tend to use ivy, holly, teasels, pine cones, raffia, dried fruit, dried flowers and grasses – anything you can work into the wreath to make it look pretty. Here are a few examples of our wreaths and some of materials that we use to make them.

Foraged materials from around our centre and our own gardens.

Natural wreaths have texture and interest. You can dd foliage and holly with berries to yours for more colour.

Natural wreath and Christmas tree decorations.

Aside from wreaths, there are plenty more decorations that can be made from wood and the nature you find around you. Here are some small Christmas trees, stars and animals created with a bit of willow weaving or with pine cones and twigs.

Pine cone reindeer, Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/347692033711650729/

If you want to take it up a level, Arran our Education Team Leader informs me that he has previously made reindeer out of blocks of wood and twigs / small branches, like the ones below. I think they’re pretty awesome!

Log reindeer, Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/357614026644245698/

Meanwhile, Jenny our Growing Confidence Project Officer brings some ideas from the country renowned for its Christmas celebrations – Germany – which I might attempt to make this year.

Christmas tree ladder hanging - a great craft activity to do with children, Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/134685845082312141/

I hope you can appreciate all the different natural decorations you can start making to brighten up your homes this Christmas – many of which will adorn our centre (keep an eye out on twitter for photos!). The last and, perhaps most important decoration in any home or Field Centre is of course the Christmas tree! Like me, you may have been struggling with the thorny – some might say needley! – issue of natural or artificial tree for some time. Here is a link to a BBC News article on the subject. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38129835. It seems that to ensure your artificial tree has a lower carbon footprint you need to use it for at least 10 years, otherwise a natural tree is best. Of course there are other issues like how biodegradable each is.

You may be asking, like I was before joining FSC Preston Montford, where we get the material from to make these wreaths and other wonderful decorations. Well, I’m glad you asked, because winter is the perfect time of year to undertake a number of conservation tasks which contribute to both encouraging new shoots and wonderful materials for Christmas decorations – as well as other objects like fences. I am talking about coppicing, which we started a couple of weeks ago with our Duke of Edinburgh Award volunteers. They have enjoyed coppicing both hazel and willow, some of which can be used in decorations, some in fencing and the rest is being used to supplement our dead hedge. A dead hedge is a hedge sized barrier made from dead wood and provides a perfect home for insects, fungi and small mammals and birds and thus is an important biodiversity enhancing feature in our grounds. Winter is an important time to coppice as the trees are dormant and so it reduces the chance of stump mortality as well as providing the time in spring for new shoots to grow next year and over time develop into wood we can use for some of the uses already outlined.

If you want to get into the spirit of winter and have a go at creating your very own wintery art, we have a fabulous upcoming course on Saturday 7^th December led by Sara Lanyon and Mike Ashton. You will have the opportunity to make gifts, decorations and just have a fun time. Follow this link to find out more. https://www.field-studies-council.org/courses-and-experiences/opportunities-for-16-25-year-olds/growing-confidence/

Whilst you nature lovers may be lamenting the colder weather, longer nights, and the loss of the spring and summer flowers, take festive joy in getting close to nature this winter with some wonderful, natural, Christmas decorations.

Phil Wilson (Tutor)