A WALK THROUGH THE COW PARSLEY

The Cow Parsley has been as beautiful as ever this year so I decided to take my camera on a walk through the woods.

Down the track, shall I go right no maybe not.

The first track on my left is my favourite.

I don't know what I like the most the Cow Parsley the lovely bark of the trees or the lime green of the leaves.

We had heavy rain yesterday which battered the Cow Parsley down a bit, but I was concerned that I might miss the Cow Parsley so I decided to take photos anyway.

Past the two stumps, the remains of a stand of three lovely trees that is no more.

I hope you are enjoying the view.

Somewhat impenetrable but enticing.

Lovely isn't it?

and more

Out into the field beyond with Hawthorn

And more Cow Parsley

Lovely to look at, but a tick haven so go well booted. Lessons for Guildford Borough on land management needed because the field is meant to be a play area for children not a good mix - ticks and children and there have been several cases of Lyme Disease being contracted in this locality.

Back through the woods

In places the Cow Parsley is nearly shoulder high so like walking through a sea of white.

and back up the track home.

I posted a similar post in 2010 when all three trees were still standing
http://joanne-orangecottages.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/walking-in-woods.html

I was recently filmed walking in these woods for The Big Tick Project - this is work Bristol University are doing collecting ticks with the help of Vets around the UK, so that they can map their locations ( we patients can tell them already that ticks are found throughout the UK in Town Parks and gardens not just in the countryside but it will be good to have that documented and in a published research paper).
The second part of the research is to identify what infections ticks carry that can cause human and animal health problems. That is the most important part of the research and as with other countries that have done similar research projects it is likely to throw up some interesting and important data maybe with a few surprises. Hopefully this will in turn attract much needed research in the field of Tick borne Diseases.
Here is a post on my Looking at Lyme Disease blog featuring Chris Packham, with a few clips of me walking Meg through the woods http://lookingatlyme.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/the-big-tick-project-thank-you-chris.html