Life of Bug Girl: A Year in the Woods
Meet Kanchi, Bug Girl in the Woods
Hi, I’m Kanchi,
Andover Trees United’s Ecology Intern, and I have a confession to make.
I really like bugs.
My favourite is the Buff-tip moth, a large, night-flying insect known for its incredible camouflage. When resting, it looks remarkably like a broken twig, making it very easy to miss unless you know what to look for.
That is one of the things I love most about ecology. There is so much happening around us that we simply don’t notice.
Under fallen leaves, inside deadwood, among grasses and wildflowers, countless small lives interact with one another and help shape the habitats around them.
During my internship with Andover Trees United, I want to look more closely at those relationships and bring others along.
My main focus will be The Diamond Wood, with an extension to Harmony Wood. To me, they are not simply places to walk through. They are living, changing habitats, full of trees, wildflowers, insects, mammals, fungi and hidden ecological relationships.
Over the coming year, I’ll be exploring what lives here, how the habitats change through the seasons and what the species we find can tell us about the health of the woods. I’ll be sharing what I discover through this blog series, and for regular updates, follow me @andovertreesunited
Looking a little closer
You don’t need to travel to a rainforest to discover something interesting. There are mysteries everywhere.
What depends on a single tree? What is happening beneath our feet? Why does one wildflower grow here and not there? What happens when a habitat changes?
These are the questions that make ecology exciting to me.
When we start noticing more, we start caring more. My hope is to help people connect with The Diamond Wood and Harmony Wood, and to encourage them to enjoy these spaces thoughtfully.
Starting with the BioBlitz
I’ve already had the chance to put some of these ideas into practice by hosting our BioBlitz at The Diamond Wood.
A BioBlitz brings people together to discover and record as much wildlife as possible in a particular place over a set period of time. You don’t have to be a professional ecologist to take part. Curiosity is enough.
By looking, asking questions, taking photographs and trying to identify what we find, we can all contribute to our understanding of the wildlife living in the wood.
I would love to see the BioBlitz become a seasonal event, helping us build a richer picture of how The Diamond Wood changes through spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Seeing nature differently
Our Explore the Wild events are designed to encourage that same curiosity, combining ecology, observation and creativity.
The next event, What the Trees See, takes place on 25 July and brings together two of my favourite things: nature and art.
During the workshop, we’ll head out on a slow, guided woodland walk using handmade cyanotype “cameras” to create light images inspired by the natural world around us.
Along the way, we’ll notice the shapes, structures and patterns of native UK plants and wildlife, while thinking about how trees and other living things might experience the environment differently from us.
Back at base, we’ll develop the prints and work together on a collaborative community artwork inspired by the woodland.
I’m delighted that the event has been made possible through a Grow Wild Youth Grant from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
For me, the project is about slowing down, looking more closely and seeing familiar surroundings from a different perspective.
My year in the woods
Over the coming year, I’ll be supporting wildlife surveys, recording biodiversity, monitoring habitats and helping people learn more about the species that live here.
You can expect wildflowers, biodiversity, seasonal changes, habitat restoration and, if I have anything to do with it, quite a lot of really cool bugs.
Ecology is about understanding relationships, which means looking at both successes and challenges. I’ll be sharing species stories, seasonal observations, wildflower discoveries, biodiversity updates and simple explanations of the ecology behind what we see.
I’ll also be posting regular updates, short videos and behind-the-scenes discoveries on @andovertreesunited, so please follow along there too.
You don’t need to be an ecologist or know the name of every flower. You just need to be curious.
Join me on 25 July
What the Trees See will explore cyanotype, using sunlight and the shapes and forms found in nature to create blue-and-white images inspired by The Diamond Wood.
The event has been made possible through a Grow Wild Youth Grant from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and I would love you to join us.
Come and explore the woodland with me, create your own cyanotype images and contribute to a collaborative artwork inspired by the nature around us.
Places are limited, so please book your place and come and see The Diamond Wood from a different perspective.
Don’t forget to follow my discoveries and updates throughout the year on @andovertreesunited
Kanchi Mehta
Ecology Intern, Andover Trees United