Temperate rainforest

(Nimue)

There are temperate rainforests in the UK, in Scotland, Wales, Cumbria and the south west. These are places where the rainfall is high and the temperature is more even than normal. As a consequence you get a lot of moss and lichen. One of the signs that you’ve got a temperate rainforest is the presence of stuff growing on trees. The photos in this post show moss and ferns growing on trees.

These photos were taken in The Golden Valley – one of Stroud’s valleys. The canal runs through this one. The bottom is sheltered by the hills and it’s clearly a damp place with good conditions for moss. There were a lot of trees that had a lot growing on them.

This was a saunter that underlined the importance of getting to know places at different times in the year. It’s something I’ve talked about repeatedly around working with landscapes and seeking spirits of place. Most of the locations I visit I’ve encountered at different points in the year. For various reasons I’ve only previously been on this stretch of canal in the summer. Seeing it in winter made things obvious that I hadn’t recognised before. 

In summer this whole area is green and leafy, so the moss isn’t so self announcing. With the leaves down the area looks very different, and while the bare branches weren’t a surprise, the intensity of the moss was unexpected. It’s more visible for having more direct light on it and stands out more for not being surrounded by other greenery. Seeing this place at a time of year I hadn’t previously encountered it has changed my sense of it.

(Photos courtesy of Keith Errington).