It’s a Mast Year

It’s a bumper year for tree seeds, as is very apparent underfoot in the woods.

I noticed last year, when planning a Sensory Safari for Rainbows, that there was a distinct lack of acorns, hose chestnuts and the like.

So why is this? Apoarently it’s a clever ploy employed by the trees - if they all seed copiously and simultaneously, the squirrels can’t eat the whole crop.

The trigger was the very hot and dry summer we had, which stimulated the trees to want to ensure survival of their genes. It seems almost counter intuitive though as producing the seeds requires a huge amount of energy and water thus massively depleting the tree’s reserves.