07 April 2023

Coed Olaf - Industrial Heritage of Amman Valley

Coed Olaf is not only on former farmland but is a landscape shaped by its industrial heritage. Amman Valley was a mining valley and the towns between Ammanford and Brynamman were created when the railway came and opened stations.

31 March 2023

Coed Olaf - History of the Holloways and Paths

Continuing our review of the social history of Coed Olaf, we discuss the tracks that cross the woodland. In particular, there is a beautiful old holloway with two stone-faced banks and trees arching over it like the path in Lord of the Rings.

17 March 2023

Coed Olaf - History of the Farmland

Coed Olaf comprises old, established woods and newly planted wood. The new trees have been planted on former farmland, and here we explain what we know of the farming history of the land.

20 February 2023

The First British Poem About Trees – ‘The Battle of the Trees’

'The Battle of the Trees' is an old Welsh poem that is about a magical battle where the magician, Gwydion, brings trees to life to help the Britons beat the Picts. This is my take on the poem.

17 November 2022

The Leaning Poplar – Is It A Hybrid Or A Native Black Poplar?

There's a poplar trees leaning over from our boundary hedge onto a neighbour's land and it needs to come down for safety. We were concerned it could be a black poplar, so ran some DNA tests to determine whether it was. It is a hybrid poplar.

17 September 2022

The End of Summer Signals Acorns and Berries in the Wood

As autumn begins to set in, Axel has come across lots of berries and nuts on the trees and thorns in the wood.

27 May 2022

Update On Olaf Woods: Crack Willows and Crabapples Planted And Litter Pick

Sophie and Axel Steenberg have planted 36 crack willow and 4 crabapple trees, and cleared litter in their wood in South Wales.

15 December 2021

How Water Moves Across The Landscape At Steenbergs Wood In South Wales

As he walks across the woodland, Axel discovers about the water processes at work - groundwater flows, streams and transpiration and how trees create clouds and flying rivers that flow across the heavens.

24 September 2021

Steenbergs Small Woodland in Wales – Biodiversity

Steenbergs' woodland offers lots of opportunities to create a rich and diverse space for nature, and to help tackle climate change. Here, we explore some of the issues for UK woods and how we will address these.