It’s always good news when a whole family goes out to connect with nature together. If any encouragement is needed, this Saturday (27 July) Surrey Wildlife Trust is running a free family event called “Wilder Families” at Brookwood Country Park, with a variety of fun, family friendly nature activities from 10am to 4pm.

Activities include scavenger hunts, pond dipping, minibeast hunting, wild challenges, a nature table, guided walks and conservation tasks. It sounds great.

Surrey Wildlife Trust says families can either drop in for a shorter visit or bring a picnic and stay all day. By signing up in advance families will receive a free downloadable book Growing Relationships with Nature as soon as it becomes available.

For full details visit https://tinyurl.com/2b65ndrn

The main entrance and car park for Brookwood Country Park is off Redding Way, Knaphill, just off the Hermitage Road roundabout. Its What3Words address is https://w3w.co/window.stores.flames.

It was lovely to hear again last week from Joanna Foat, who grew up in Woking and worked for the Forestry Commission (now Forestry England) at Alice Holt Forest and also for Surrey Wildlife Trust.

At Alice Holt, Joanna discovered the story of the Women’s Timber Corps, a branch of the Women’s Land Army and affectionately known as the Lumberjills. Thousands of women worked tirelessly in forests, tree felling by hand to support the war effort.

The Women’s Timber Corps
The Women’s Timber Corps, affectionately known as Lumberjills, worked in forests in the absence of the men away at war (Joanna Foat)
Joanna Foat, author of Lumberjills: Britain’s Forgotten Army
Joanna Foat, who is raising money to turn her book, Lumberjills: Britain’s Forgotten Army, into an audiobook (Jon Hawkins Surrey Hills Photography)

Joanna spent two years interviewing 60 of these remarkable women for her book Lumberjills: Britain’s Forgotten Army, an account of women’s forestry work during the Second World War, published by The History Press in 2019.

She is now aiming to keep their memory alive through a Kickstarter campaign to help to fund an audio version of her book, giving the heroes of the Women’s Timber Corps a voice. The Kickstarter runs until 6 August.

Joanna said: “Many of the women told me how upset they were that their contribution to the war effort had been forgotten and was never properly recognised. I wanted to tell their amazing stories and give them the voice they deserved.”

She added that since publishing the book she has had requests for it to be made into an audiobook. She hopes to make this possible with public support via the Kickstarter campaign.

The true stories and quotes from the original women are being brought to life in the audiobook by Lucy Tregear, actor and voice artist. Joanna commented: “Lucy has done a wonderful job. With a range of English and Scottish accents I feel like I am listening to the Lumberjills themselves all over again. It’s a delight to hear their words spoken, especially as all but one of the women I met have now passed away. The legacy of these inspiring women will live on through the audiobook.”

Joanna has become a popular public speaker since writing Lumberjills: Britain’s Forgotten Army, and has now written a novel about the Lumberjills, inspired by true stories, to be published later this year.

The Kickstarter campaign includes various tiers of rewards for supporters who help fund the audiobook. They range from copies of Lumberjills: Britain’s Forgotten Army to a signed copy of the book, a photobook and audiobook, a signed paperback novel and badge. For details visit https://tinyurl.com/lumberj-kickstarter.

The Kickstarters campaign will also fund a special edition photobook of the Lumberjills at workr.