This summer has been a season of steady, visible change at Willow Worlds. When I walk through the plantation now, I see a place that is not only maturing but beginning to shape its own character. What was once a patchwork of rods is slowly filling out into a living landscape — one that carries the marks of the weather, the efforts of volunteers, and even the curious damage of deer testing their antlers.

This month there’s not much to do while the willow is growing — so I’ve taken up philosophising. Then I read some of it to the committee, and nobody understood what I was talking about and so, I’m going to be stereotypically British and talk about the weather instead.

The weather played a central part in this story. After a notably wet June, with Atlantic fronts bringing regular rainfall and thundery bursts, the dfitches held plenty of moisture and gave our willows a strong start. Early July was more mixed — sunshine between showers, the kind of “four seasons in a day” weather that Scotland knows well. Mid-July warmed again before further showers returned and August opened dramatically with Storm Floris. Yet the middle of August turned out warmer and largely dry, which gave our willows a lift. Across the UK it went down as the hottest summer on record, and here in Fife that warmth was tangible: faster growth where moisture held, even as some of the more exposed or newly planted trees struggled in drier patches.

The first thing anyone notices now is the sheer difference in height. In just six months we’ve gone from grassland to three-metre willows. The June rain sent them skyward — flexible but firm. The woven rods have held their shape, and in places sunflowers have sprung up to decorate the lines. They are strongest where we wove them into the structure, already forming small patches of shade and shelter that simply didn’t exist a year ago. In Willow Worlds 2 and 3, the addition of cow manure has driven vigorous growth, though the young trees are temporarily swamped by weeds and wildflowers. They will, in time, outgrow the competition. In Willow World 1, the grass remains much the same as last year and the young trees stand out more clearly. The conversation between trees, grass, and wildflowers will take years to complete. For now, we simply take photos and watch.

Wildlife is beginning to claim its share. Long grasses hum with insects, and a hedgehog has been spotted scurrying around. Small birds flit between stems, using them as perches and launching pads. This summer we found our first nest tucked into one of the fedges. But the real surprise came in September: wasps. Hardly seen earlier in the year, they appeared in huge numbers around the older fedges in Bat’s Wood — more than I’ve ever seen anywhere in Scotland. Two pupils described being chased out of the willows by, as they put it, a whole Young Team of wasps. Willow fedges seem to suit wasps very well indeed, it’s actually quite mesmerising to watch them.

And there was the schools’ Tree Party, which helped us secure the final points for a Woodland Trust Green Tree School Gold Award. Dozens of pupils returned to see how “their” trees had grown. Some tied ribbons or left notes for an art display, others measured growth with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV). Local charity CLEAR Buckhaven & Methil provided a tree-themed lunch, some maintenance activities, and local produce to share. It was a relaxed, celebratory day — many of us simply sat together outdoors, enjoying the atmosphere.

Of course, there are challenges. The nearby plantation, still reliant on plastic tree guards, needed a lot of cleaning out and weeding. Some of our willows needed a little creative re-weaving. But a few stems browsed or bashed by deer had already sprouted defensive replacement branches, showing that with only a little support, the fedge can heal itself.

Now, as September cools the air, the first hints of autumn are appearing: yellowing leaves, softened ground after rain, and a sense of slowing down. Looking back on summer 2025, Willow Worlds feels less like a trial plot and more like a place — alive, changing, and rooted in both community and the climate.

I should add one date for your diary, we’re having an event during the Fif

e Climate Festival, so come along on Tuesday October 14th for our Climate Emergency Lunch in the shelter of our willows (bring your boots). Here’s the Ticket link if you want to book, but you can just turn up.

That’s all from me this time, thanks for reading/listening, thank you for subscribing - it helps our project grow!

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