Slowly, the dark silhouettes emerged from the freezing fog, the dazzlingly bright winter sun burning its way through the thick hazy curtain behind them.

Several weeks have passed since the Finemere Wood volunteers last met, during which there has been much Christmas indulgence. The time has come to work those bodies once more.

Firstly, an unfinished job must be completed before the woodland workers at Finemere Wood can move on to a fresh new project. Armed with loppers, saws and hard hats, the group are herded into a ride-side scallop to complete the clearance of the understory.

David quietly busies himself with a substantial-sized hawthorn tree, a task that is a favourite of his. He finds clearing an area of vegetation and watching the subsequent natural regeneration very rewarding. Plus, I observe, David is drawn to the challenge of conquering sizeable trees, seemingly most happy and content at such times, always with a smile on his face.

David’s search for a local conservation group to join, with a commitment to improving the local ecosystems and natural environment, led him to the Finemere team. But why does he keep coming back? “The satisfaction of contributing something worthwhile to our natural environment,” he says. Yet there is more to it than that.

Cake.

David manages to squeeze the word cake into every conversation. Others carry work tools and first aid kits to our working place, David carries the cake.

David has taken on the role of cake monitor, making sure that it is passed around and shared fairly. David has even made the effort to join the group for just the first hour of the day, to ensure his fix of cake prior to a dental appointment.

“And is there anything else in Finemere Wood that draws you in?” I wonder.

“The purple emperor butterfly” is David’s response, as he is yet to experience a first sighting. Come July, I hope he will be rewarded for his hard work and patience with a glimpse of one of these wondrous creatures. Perhaps with a smattering of cake?

Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor), is a bracket fungus, widespread in Britain, and it has caught my eye this January, with its exquisite form and markings. Turkey tail shaped and growing up to 10cm in diameter, it displays concentric rings of varying colours, blacks, browns, blues, whites, and oranges.

Older specimens may look green due to the growth of green algae on them. Found on fallen or standing deadwood, most commonly hardwoods such as oak and beech, it gently breaks down the rotting wood. Trametes versicolor has been used over the centuries as a health supplement, and in Chinese medicine as a treatment for respiratory conditions. It is quite a beauty.

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