2022
-
2023
Spring ‘23 – Summer ‘23
- common crane (grus grus)
- mute swan (cygnus olor)
- common chaffinch (fringilla coelebs)
- common wood dove (columba palumbus)
- robin (erithacus rubecula)
Autumn ‘22 – Spring ‘23
- great tit (parus major)
- eurasian jay (garrulus glandarius)
- house sparrow (passer domesticus)
- eurasian blue tit (parus caeruleus)
- great spotted woodpecker (dendrocopos major)
- willow tit (poecile montanus)
- eurasian blackbird (turdus merula)
- grey-headed woodpecker (picus canus)
- eurasian tree sparrow (passer montanus)
- eurasian tree sparrow (passer montanus)
*By late April the bird populations become so overwhelming our observation/recording practice desists, but this has also served as an inspiration for thematic residencies (TBA)
ways we support wildlife @ TUO TUO
-include plants that provide nutrition
(pollen, seeds, berries) so animals
may freely forage
-encourage the growth of native
trees and shrubs (also food)
-provide supplemental food (in winter)
-maintain 6 water features:
from large steel basins to
small clay bowls
-keep areas of dense foliage,
thicket, stone piles, brush piles
to offer creatures cover
& hiding place
-build bird and bat houses
-leave dead trees
which provide shelter/
abundance of insects (food)
ways we support wildlife @ TUO TUO
-include plants that provide nutrition
(pollen, seeds, berries) so animals
may freely forage
-encourage the growth of native
trees and shrubs (also food)
-provide supplemental food (in winter)
-maintain 6 water features:
from large steel basins to
small clay bowls
-keep areas of dense foliage,
thicket, stone piles, brush piles
to offer creatures cover
& hiding place
-build bird and bat houses
-leave dead trees
which provide shelter/
abundance of insects (food)
AUGUST 23
we took three weeks off in August, and although much continued outside (with and without us) we decided to take this month off from recording, next month we will rethink our approach to documentation for year 2 of the Kone grant period which supports our rewilding efforts
JULY 23
- started a ‘rewilding’ project in the front of the house to build soil / increase soil health on what was previously the parking lot used by the school (we refer to this area as “scorched earth”); we are gradually applying rich layers of green and brown matter, decaying logs, yard brush, etc. to create a forest-floor inspired terrain; this will be an ongoing experiment to observe, adjust and expand
- reduced fireweed and lupine
- native plants are blooming: flax, st. john’s wort, tansy, bell flowers,
- numerous frogs and lizards of all sizes seen throughout the gardens
- after much research and photographic comparisons, the mystery holes in the field have been atrributed to badgers, but we have yet to spot them in action
- July 12, cloud berries spotted in the swamp (about half were ripe and reay to be picked!)
- red and black currants have arrived
- planted sunflowers
- consistent tending to edges and wild zones beyond the gardens and before the forest, such as rock walls, creek beds, young forest, etc.
JUNE 23
- reduced balsam upon its arrival (we have learned well to nip this one in the bud, so to speak)
- reduced fireweed and lupine
- reduced alder and willow where needed to prevent overcrowding
- planted perennial transplants gifted from our neighbor Tuula :)
- native plants are blooming: white and purple clover, wild strawberry, daisy, yarrow, cow parsley, lady’s mantle, various thistles, mugwort and nettle are growing taller
- spread compost across the garden beds and campus
- six babies counted in the swallows’ nest above the back door; our relationship with the swallows has been peaceful and they are calm with our presence (the cat is a different story but she is no threat)
- bird babies heard in various birdhouses behind the house (some reinforcements were also made to deter woodpeckers)
- mystery holes observed on the field behind the house; their presence continues to increase!
- we have noticed a significant decrease in mosquitos this year (inside the house/around the gardens) which we attribute to covering all rainwater containers, and only leaving small, cup-sized water containers for birds and pollinators
- consistent tending to edges and wild zones beyond the gardens and before the forest, such as rock walls, creek beds, young forest, etc.
MAY 23
- the greenhouse was finished; squash, beans, tomatoes, cucumber and chamomile were planted inside
- reduced dandelion, fireweed and lupine
- all cuttings of aggressive, biodiversity-threatening plants and couch grasses are done by hand; piles of green matter are left to decompose, or get added to the compost or layered onto garden beds
- the swallows have returned; nests have been built inside of the barn and above the back door to the house
- reinfornced forest paths in the “starter pack” forest behind the field, and edge zones on the south east sides of campus
APRIL 23
- sunshine for three weeks straight, very dry April, temperatures hitting almost 20ºC
- started garden seedlings: tomato cucumber, kale, pumpkin
- buds have formed on the lilac, cherry and apple trees in the yard – they’re looking healthier than ever before
- willows are blooming and dusty with pollen
- over-wintered bumblebees and bugs are waking up
- planted red and white clover in the areas where goatweed loves to grow; signs of other competition appearred, namely ground hops and creeping charlie
- snow has melted faster than previous years, garden beds are emerging; pallette compost piles are still frozen
- birds, birds, birds (our migrating friends are returning in numbers)
- sewed covercrops on areas cleared from invasive species in autumn ‘22
- greenhouse from recycled materials is well on its way
- tended to forested areas, young trees and native berry shrubs
- planted varieties of native perenniel wildflowers: Echinops bannaticus, Verbascums, Gypsophila paniculata, Silybum marianum, Lavandula, Papaver somniferum
- aurora borealis / revontulet
MARCH 23
- drew permaculture plans/ garden maps for the year
- began Sciaponics participatory research group led by Ilya Dolgov
- built and installed another 5 bird houses in the forest surrounding the house
- gathered materials/ began planning for a new green house; kiitos Light Harvsting Complex for the windows <3
- coldest month of the year, March also saw some of the heaviest precipitation of the winter. snow depth ~ 70 cm
- aurora borealis / revontulet
FEBRUARY 23
- saw aurora borealis or revontulet (a reference to Finnish mythology about the great fox in the sky)
- the second half of feb saw the return of winter: a cold snap and more snow
- a storm had fell a dying tree (kelo) in the forest behind the sauna
- spotted some willow trees blossoming
- snow depth ~ 40 cm (compared to ~110 cm in feb 22)
- baby blue february skies are a welcomed sight ~ conditions waver between cold/crisp and thaw/icy
- unseasonably warm nights have been good for stargazing
- seed inventory/ strategizing
JANUARY 23
- snow work ~
- maintained winter compost & bird feeders
- spotted plenty of animal tracks in the snowy forest: rabbit, fox, lynx, mink, squirrel...
- a family of endangered willow tits (poecile montanus) has become a regular visitor on a feeder
- made skii tracks in the forest
- a new load of bone dry firewood from Timo
- keept the fireplaces clean
- average temp -3C
DECEMBER 22
- maintained winter compost
- keept bird feeders and ground areas clean
- average temp - 4C
NOVEMBER 22
we took three weeks off in August, and although much continued outside (with and without us) we decided to take this month off from recording, next month we will rethink our approach to documentation for year 2 of the Kone grant period which supports our rewilding efforts
JULY 23
- started a ‘rewilding’ project in the front of the house to build soil / increase soil health on what was previously the parking lot used by the school (we refer to this area as “scorched earth”); we are gradually applying rich layers of green and brown matter, decaying logs, yard brush, etc. to create a forest-floor inspired terrain; this will be an ongoing experiment to observe, adjust and expand
- reduced fireweed and lupine
- native plants are blooming: flax, st. john’s wort, tansy, bell flowers,
- numerous frogs and lizards of all sizes seen throughout the gardens
- after much research and photographic comparisons, the mystery holes in the field have been atrributed to badgers, but we have yet to spot them in action
- July 12, cloud berries spotted in the swamp (about half were ripe and reay to be picked!)
- red and black currants have arrived
- planted sunflowers
- consistent tending to edges and wild zones beyond the gardens and before the forest, such as rock walls, creek beds, young forest, etc.
JUNE 23
- reduced balsam upon its arrival (we have learned well to nip this one in the bud, so to speak)
- reduced fireweed and lupine
- reduced alder and willow where needed to prevent overcrowding
- planted perennial transplants gifted from our neighbor Tuula :)
- native plants are blooming: white and purple clover, wild strawberry, daisy, yarrow, cow parsley, lady’s mantle, various thistles, mugwort and nettle are growing taller
- spread compost across the garden beds and campus
- six babies counted in the swallows’ nest above the back door; our relationship with the swallows has been peaceful and they are calm with our presence (the cat is a different story but she is no threat)
- bird babies heard in various birdhouses behind the house (some reinforcements were also made to deter woodpeckers)
- mystery holes observed on the field behind the house; their presence continues to increase!
- we have noticed a significant decrease in mosquitos this year (inside the house/around the gardens) which we attribute to covering all rainwater containers, and only leaving small, cup-sized water containers for birds and pollinators
- consistent tending to edges and wild zones beyond the gardens and before the forest, such as rock walls, creek beds, young forest, etc.
MAY 23
- the greenhouse was finished; squash, beans, tomatoes, cucumber and chamomile were planted inside
- reduced dandelion, fireweed and lupine
- all cuttings of aggressive, biodiversity-threatening plants and couch grasses are done by hand; piles of green matter are left to decompose, or get added to the compost or layered onto garden beds
- the swallows have returned; nests have been built inside of the barn and above the back door to the house
- reinfornced forest paths in the “starter pack” forest behind the field, and edge zones on the south east sides of campus
APRIL 23
- sunshine for three weeks straight, very dry April, temperatures hitting almost 20ºC
- started garden seedlings: tomato cucumber, kale, pumpkin
- buds have formed on the lilac, cherry and apple trees in the yard – they’re looking healthier than ever before
- willows are blooming and dusty with pollen
- over-wintered bumblebees and bugs are waking up
- planted red and white clover in the areas where goatweed loves to grow; signs of other competition appearred, namely ground hops and creeping charlie
- snow has melted faster than previous years, garden beds are emerging; pallette compost piles are still frozen
- birds, birds, birds (our migrating friends are returning in numbers)
- sewed covercrops on areas cleared from invasive species in autumn ‘22
- greenhouse from recycled materials is well on its way
- tended to forested areas, young trees and native berry shrubs
- planted varieties of native perenniel wildflowers: Echinops bannaticus, Verbascums, Gypsophila paniculata, Silybum marianum, Lavandula, Papaver somniferum
- aurora borealis / revontulet
MARCH 23
- drew permaculture plans/ garden maps for the year
- began Sciaponics participatory research group led by Ilya Dolgov
- built and installed another 5 bird houses in the forest surrounding the house
- gathered materials/ began planning for a new green house; kiitos Light Harvsting Complex for the windows <3
- coldest month of the year, March also saw some of the heaviest precipitation of the winter. snow depth ~ 70 cm
- aurora borealis / revontulet
FEBRUARY 23
- saw aurora borealis or revontulet (a reference to Finnish mythology about the great fox in the sky)
- the second half of feb saw the return of winter: a cold snap and more snow
- a storm had fell a dying tree (kelo) in the forest behind the sauna
- spotted some willow trees blossoming
- snow depth ~ 40 cm (compared to ~110 cm in feb 22)
- baby blue february skies are a welcomed sight ~ conditions waver between cold/crisp and thaw/icy
- unseasonably warm nights have been good for stargazing
- seed inventory/ strategizing
JANUARY 23
- snow work ~
- maintained winter compost & bird feeders
- spotted plenty of animal tracks in the snowy forest: rabbit, fox, lynx, mink, squirrel...
- a family of endangered willow tits (poecile montanus) has become a regular visitor on a feeder
- made skii tracks in the forest
- a new load of bone dry firewood from Timo
- keept the fireplaces clean
- average temp -3C
DECEMBER 22
- maintained winter compost
- keept bird feeders and ground areas clean
- average temp - 4C
NOVEMBER 22
- extensive clearing of fireweed
fields located on SE side of the barn
- used the fermented/rotten plants for compost and mulch
- composted and mulched heap by the sauna, composted and mulched Joss’s heap
- permaculture design/planning for the spring (tended to garden beds next to the sauna, created smaller sections with rocks as borders)
- seed research for native plants/ cover crops/ edible perennials
- design phase for mini-greenhouse planning/ list for acquiring recycled materials
- observational perimeter walk on 2ha
OCTOBER 22
- built heap along the outside border of the bird fence, built a snake heap on the NE side of the house and a semi-circle heap in from the barn
- raked fallen leaves to use as mulch for garden beds and heaps
- stored some fallen leaves in the barn for winter to be used as compost
- researched leaf mold*
*leaf mold is a soil amendment – essentially a soil conditioner that increases the water retention; leaf mold improves soil structure and provides a fantastic habitat for soil life: earthworms, beneficial bacteria, etc., it doesn't provide much in the way of nutrition, so we will still need to add compost or other organic fertilizers to increase fertility
fields located on SE side of the barn
- used the fermented/rotten plants for compost and mulch
- composted and mulched heap by the sauna, composted and mulched Joss’s heap
- permaculture design/planning for the spring (tended to garden beds next to the sauna, created smaller sections with rocks as borders)
- seed research for native plants/ cover crops/ edible perennials
- design phase for mini-greenhouse planning/ list for acquiring recycled materials
- observational perimeter walk on 2ha
OCTOBER 22
- built heap along the outside border of the bird fence, built a snake heap on the NE side of the house and a semi-circle heap in from the barn
- raked fallen leaves to use as mulch for garden beds and heaps
- stored some fallen leaves in the barn for winter to be used as compost
- researched leaf mold*
*leaf mold is a soil amendment – essentially a soil conditioner that increases the water retention; leaf mold improves soil structure and provides a fantastic habitat for soil life: earthworms, beneficial bacteria, etc., it doesn't provide much in the way of nutrition, so we will still need to add compost or other organic fertilizers to increase fertility
SEPTEMBER 22
- removed the white picket fence in the inner yard to allow trees to grow/ encourage filling in and new growth (used materials to build a front gate to prevent cars from driving onto the 2ha; stored remainder in the barn)
- thinned pioneer trees (willow, aspen, alder, rowan, spruce) whose quick growth had filled the spaces where larger trees had previously been cut before our time: surrounding the house [this work revealed just how poorly treated/managed the 2ha has been]
- thinned trees were used for: construction of the bird fence by the spruce line, spruce were used as protective coverings on garden beds, branches/trunks used as heap/raised bed material, we made small tidy piles on the floor of stretches of forest around the house, placed more strategically so that walking among the trees is easier and new growth is still encouraged; also, firewood
- built a keyhole heap on the N side of the house
- added compost to fruit trees/ added protective fencing
- installed birdhouses (5)