I’m not exactly sure if the Winter Solstice should be celebrated on the 21st December each year in the Northern Hemisphere, or on the shortest day which culd be the 21st or the 22nd. The actual solstice itself, is just a moment which occurs when the earth’s tilt is furthest from the Sun, so the Sun’s path across the daytime sky, when it reaches the maximum height, is the lowest of the year. In the Southern Hemishere the seasons are reversed so the winter solstice is around June 21st and they will be having a Summer solstice or longest day while we are urging the Sun to start coming back again, here in the North. Probably the best thing to do on the eve of the longest night is to create some light and warmth by lighting a fire, and making merry, so it’s lucky that I still have one portion of barbecue charcoal left, and some wood offcuts from the log pile. There’s still some snow on the ground too, so that’s very appropriate.
logs for the Winter Solstice fire

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I started building a small log pile a couple of years ago in order to add to the environmental diversity in my back garden. There were only a few pieces of wood though, left over from some grubbing out and thinning. Then there was the incident with the dangerously overgrown eucalyptus tree which had to be taken down or severely pollarded. When the tree surgeons came to do the job I told them to leave me the logs, so this is what I had as my raw material to build my substantial log pile with. The rest of this story can be told largely in pictures, I think. Unless there are any questions.

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How to make a log pile habitat for wildlife Take the worry out of disposing of those bulky cuttings and create a home for wildlife. Log piles are a valuable habitat for mosses, lichens and fungi, as well as many insects. Leave woody cuttings from trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants in piles within a shrub bed. It is best to not cut the wood into small pieces. Leave it in direct contact with the ground, in dappled shade and in compact piles to maintain humidity. Larger diameter pieces are of most value, but even small twigs and branches should not be discounted, and neither should the cut stems of herbaceous plants. Full sun will dry and heat the wood and it will support little life. Dense shade is good for fungi, but may be too cold for most insects. Add to your decaying wood, using wood from friends and neighbours. A local tree surgeon may also be able to supply you with some logs. Avoid taking logs from woods and hedges as you will be removing the resource from its natural environment, along with any associated flora or fauna. Logs at least 100mm thick (4 ins) with the bark still attached provide the best wood. Hard wood trees such as ash, oak and beech are particularly good. Birch logs can look particularly attractive. Be careful of freshly cut willow and poplar logs, as these can easily re-sprout if left lying on the ground. Allowing a climber to ramble over woodpiles, logs and stumps can cover them and help retain moisture. However, the shade may make it too cold for some insects. Alternatively, use an old 15 litre (3 gallon) bucket. Drill some drainage holes in the bottom and cut lots of holes (30mm or 1.25 ins) in the side of the bucket at 50mm (2ins) spacing. Put some large stones in the bottom and then quarter fill the bucket with garden soil and top with course hardwood chips. Completely bury the bucket in a discrete corner of the garden. Lay a stack of logs laid on their side. To prevent them rolling, drive a stake into the ground either side of the pile. You can create standing dead wood by partially burying logs vertically in the ground to an approximate depth of 450 to 500mm (18 to 20 ins). Use logs of different diameters and length and bury them side-by-side to form a pyramid. If space is a limitation, a single log either buried in the soil or on top is still of value. http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2009/11/07/building-a-log-pile

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