Deep in the woods I came across this mound, alive with movement: a wood ant nest. These tiny foresters are master builders, weaving needles, twigs and soil into a living fortress. Entire colonies thrive within, ruled by queens and defended fiercely by workers who rise at the slightest disturbance. Given the chance, they will even spray formic acid in defence. Wood ants are guardians of the woodland, keeping pests in check and recycling life back into the earth. Stand still too long beside their