The Woodlands.co.uk Blog - July 2010
Sudden Oak Death
Sudden Oak Death is in the news. A number of the national and regional news programmes have recently carried reports of the felling of larch trees in the South West. Read more…
Clay Pigeon Shooting for the first time – shotgun coaching
Have you ever wondered what all the fuss is about shooting? I decided to find out by doing a 20 minute shotgun coaching course with the BASC (British Association for Shooting and Conservation). Read more…
Laurel removal
We inherited a lot of Cherry Laurel in our 3 acre wood. It occupied about 2/3rd acre, growing under tall ash and beech trees. It was probably planted there by the Victorians to act as cover for pheasants. Judging by the number of pheasants around the wood, it certainly did just that! Read more…
European Red List
Many insect species are under threat – butterflies , dragonflies, beetles; according to the Red List. In most cases, this can be associated with habitat loss. Read more…
Excluded from school, but not from woodlands!
Many teenagers do not get on with school. Some are even excluded for being disruptive or other behavioural reasons, but what can be done to help them? One project that is proving successful is the Telford Access to Nature Partnership, managed by Cadi Price, a officer for the Severn Gorge Countryside Trust based at Ironbridge in Shropshire. Read more…
Creating a campsite
How to make a level spot in your woodland for camping
Many woodlands are on steeply sloping ground, as mine is in North Wales. It is easy to get frustrated by this but this slopiness is often why they have survived as woodland at all – because when land was being cleared they were too steep to be “improved” for agriculture. Slopes in woodlands can be very appealing as they often go hand in hand with spectacular views and mountain scenery. Read more…
People and Woods in Scotland : a review
People and Woods in Scotland, (2003) Ed T C Smout, EUP About £20, paperback.
Chris Smout, with the aid of the Forestry Commission who commissioned the book, has brought together a group of contributors to produce a ‘must’ read for anyone working with woodlands in Scotland. Historians and the ‘lay’ reader will also be fascinated by their accounts. Read more…
Processing your firewood with a logsplitter
The current boom in the use of firewood for heating has led many people to ask what alternatives there are to splitting firewood by hand. One option is to use a logsplitter which uses hydraulics but can be powered by petrol, tractor or electric. Read more…