Woodlands.co.uk - Practical Guides
Containers in woodlands: forest stores and shelters
There are two ways of “doing forestry” – traditional forestry works with teams of forestry workers who descend on the plantation, do their work and move on, storing no equipment. In the other model with smaller scale management a more permanent presence is needed and minor works are done throughout the year, and there is usually a need for somewhere to store equipment. Such forestry equipment can include tree-planting kit, hand tools, fencing materials and even camping stuff. What the owner or manager needs is some space that is dry and secure and does not need expensive and potentially damaging foundations. Many owners wish to manage their woodlands in this way but they need a store and shelter of some sort. Steel Containers can be the answer.
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Renewable energy from solar energy and woodfuel
People respond emotionally to wind turbines but seem happy to see their neighbours installing solar panels. This acceptance of solar made me keen to install solar panels at home, which we have just done.
The process has taught me a lot, not least because it showed me how ignorant I was about the economics of domestic energy use – whilst we all know the cost of petrol few of us are aware of the price of a unit of domestic electricity – maybe physical volumes are easier to understand than something that goes down wires and is measured in confusing units.
Our 19 solar panels produce about 3.5 kilowatts, so if our annual production is about 1,000 hours we should produce 3,500 kwH of energy which turns out to be a high proportion of our domestic useage. Many British homes consume about this amount each year, so if I am able keep our consumption down we might even become net exporters. Read more…
Creating a woodland pond and encouraging pond life.
Pond building in woodland is more than just digging a big hole. It is very much about creating a habitat, which is varied but which actually keeps the water in. Over the last month or so, we have been digging a large wildlife pond in Kent not only for wildlife but also for enjoyment. We wanted an expanse of water that would be big enough for some canoeing and paddling around in small boats.
To do the job, we employed a pair of digger drivers with their machines but we were very much involved in the design and practicalities. I knew several people who had dug ponds and lakes but in this case I particularly wanted something with an island; hoping that this could be a protected area for bird nesting – as well as an interesting feature. Read more…
Powys Forest Horses
I have recently set up a new business as a horse logger – using horses to help owners manage their woodlands in a sustainable way. Like many of us, I am concerned about the damage that machinery can do to woodlands but at the same time I feel that the UK’s woods will be more valued and better managed if owners can benefit from the woodland produce – and that means getting the timber out. I work with my horse Elza, to haul timber out of large and small woodlands with the aim of causing the minimum of damage. So, why did I become a horse logger? It doesn’t seem like a job that would immediately spring to mind if you were planning a change in career. Looking back at it now, I can see so many influences from my life which led to this point. From a lifelong love of woods and trees, to being Director of the South Yorkshire Community Forest and even being ruthlessly introduced to the joy of horses by my wife!
Cooking and eating woodlice (pillbugs) – a real bushcraft experience
Woodlouses or woodlice have never previously seemed to me the kind of thing you would want to eat. But I came face to face with a cooked woodlouse recently when we made a woodlandsTV film about finding, cooking and eating woodlice. It turns out that they are very nutricious and as long as they are cooked they are perfectly safe. A big advantage of woodlice over slugs or snails is that they can be eaten almost immediately after collection, whereas with slugs and snails you need to put them in a plastic bag for about 24 hours so that their gut empties. For woodlice you just put them straight into the boiling water and they are soon ready to eat. Read more…
Call for entries for prestigious Small Woodlands award in the South West
Caring for a woodland is a labour of love that takes commitment, hard work and altruism. Some of that conservation work may not yield fruit for a generation, but when it does, it boosts entire communities. By recognising the efforts of woodland owners, we may inspire others to do the same. So, for the second year running, Woodlands.co.uk are sponsoring the Small Woodlands category in the prestigious Royal Forestry Society (RFS) Woodlands Awards and you are warmly invited to participate. Read more…
How big is ?
We all sometimes wonder how big a tree is. We can guess the height and measure the circumference, but we really need to know more for two reasons:
- we don’t want to be ripped off even if we’re only selling firewood;
- and the Forestry Commission only allows us to fell trees, without a licence, up to a maximum of 2 cubic metres of wood per 3 month period if the wood is being sold, or 5 cubic metres if it’s for our own use *. Read more…
The importance of Coppice workers – a family tradition worth supporting
Coppicing of sweet chestnut in Kent and Sussex is a traditional activity which goes back hundreds of years. This involves not only the regular cutting of chestnut poles but the processing of these into useable materials. Such processing will usually include debarking and splitting – all of which is done in the woods where the chestnut is cut. Chestnut coppice products are mainly used for fencing and are still very much in demand and because chestnut coppice is a hardwood they tend to last for a several decades. Chestnut paling and post and rail fencing is in high demand and is even exported to mainland Europe. Read more…