The leaves are a dark green colour (with paler undersides) and are slightly downy; sometimes described as kidney shaped with regular but blunt teeth on the margins of the leaf.  The young / immature leaves may have a purple or deep red colour on their edges. The leaves are stalked (have petioles) and arranged opposite to one another.  The hairs on the leaves and stems can be seen in the jpg below. When crushed, the leaves emit a pungent smell.

Compared to red and white dead nettles, the flowers (and indeed the whole plant) seem quite delicate.  However, ground ivy can spread quite extensively by means of its long, creeping runners; indeed when ‘transplanted’ to New England – it gained the names “runaway jack and creeping charlie” – due to its rapid spread.  It is a perennial,  surviving the winter and frosty conditions.

Settlers took it with them, as in former times it was used in a variety of herbal remedies / concoctions (for eye inflammation, tinnitus, as a diuretic and expectorant) and used in beer making (instead of hops) – hence the name alehoof  = ale herb.

However, Ground Ivy is known to contain terpenoids; that is volatile oils that can irritate the gut and kidneys , so caution is needed.

Recent research has shown that this invasive species has an impressive immune system – the body fluids of this animal contain a strong antibiotic compound (HARMONINE) and also small proteins (peptides) that have anti-microbial properties.   Consequently, they are able to fight off pathogens (disease causing bacteria and fungi) much more effectively than native species of ladybirds.   Dr Heiko Vogel of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology has found that they also have inactive microsporidia (very small fungal micro-organisms) in their body fluids (haemolymph) and eggs – so that, if they are attacked by native ladybirds, these organisms become active and kill the native ladybird species.

These advantages / adaptations have allowed the harlequin spread across Europe and the U.K. in recent years. Work by Dr Helen Roy (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology) has established that seven out of eight UK species of ladybird are in decline – in terms of numbers and distribution.   The two spot ladybird has suffered the most.  Work is still continuing to chart the progress of this insect across the UK and to help a new App has been produced.

‘iRecord Ladybirds’  has been produced to help monitor the impact and spread of the invasive Harlequin.  The harlequin is quite variable in colour – which can make it difficult to identify.  However, harlequins are generally bigger than native ladybirds – any ladybird that is less than 1/5th inch (5mm) is not a harlequin; most harlequins are orange, with 15 – 21 black spots.  The iRecord ladybirds app comes with photos of our native species, and descriptions to enable one to distinguish between these and the invasive harlequin.   It is hoped that with the new app more people will be able to contribute to the UK Ladybird Survey.

]]> http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/flora-and-fauna/warfare-amongst-the-ladybirds/feed/ 1 http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-activities/from-tree-to-bench/ http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-activities/from-tree-to-bench/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 16:38:13 +0000 Dick http://www.woodlands.co.uk/?p=17547 Anyone who has visited one of our woodlands for sale in Devon or Cornwall will most likely have noticed, maybe even sat upon, one of the benches which are a particular feature in the woodlands that my colleague – Stuart Brooking and I,  prepare for sale. Until now, we have bought in the timber for making the benches, from local sawmills – who use only locally sourced materials.

Recently though – through unfortunate circumstances in a way – we found ourselves with a ready supply of timber within our own woods, so we decided to go for a wholly DIY solution for our next batch of benches. What happened was that, following the removal of Japanese Larch in one of our woods, a stand of Western Red Cedar became suddenly exposed to the elements and this proved too much for some of them; several ‘went over’ and a few snapped off completely.

So, stage one was to fell these damaged trees and cut them to length. Again, by good fortune, this particular woodland contains a large forestry barn, so we were able to use this as our centre of operations. The task was,  therefore,  ‘just’ to transport the lengths of timber to the shed.   A short but steep stretch of track with a particularly soft area at the lowest point plus a fully laden trailer presented a few minor operational challenges, but we got there eventually!

Having got the lengths of timber to the barn, the next stage was to slice them into the ‘blanks’ from which we construct the benches; nominally these are eight feet long, eight inches wide and four inches deep, but they were sliced up so as to minimise wastage. We hired in a mobile sawmill and operator for the day. Not only was this a very cost-effective solution, but it also meant that the timber did not have to be transported to a sawmill, processed and then brought back again. The biggest surprise was just how quickly Daniel** [the sawmill operator] got through the timber we were bringing in to him – we struggled to keep up.

The final stage was to convert the blanks into “oven-ready” benches, by cutting them into tops & legs with mitred corner joints and routering the company brand name onto the front edge of the seat.   So at the end of the day we were able to stand back and admire a freshly made stack of benches ready for planting out in the woodlands.

** Mobile saw-milling by Daniel Humble-Smith of Marshwood in Dorset. Full contact details can be found in the supplier’s directory, elsewhere on this website.

“Being younger is no barrier as you have more time, more energy and maybe more stupidity!  I am a Blacksmith by trade and live not far from the woodland I purchased in December 2012. The biggest expense for a blacksmith is fuel so owning and managing woodland makes financial sense”. 

Tom has always liked the idea of learning and using a traditional skill. Learning his craft at the National school of blacksmithing in Hereford, (http://www.hct.ac.uk/College/rural_crafts.html) put him in good stead. This is only one of only two Smithy schools in the Country that provide EdExcel/BTEC First Diploma to Degree level qualifications in this skill.

Tom explains “There is a long history of charcoal for the iron industry.  Professional charcoal burners, or ‘Wood colliers’ as they were called historically, would tend to charcoal burners during the long burns which lasted throughout the night. This meant they would live in small huts nearby, or even in, the woodland whilst producing the fuel from coppice. Often Blacksmiths would work near rivers as this could link up to canals and waterway transport routes to sell their wares”.

What skills does it take to be a Blacksmith? Can you explain a bit about what you do?

“Being a blacksmith is similar to wood crafts as you are doing things by eye to make functional items that also look good. Good hand – eye co-ordination is essential”.

Tom will use the hazel in his woodland to make charcoal. Alongside this, alder wood is fantastic for charcoal as it burns very hot. Tom will use his supply as well as working with neighbouring woodland owners to provide him with a sustainable charcoal supply and providing woodland owners with a market for Alder.  It is far better to use locally grown wood to produce the charcoal as this saves transport costs,  helps to manage the woodlands in the area (it is suggested that 60% of Devon woodlands remain undermanaged) and is better for the environment as a whole as is a cleaner burn than coal and has no sulphur.

Tom explains they will put their hand to anything but not horse shoes! This is a different specialism and skill and these craftspeople are called Farriers.  Tom currently focuses on country kitchen ware and a few specialist items but wants to turn his skilled hands to making tools. This could lead to selling produce at local shops and markets and using Raleigh Wood as a location for leading occasional courses on charcoal burning and tool making.

One tool Tom and Cara have already made are billhooks. A billhook is a tool traditionally used for hedge laying and a very useful tool for the coppicing of hazel and for any woodland owner. There is a place on Dartmoor where these tools are still made by hand, perhaps one of the only places in the country  (http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Craftsman-s-making-tools-yesteryear/story-15130564-detail/story.html#axzz2PJhkxkgt). This completes the cycle of the woodland for Tom, making a tool from his own wood then using it to cut a supply of wood for next year.

How will the woodland fit into your work or lifestyle?

“Charcoal is not used much presently as it is too expensive and therefore coal is chosen. Being able to produce my own charcoal will make the cost more reasonable to use charcoal. I can then use this to help me market the items I make as a Blacksmith as they will be made using local and sustainable resources”. 

As well as finding a sustainable charcoal source Tom and Cara both have other reasons for becoming proud woodland owners. Raleigh Wood is a retreat to enjoy the virtues of nature and the calm and enjoyment it can bring. They are going to use their woodland for occasional camping and to enjoy the outdoor life by cooking on fires.  There are signs of dormice in the local woodlands as well as numerous species of birds to observe using binoculars. All of this adds to the joy and thrill of owning a lovely part of Devon woodland.

How does it feel to own a woodland at your age?  Do you have any advice for someone young who may have similar dreams and aspirations?

“Don’t be afraid of jumping at the deep end! Try something and if it doesn’t work out there is plenty of time to review it. I am lucky that I am able to link Raleigh Wood with my livelihood in some way but also being a woodland owner is just great fun and I am glad I have taken the plunge”.

Tom hopes that he may be able to form a local small woodlands co operative and work with other owners to provide coppice for charcoal burning. This should encourage other owners to manage their woodlands.

“It’s great for everyone” explains Tom, “ and at the end of the day Cara and I can sit around the camp fire in our woodland with a hot chocolate made on an open fire and enjoy the serene experience of being a woodland owner”.

]]> http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-activities/charcoal-billhooks-and-blacksmiths/feed/ 1 http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-economics/hedges-revisited/ http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-economics/hedges-revisited/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 16:46:42 +0000 Chris http://www.woodlands.co.uk/?p=17364 The work of Max Hooper established that not all hedges are ‘equal’ – they vary considerably in terms of their age and composition.  Many thought of hedges as products of the Enclosure Acts of the C18^th and C19^th, that is, they were added to the landscape in these times – but many hedges / hedgerows (representing various boundaries) date back many centuries.  There are significant differences between truly ‘ancient’ hedges and those established in more recent times.

Ancient hedges are generally species rich – in terms of the species in the herb, shrub and tree layers, and consequently rich in associated birds and insects.  Ancient hedges are often associated with natural features or boundaries (streams, valley bottoms, tracks or estate boundaries).  Boundary hedges often stand on raised banks and offer refuges / micro-habitats for many insects, for example, solitary bees.   Solitary bees make their nests in the ground – often in sandy or well draining soil.   The female will create a nest, stock it with pollen, nectar and fertilised eggs and then seal it up – leaving the young to develop.   There are some 200 species of solitary bees in the U.K. and they have an important role in the pollination of both wild (e.g. clover) and cultivated plants (e.g. fruit trees).

The hedges from the C18th and C19th were often created using hawthorn, blackthorn and sometimes elm; the flowers found in them are more typical of fields.   It is these hedges that have suffered particularly over the last fifty years with the advance of mechanised farming – many were removed to create larger fields.  Whilst it can be argued that hedges offer crops protection as windbreaks, they also ‘cut out’ light / sun locally; and whilst they may harbour insect eating birds, which remove aphids etc. hedgerows may also harbour weeds and / or fungal pathogens.

One problem with all hedges – ancient or ‘modern’ is that they require maintenance.  If they are near a field, track or road then the trees or shrubs can begin to encroach on this space.   In the past, hedges / hedgerows were maintained by hand through traditional crafts / skills e.g. hedge layering / pleaching (often demonstrated at Wood Fairs). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Andv7a0NPEc  .

But such an approach is very time consuming and therefore costly – so many land owners resort to other means, such as the use of flail mowers.  Ideally, a flail cutter should trim a hedge to an A shape – with two sweeps of the cutter.   This allows the hedge to be broad and bushy at the base – offering nesting sites for birds and refuges / habitats for small mammals and insects.  If done with consideration, flailing can be an effective means of maintaining a healthy and diverse hedge but if the flail sweeps back and forth then young trees are lost – as is the shape and form of the hedge (see adjacent image and featured image above).

Over the last 4 / 5 decades, we have lost many hedges / hedgerows (perhaps a quarter or more – during what Rackham has termed “the locust years”) and many trees have been lost through the destruction of hedgerows or through disease – for example, the loss of millions of elm trees through the spread of Dutch Elm Disease.   Schemes exist to replace and add to the trees in our current landscape, for example, the creation of the National Forest and the Big Tree Plant (launched by DEFRA and the Forestry Commission in 2010).  

There are also local schemes, for example, The East Midlands Local Trees Initiative which seeks to promote the planting of trees but also to encourage the use of local stock and seed, rather the imports from continental Europe.  Imported stock has a significant carbon footprint due to the distances moved and can be a source of pathogens.  Local stock also offers better chance of establishment and growth of young trees, and these tend to come into flower and fruit in synchrony with local bird, mammal and insect populations.

Anyone interested in learning more about using local derived stock and the best practice in restoring habitats in town and countryside might be interested in visiting http://www.floralocale.org/HomePage – who provide training and information.

The flowers are predominantly white but the petals can be tinged with pink or purple tones with a red stem. A similar plant is the buttercup anemone which has yellow colouring. The underground creeping habit ensures colonisation of the woodland floor forming large clumps in shaded and damp areas.

The wood anemone is one of the Ancient Woodland Indicators or AWI’s and can suggest your woodland site is defined as an ancient semi-natural woodland site. This means that it has been a wooded site for 400 years (since 1600). The presence of the wood anemone does not mean a woodland is as old as this for certain, but suggests a woodland has been around for many years due to the flower spreading at a slow rate using its root system as most of its seeds are infertile.  Flowers such as the wood anemone also thrive in later stages of woodland due to the settled nature of the flowers family community and therefore the more Ancient Woodland Indicators that are within a woodland  - the older it is likely to be.

In parts of Europe it is considered an unlucky flower as, along with other members of the buttercup family, it closes up in wet and cloudy weather and hides away at nightime. Folklore has it that the fairy folk would close up the flower and hide inside from the rain.  This reputation for misfortune may stem from the poisonous nature of the plant – dangerous to animals and humans if ingested. The Chinese call it the flower of death.

Flowering in early spring, the wood anemone is a herald of the new season along with primroses, lesser celandine and bluebells. The small rhizomes (knobbly roots) lie dormant under the ground throughout the winter awaiting the milder weather then break forth to reveal bright green foliage then pretty, delicate flowers which bloom between March and May before they are crowded out by more dense summer foliage.

Charcoal is created by pyrolysis – that is, the incomplete burning of wood or biomass when oxygen /air is restricted. Typically, full-time charcoal producers have a large, steel kiln* about three metres in diameter and over a metre in height.  This is loaded up with wood, mostly hardwoods such as oak, which have a very slow burn. The kiln is then sealed with a large lid.  To make charcoal, the burn must be slow and incomplete so that the wood dries out and its structure and capacity for burning remains.  This process – converting wood to charcoal – takes some 14-16 hours and produces ready-to-use lumps of charcoal.  To watch the process of charcoal making, visit woodlands TV.

Adding charcoal to soil can improve its structure (tilth), water retention, reduce the leaching of minerals and acidity, help with drainage, improve mineral take up by plants.  There has also been the suggestion that adding biochar to soils can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the soil – specifically carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. 

The NERC’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology is now investigating the use of charcoal on land used to grow bioenergy crops (such as Miscanthus – a tough perennial grass or coppiced willow).   A recent paper published by Sean Case et al talks about the benefits of using biochar in association with these energy crops.  It would appear that :

• The addition of biochar to soil before planting energy crops can cut soil emissions by one third – specifically CO₂ emissions.   Though this effect has been seen previously in the lab – this study followed carbon emissions over a longer period in the field.
• The biochar appears to change the microbial activity in the soil – so that there is less ‘soil respiration’
• The biochar also reduces the conversion of N based fertiliser to nitrous oxide
• The biochar adds carbon to the soil, and the use of willow / Miscanthus means that the soil is not churned up by ploughing each year and the carbon is not disturbed.

All of the above add to the sustainability benefits of bioenergy crops.

New techniques of pyrolysis are becoming available which not only produce charcoal but also liquid or gas fuel – the latter can be use to generate power, and the charcoal added to soil : so that the harvested material yields multiple benefits. In the longer term, it is possible that biochar will not be made from wood but perhaps municipal waste or even chicken manure – according to Dr Jeanette Whitaker (co-author of the paper).

The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology is working on a number of interesting projects associated with bio-energy crops, biofuels and sustainability issues – see http://www.ceh.ac.uk/sci_programmes/bioenergy-crops.html for further information.

]]> http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-economics/biochar-and-biofuels/feed/ 1 http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/practical-guides/firewood-the-real-challenge-is-moving-the-logs-to-where-you-need-them/ http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/practical-guides/firewood-the-real-challenge-is-moving-the-logs-to-where-you-need-them/#comments Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:23:02 +0000 Angus http://www.woodlands.co.uk/?p=16454 People say that the problem with the world’s food supply is not about having enough to go round but about having it where it’s needed.  The same applies to woodfuel and energy in general.  Like many people ,I have recently installed a wood-burning stove and the challenge is to find easy ways of getting the firewood to the stove.  Of course, there is the cutting and splitting and seasoning the wood as well.   But , the other issue is getting it from woodland to home , in a way that is inexpensive and does not waste fossil fuels.  One way that a friend of mine uses is a trailer on his bike, but this has quite severe limitations on how much can be carried.  You can see it demonstrated here:  http://peplers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/carry-freedom-bike-trailer-review.html

If you are going to use a car or van you can use “backloads” for moving your firewood – if a vehicle is going to a woodland for another reason we try to make sure that the return journey is used for bringing firewood home.  Another energy-aware method is to make sure that your wood source is near to home and people sometimes make arrangements with a local tree-surgeon,  to take their “arisings” as they call them (logs to you and me) when the tree cutter is passing the house.  It may seem crazy but some tree surgeons find themselves actually paying to dump the trunks of trees or branches that they have cut.

The old saying about wood burners is that they warm you up three times – when you cut the wood, when you split it and finally when you burn it.  If you include the physical energy in moving the firewood it’s probably actually at least four times that your firewood will heat you up.  Here’s a video clip showing an easy way to move logs:

This was taken in the Swiss alps from the passenger train that goes through a high pass to get from Paris to Italy;  it shows logs being transferred onto a train for transporting to a timber mill.  In some countries, where labour is more scarce and therefore more expensive, they are very likely to use hydraulics for moving wood around.

Technology is advancing rapidly in the moving of firewood and it’s not just about bikes and hydraulics.  The strong plastics used for jumbo bags mean that logs can be more easily lifted and stored without being loose or in materials which rot away.   New log splitters are also making the process of preparing wood fuel easier and safer.  Here’s an example:

www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-activities/processing-your-firewood-with-a-logsplitter/

The recent rises in energy prices for conventional fuels are not just driving demand for woodlands but are encouraging people to look at better ways of moving their logs and other woodfuel from woodland to their wood stove.

Whilst, the Common Gorse can be found in flower in late autumn and even in winter, it is in Spring that it flowers most strongly and profusely.  The flowers are said to have a coconut aroma.

It is said that Linnaeus (Swedish botanist and plant taxonomist) was ‘enchanted’ by it when he encountered it – on Putney Heath.  Common Gorse occupies a different niche to that of our other two species of Gorse, the Dwarf Gorse (Ulex minor) – a plant of heathland in the South East and the Western Gorse (Ulex gallii).

Common Gorse can be a plant of  the wood margins / edge, but it may also be found in tracks through woodlands.  It can grow in the company of various grasses (Common Bent, Yorkshire Fog, Sweet Vernal Grass), common dog violets and sheeps sorrel. It may be found growing on cuttings for new roads and highways, and gorse scrub is not uncommon on exposed sea cliffs.

The dwarf gorse has somewhat more delicate spines and smaller flowers than the common gorse – the western gorse falls somewhere between the two (but is not a hybrid).  The Western Gorse is , as it name suggests, found on the western side of the U.K. (but also near the coast in East Anglia).

Common Gorse is a spiny, evergreen shrub.  Its spines may be branched and furrowed.  The plant has ‘normal’ leaves only when very young – small trifoliate leaves. A mature gorse may reach a height of some 2 metres (or more – the form of the plant being quite ‘plastic’ and heavily influenced by soil and local climate). Gorse can form impenetrable clumps.  It is found throughout the British Isles – except for at high altitudes, and not in the Fens. Its distribution throughout the U.K. may be seen here.

The flowers of gorses and brooms are complex and specially adapted for insect pollination. When a bee alights on the lower lips (keel) of the flower , these petals are depressed and the underlying stamens release their pollen onto the body of the insect.  The big petal at the back of the flower is called the standard, and the two smaller ones to the side are the wings. The sepals (calyx) are also yellow.

Gorse at the coast in East Anglia

Gorse ‘thicket’

Sometimes it is possible to catch a glimpse of one but, more often than not, if they are feeding, the sound can be heard of them chewing on pine cones, or the debris from the cones can be seen falling. Occasionally,  they can be seen rushing head first down a tree to the ground in order to bury nuts, which they will retrieve at a later time.

Unfortunately, in the UK, the red squirrels have competition, not only for their food but also their territory. The grey squirrel, which is much larger, much hardier, and breeds more successfully than the red squirrel, was introduced here from North America in the 1870’s. It became apparent, over time, that the Grey Squirrel out-competes the Red Squirrel for food. If that wasn’t enough, some Greys carry the Squirrel Pox Virus which when passed on to Reds, results in a prolonged and painful death for the Red Squirrel, usually within 14 days. Of course, if infected red squirrels happens to meet with and pass the virus onto other red squirrels,  they will suffer the same fate. The grey squirrels are unaffected by the virus.   So the way I see it is that the odds have been stacked against the Red Squirrel by mankind (through the introduction of the Grey Squirrel) and, if we wish to continue to see Reds in the UK, it is up to us to try and redress the balance a little.

This is where I come in. I am a member of a Red Squirrel Group based in North East Cumbria.  We are a group of volunteers, giving up our free time in order to try and make a difference.  Our Red Squirrel Group is typical of many similar groups throughout the UK. These have been formed by like-minded people who have decided, in the absence of any other solution, to fight for the Reds as long as they are around, and as long as Greys continue to encroach on their territory. We have Red Squirrels here in North East Cumbria but we are also right on the very forefront to where the Greys have extended their area. In some of our woodlands, the Reds have been driven out, or have been wiped out after contracting the pox virus. We act upon reported sightings of Greys, but there are also regular ‘hotspots’ where we trap as a matter of course. Having obtained permission from the relevant landowners, members of our group use live traps (these do not cause any injury to whatever is trapped), within these areas, in an attempt to trap any Greys.  Any which are trapped are subsequently humanely dispatched. It has been seen that, once this is carried out to such a degree, any Reds that may still be around, often return to the woodland.

I, personally,  cover an area within a radius of approximately 3 miles from my home.  I have watched the numbers of Reds increase and spread, if Greys are kept at bay. However, trapping is an on-going process as the Greys continue their relentless advance into less densely populated territory. In other words, having cleared an area of Greys, it is only a matter of time before more of them come along. A typical day would involve me making two tours around my ‘trapping’ area, once in the morning and once in the late afternoon/evening,  to see if anything has been caught in the traps. If nothing has been caught,  I check that it is operating properly and bait the trap with whole maize.

In addition to squirrels, the traps catch other wildlife, such as stoats, polecats, small rabbits and birds; this does add a lot of interest for me – to be able to see these creatures at close quarters. If a Red is trapped, a quick check is made to make sure that it is healthy and there are no visible signs of the Squirrel Pox virus. Every creature, apart from Grey Squirrels, is released from the traps, unharmed and without any charge for the food and accommodation!

In addition to the trapping and monitoring activities, I also attend fund-raising and awareness-raising events (along with other members of the Red Squirrel group). So, as long as the advance of the Grey continues, with no alternative remedy, we carry on!