Woodlands.co.uk

Blog - Energy, sustainability & economics

Burning heather ?

Burning heather ?

by Lewis, 11 September, 2014, 3 comments

Heather (Calluna vulgaris) is one of the dominant plant species of heath and moor – particularly in upland areas.   In such areas, land managers may burn back areas of heather (in a selective fashion) to create better feeding for sheep or grouse.  Left to grow, heather can form a ‘blanket’ that makes for poor grazing in a nutritional sense (more woody material – lignin, that is essentially indigestible) and can give rise to intense fires in dry, hot summers. The selective burning / rotational burning  of heather moors has been questioned in recent times as the underlying peat, and also water quality, may degrade. Present burning practices are estimated to release energy - some 821 PJ/yr *.  However, if the U.K.’s heather was to be harvested as a biofuel or bioenergy crop**  then it could yield as much energy as 1.7 million tonnes of coal per year.   Read more...
What has cheese-making got to do with woodland management?

What has cheese-making got to do with woodland management?

by Angus, 5 September, 2014, 2 comments

Visiting a Swiss cheese-making enterprise in the canton of Fribourg near to Gruyere made me think about the ways that the art of making cheese is a bit like aspects of forestry and managing woodland.  Alexandre Guez-Volery has been making cheese for 24 years and takes great pride in the quality of what he produces.   Read more...
How we turned our woodland into an education centre and ​place to stay​

How we turned our woodland into an education centre and ​place to stay​

by Leigh, 23 August, 2014, 3 comments

When we bought our woodland in mid Wales 15 years ago it was in a very neglected state . The wood was a mix of western red cedar, hemlock, ash and oak. The previous owner removed all the valuable oak but left all the tops on the ground so it was really an overgrown jungle. What we did to improve our woodland The first thing we did was to clear site of all the oak tops and timber off the ground, which wasn’t easy as there was bramble growth covering everything. Read more...
A wooden summerhouse - design and construction.

A wooden summerhouse – design and construction.

by Anita, 4 July, 2014, 10 comments

This summer, my family and I are building a wooden summerhouse from scratch in our garden. I have designed the building myself and it will be an octagonal structure with a ‘green’ roof, external deck and space for seating and a small woodburner inside. The process began last winter, when we salvaged the timber required for the structure from the many windblown trees resulting from the winter storms. We did this a few months in advance of actually starting construction to give the wood a chance to season a little Read more...
Tree growing in Tuscany

Tree growing in Tuscany

by Dick, 13 June, 2014, 2 comments

Think of Tuscany and the kinds of images likely to come to mind are of red tiled roofs, medieval hill-top villages, olive groves and vineyards.  But how about trees; hectare after hectare of young trees of every size, shape and variety?   This is exactly what you will find around the town of Pistoia, which is located approximately half-way along the hour and a half train ride from Florence to the walled city of Lucca. The geographical position of Pistoia is particularly suitable for the quick growth of trees: the Apennine Mountains protect it from cold winds from the north and at the same time provide a source of abundant water. Pistoia is situated in a floodplain whose soil is unique: clay and loose at the same time, perfect for vigorous root growth. Read more...
Solar panels in woodlands and fields  - are they good or bad for the environment?

Solar panels in woodlands and fields  – are they good or bad for the environment?

by Angus, 6 June, 2014, 9 comments

Several woodland owners have put solar panels in clearings or next to their woodlands and they wonder what effect these man-made structures have on nature.  There is also general discussion as to whether open field solar arrays (or solar parks) are good or bad for wildlife.  Of course, in the big scheme of things - renewable energy is certainly good for the wider environment to the extent that it reduces carbon emissions by substituting green energy for fossil-fuel-based electricity. It now seems that many of the earlier fears about the impact of solar panels were unfounded. Read more...
Sharing forestry tools and meeting people through streetbank.com

Sharing forestry tools and meeting people through streetbank.com

by Angus, 30 May, 2014, 1 comments

You need a tool but don't want to buy it.  You have a piece of forestry equipment and wonder if anyone else could use it. You want to know how to sharpen a chainsaw but don't know anyone nearby who could teach you how.  All these and many other problems would be solved if there were a website that put you in touch with neighbours who could help or who need help.  If such a platform existed it would help solve your problem and you would make friends locally.  In fact such a website exists already!   Streetbank.com was established as a not-for-profit enterprise to allow people to share things and skills for no cost, and it really works. Read more...
When the woodland wind blows ....

When the woodland wind blows ….

by Angus, 19 April, 2014, 0 comments

Winds are critical to our woodlands - they help to strengthen the trees and they spread seeds and pollen.  They are also sometimes the main reason a woodland is there, as a shelter-belt to protect housing or agriculture from prevailing winds.  But how much notice do we take of wind patterns?  Our history of urbanisation has also been a history of moving indoors and many people nowadays spend only a tiny proportion of their lives outdoors. Read more...

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