Mar 13 Royal Forestry Society By Tracy

Promoting wise management of trees and woods
Around 100 woodland meetings are being organised by divisions of the Royal Forestry Society (RFS) across England, Wales and Northern Ireland between April and October this year.

(Photo by Chris Johnson RFS)

The meetings cover the whole spectrum of woodland management with venues varying from private estates and Forestry Commission woodlands to tree nurseries and sawmills.

They provide an opportunity to tap into the years of first hand experience of assembled foresters and owners in a way in which no text book can. Attendance can also count towards Continuous Professional Development (CPD) requirements for The Institute of Chartered Foresters The Arboricultural Association, The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.

Topics vary according to the venue. Squirrel control, eradication of rhododendron ponticum, chestnut canker, density levels, underplanting, harvesting, butterfly conservation, PAWS, woodland flora, cattle grazing, climate change, continuous cover, woodfuel, public access and growing for quality timber were amongst the many subjects aired at meetings last year.

For instance, the RFS South East Division is planning visits from May to October to: Ingrams Copse and Cowdray Estate in Midhurst; the RSPB’s Tudeley Woods in Tunbridge Wells; Oakwood West and Stanstead Sawmills in Chichester; English Woodlands, also in Chichester and the Forestry Commission’s Beckley Woods at Rye

The Home Counties Division has visits planned to Markshall Estate in Coggeshall and Southill Estate in Biggleswade.
The meetings are open to all members of the Royal Forestry Society. Visitors are welcome – log on to www.rfs.org.uk to see the 2009 list and who to contact if you would like to go along.

To renew your membership, to join the RFS, or to find a full calendar of woodland meetings across the country visit the website www.rfs.org.uk ,call 01442 822028 or write to the RFS at 102 High Street, Tring, Hertfordshire, HP23 4AF.