What have you been doing this month?

[jillybean]

Hi Docsquid Yes, of course you can put pics in the newsletter, thanks for asking. My lovely Woodsman has dropped off some Guatemalan Cherry (v. exotic!) for me to make spoons from. if anyone wants to swap wood for small carving, I have Holly Oak, Hornbeam, Beech, Birch,and a Eucalyptus (in My Garden at home ) would like some Apple, Plum, Elder,Hawthorn, or Hazel but it must be fresh cut please. I only need spoon sized bits, but can take relatively big stuff too. Im in Kent so local to here would be preferable. Dont be afraid to mail me direct. Thank you.

[wood troll]

Hi All,

Been a bit busy lately with other people's jobs. But I just finished a job today that just had to brag about!

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I was asked to fell an old pear tree and it turned out that I could have any of the wood I wanted (I halved the job price). The end results are several large chunks of bough wood (14" across) and the trunk (about 7' long, 13" across!!!). There is some rot in the bottom of the trunk but I should get some 5' planks out of it and there are lots of pieces for blanks (I'm thinking of selling some if anyone is interested).

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Other than that a bit of hazel coppicing and brash clearing. My Top Bar Hive bees have been out collecting hazel catkin pollen several times since the weather has warmed up over the last couple of weeks.

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Jilly, I am sure I can find some wood for you; the problem is getting it over the ditch. The Canterbury student is over at Easter but he is limited to what he can carry on his motorbike. What size is spoon sized for you?

[splodger]

we have been busy digging a trench and laying a new mains water pipe across our neighbours field and into our copse - we had a supply there already but it fed 4 different people and there was a leak in one section - so we have decided to separate our supply from the leaking one

[Exeldama]

Planted a few trees, including a token Dawn Redwood for children to marvel at in the following centuries. However the main thing has been opening up an internal pathway and clearing betweenhe chestnut coppice,.... removing loads of dead and dying scots pine...planted by the previous commercial owners and just left.. no thinning now they are pretty much all heading for doom.

[jillybean]

@wood troll- Id love some! only need a bit about 10 ins long and 2 ins wide ish. I can make them to fit any bit of wood he can tie to his handlebar ! thanks in advance

[Rod Taylor]

Jillybean

Recently cut some Hazel, several are 4 or 5 inch diameter and reasonably straight and unbranched more than 10 foot long. You are welcome to some bits off of these if you pass through East Sussex some time.

[brassmonkey]

Last weekend I planted ten Ash and four Hazel in my garden with a view to coppicing them for firewood for the stove in a few years time.

Today I helped out planting for a forest school for future generations of kids who will go to a local specialist school.

Then this afternoon I used a chainsaw for the first time, cutting up some fallen Hawthorne for the stove.

Both ends of the spectrum and both were very satisfying.

[jillybean]

@ Rod -Thank you Rod, is it you that had the mushroom walk last year? or am I getting you mixed up with someone else

[hornbeam_mad]

As I'm new to woods I haven't had a great deal of hands on yet but in the last two weeks we've had the High Weald AONB, and our local Forestry Comission Officer. Both reccomended we re start the coppice cycle so its been research into felling liscences and stool protection. As for practical things I've been slowly working my way through cross cutting and splitting of the trees that edf took down when they were here. Also some dead hedgeing experiments and ditch clearance.

[The Barrowers]

By this month I assume we mean February.

Last week I went to a PTES Hedgerow Day at Hampden Bottom Farm in Great Missenden. Learnt a great deal about hedgerows and their importance in the bigger picture. It was presented to about 15 attendees from a mixed range of occupations and interests but was aimed at local farmers. The presenters were Jim Jones from PTES who are funding new hedgerow to applicants at up to £3:50 a metre with what appears to be little strings attached. The vice chairman of The Hedge Laying Society also gave a very interesting presentation. It was hosted by Ian, a farmer who activley manages his hedgerows and runs his arable farm with wildlife in mind. After a pub lunch we had a tour of his fields to look at various hedges and discussed his farming style. Natural England were also present and between the group there were lots of questions and many answers given. I now have a different view of hedges. An excellant day which was promoted on the SWOGS events pages. There are more days comming up at other venues.