Author: Rich
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Butterfly Workshop 2nd July
Last Sunday saw the first of a series of SWOG and Butterfly Conservation joint workshops. About a dozen SWOG members, owners and other interested parties joined us at Plattershill Wood in West Sussex on a close to perfect day for spotting butterflies. It was warm and sunny with a very light breeze. If anything…
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Rides Revisited
Some of you may have been aware of the ride improvement project SWOG members in the south east have benefitted from over the last 18 months or so. (See articles in last year’s March and June newsletters, and occasional updates here).
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PAWS Restoration Workshop – Joint Meeting with The Woodland Trust
Early April was an excellent time to hold a joint SWOG and Woodland Trust, PAWS (plantation on ancient woodland sites) restoration workshop.
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Low Impact Extraction Ideas – Milling in the Wood
If I look back at the woods I’ve worked and managed over the last few years a common theme emerges. They all seemed to have valuable timber in them, timber that desperately needs felling. Sometimes it’s on an overstood chestnut or ash stool in danger of falling over because of it’s enormous weight.
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Red Squirrel Training Day
Holly Peek a Red Squirrel Ranger for Anglesey and Gwynedd has contacted us with some information that North West Wales members may find interesting.
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Ride Improvement Scheme – Update
The track improvement pilot scheme in the South East is now nearing its end. It was an initiative instigated by woodlands.co.uk to help owners with shared tracks maintain and improve the utility, structure and biodiversity of their tracks and rides.
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New Forest Land Advice Service Working Woodlands Project
Tom Murphy has been in touch, he is the project co-ordinator for the Working Woodlands Project which is run by the New Forest Land Advice Service part of the bigger, forest-wide “Our Past Our Future” initiative.
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Oak Processionary Moth – research
We have been contacted by Dr. John Fellenor who is part of a project team looking at the public perception of risk with regard to specific tree pests and pathogens, one of which is the oak processionary moth (OPM). Their project webpage provides an overview of what the work aims to achieve https://www.imperial.ac.uk/unpick/
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Reasons to adapt to Climate Change
Dr Suzanne Martin, Research Liaison Officer with the Forestry Commission at Alice Holt has written to us with news of the recently published LWEC Report Card covering forestry. The card provides an accessible and authoritative summary of the latest scientific evidence about the impact and future risks/opportunities of climate change for forestry in the UK. It…
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Permaculture wood fuel and home heating workshop
The Brighton Permaculture Trust is putting on a one day wood fuel and home heatingworkshop. Suitable for beginners, it will cover the basics of wood fuel home heating. The course will include the possible benefits of fuel autonomy, carbon, local economies, and sustainability. These topics are woven into the fabric of the course in such…
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Tree Disease Research Project – Survey
We have had a request from Oleg Sheremet who is a research fellow at the University of St. Andrews. He is working on a project to find out how woodland owners and managers arrive at decisions, based on their knowledge of tree disease risks. They have a short online survey which I have taken, it…
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Ancient Woodland Restoration
Jim Smith has written to us with news of an important initiative in the Sussex Weald, aimed at helping land owners restore plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) back to ancient woodlands. If you have further comments or questions, please contact him directly. We have already lost the vast majority of our…