A reasonably busy couple of days at the field.
The rest of a 120m line of young ash trees have gone in along the north boundary parallel to the roadside fence.
A few hazels planted together, some alder and a couple of willows, as well as some willow cuttings.
Part of the south hedge has had a severe cut and pruning - probably for the first time in 15 or 20 years...
The hawthorn had grown into trees with substantial lower trunks, so they have been coppiced.
There are more gaps than hawthorn, so quite a bit of replanting to do.
The bulk of the twiggy cut waste ended up being burned rather than shredded, the wood-ash will still end up going into a compost mix. Quite a few larger lumps for logs.
Quite a lot of stuff is starting to bud and vegetation is starting to green up and become noticeable.
The east hedge that I layered in November has noticeable buds on the hawthorn and dog-rose.
By the time it was dark, an owl could be heard quite close (probably the one in the hollow tree from last month), but a second hoot could be heard further away too.
Monday, 21 February 2011
Thursday, 17 February 2011
private and public woodlands
On a day that the Government U-turned on the inclusion of Forestry Commission land in The Public Bodies Bill, I've got round to the first proper planting on my own plot.
A 1.5m tall female Black Poplar from a small nursery stock of native trees I have at home...
(Probably another 1000 trees to plant yet though).
Also half of a 100m line of young ash trees have gone in along the north boundary (this may be expanded to an avenue, approximately recreating the tree-lined track on the 1800s maps).
Another bundle of 50 hawthorns to pick up tomorrow from Morrey's nursery at Kelsall for filling in hedge gaps.
Down at the field, a lot of willow along the boundary has sprouted into bud, I'm going to try some stem cuttings straight into the ground.
Watching Parliament on TV today, some of the later questions touched on grants and taxation and access regarding private woodlands.
For various reasons, I've not taken advantage of The Woodland Grant Scheme for my own plot, although reading recently - a Welsh version of the scheme (100 metres to the border) is under subscribed and suited for small patches of woodland on farm land.
Something that repeatedly annoyed me from the Conservative side of the house was reference to Forestry Commission sales under Labour (about 25,000ha) - For some years I've belonged to a small trust that bought a patch of Forestry Commission land under John Major's 1990s Conservative administration. A partial breakdown of sales is in Hansard from 1996.
I'm still curious as to what prompted an announcement from 10 Downing Street late at night ahead of the Secretary of State's formal announcement?
I'm hoping the campaigns by 38 Degrees and Save Our Woods had profound effect (together with local focus like Save Delamere Forest).
I hope the Government's change isn't a smoke-screen or a portent to complicated and convoluted changes to UK woodland and forestry policy?
A 1.5m tall female Black Poplar from a small nursery stock of native trees I have at home...
 |
| From Meadowcopse 2011 |
(Probably another 1000 trees to plant yet though).
Also half of a 100m line of young ash trees have gone in along the north boundary (this may be expanded to an avenue, approximately recreating the tree-lined track on the 1800s maps).
Another bundle of 50 hawthorns to pick up tomorrow from Morrey's nursery at Kelsall for filling in hedge gaps.
Down at the field, a lot of willow along the boundary has sprouted into bud, I'm going to try some stem cuttings straight into the ground.
Watching Parliament on TV today, some of the later questions touched on grants and taxation and access regarding private woodlands.
For various reasons, I've not taken advantage of The Woodland Grant Scheme for my own plot, although reading recently - a Welsh version of the scheme (100 metres to the border) is under subscribed and suited for small patches of woodland on farm land.
Something that repeatedly annoyed me from the Conservative side of the house was reference to Forestry Commission sales under Labour (about 25,000ha) - For some years I've belonged to a small trust that bought a patch of Forestry Commission land under John Major's 1990s Conservative administration. A partial breakdown of sales is in Hansard from 1996.
I'm still curious as to what prompted an announcement from 10 Downing Street late at night ahead of the Secretary of State's formal announcement?
I'm hoping the campaigns by 38 Degrees and Save Our Woods had profound effect (together with local focus like Save Delamere Forest).
I hope the Government's change isn't a smoke-screen or a portent to complicated and convoluted changes to UK woodland and forestry policy?
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
tree dislodged
Away at Oxford and alongside the River Thames at the weekend, an automated text / email to say the Lower Dee Valley from Llangollen to Chester was now off flood alert.
Now back at home in Cheshire and had a look down at the meadow today after last weeks inunndation.
There's light vegetation debris up to 2 metres above ground level in the hedges and trees (and still a bit of standing water on near-by low fields).
I've also lost a semi-mature ash tree from the west hedgerow.
One of a pair close together that made a nice silhouette at sunset against the Welsh hills. It's root cluster has completely lifted out of the ditch and bank.
Now back at home in Cheshire and had a look down at the meadow today after last weeks inunndation.
There's light vegetation debris up to 2 metres above ground level in the hedges and trees (and still a bit of standing water on near-by low fields).
I've also lost a semi-mature ash tree from the west hedgerow.
One of a pair close together that made a nice silhouette at sunset against the Welsh hills. It's root cluster has completely lifted out of the ditch and bank.
 |
| From Meadowcopse 2011 |
Sunday, 6 February 2011
a start to February and forests in the National psyche
Away from the land until next week due to work:
I've been following with interest the publicity around the Public Bodies Bill and the proposed sale and changes to the Forestry Commission estate.
Public Bodies Bill - documents
Consultation process - DEFRA details
Forestry Commission - Public consultation
Woodland Trust - response
National Trust - canvassing opinion
Save our woods on Twitter is a good one-stop-shop.
Local to me in Cheshire Delemere Forest - documented from Norman times and on the doorstep to 5 million people in the north-west of England, is unlikely to be classified as heritage forest.
Established environmental campaigner Jonathon Porrit makes some interesting observations in his blog.
I'm struggling to see the benefit that changes will bring and also under threat of sale are National Nature Reserves (and maybe land alongside canals in British Waterways portfolio).
After the outcry and rallying of public opposition to proposed changes - particularly after the defeat of an opposition amendment Early Day Motion in The House of Commons, a concerted effort to oppose the changes is gathering support.
Opposition to the bill requires further support, as it is a piece of pernicious 'enabling legislation' that allows Government to make sweeping changes away from proper scrutiny.
Get emailing and writing to your M.P. and challenge them on their outlook and participation regarding the progress of this Bill.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01815/010211-MATT-web_1815661a.jpg
Regarding the overall campaign, don't just think it's about a fence and 'private' sign going on parts of the Forestry Commission estate - the balanced structure of how that organisation functions is about to be ripped apart. The Forestry Commission have since inception in 1919, gone from being just commercial forester previously planting tracts of mono-cultured softwood, to arbiter of sustainable woodland management for almost all interested parties, for about 30 pence per tax-payer per year. A coordinated economy of scale enaables research, conservation and shared knowledge for private woodland owners too.
There is a suggestion that suitable charities could run the designated 'heritage forests' with community input. I seriously doubt the gap left by expelling the Forestry Commission can be filled seamlessly by any existing groups without serious regression or even damage.
I have for several years belonged to a small educational charitable trust that initially took on 30 acres of clear-felled Forestry Commission 'surplus' land when the John Major Conservative Government tried to sell off parts of the Forestry Commission.
Trying to manage woodland by committee and consensus is not an easy task - the Forestry Commission's present activities, performance and direction and coordination would be difficult to improve on.
It is somewhat ironic that the United Nations have designated 2011 as International Year of Forests...
Back to my field and home:
An automated flood alert from the Environment Agency for the lower Dee Valley, with the level coming up at Farndon.
Hopefully it'll have settled by the time I'm home for getting ahead with the fencing and hedging.
A large bundle of apple root-stocks ordered for grafting some selected wayside apples I've spotted on my travels.
I suspect they are from discarded apple-cores, but they seem to have adapted and thrived in quite arduous countryside and give viable pleasant fruit...
(I was surprised that fruit tree root-stocks attract full VAT at 20%, even though entire fruit trees are exempt).
A small quantity of plumbing and hose fittings ironically ordered during this weeks rain and high water - ready for summer watering of the nursery stock at home and to mitigate any dry spells for this year's plantings down at the field.
I've been following with interest the publicity around the Public Bodies Bill and the proposed sale and changes to the Forestry Commission estate.
Public Bodies Bill - documents
Consultation process - DEFRA details
Forestry Commission - Public consultation
Woodland Trust - response
National Trust - canvassing opinion
Save our woods on Twitter is a good one-stop-shop.
Local to me in Cheshire Delemere Forest - documented from Norman times and on the doorstep to 5 million people in the north-west of England, is unlikely to be classified as heritage forest.
Established environmental campaigner Jonathon Porrit makes some interesting observations in his blog.
I'm struggling to see the benefit that changes will bring and also under threat of sale are National Nature Reserves (and maybe land alongside canals in British Waterways portfolio).
After the outcry and rallying of public opposition to proposed changes - particularly after the defeat of an opposition amendment Early Day Motion in The House of Commons, a concerted effort to oppose the changes is gathering support.
Opposition to the bill requires further support, as it is a piece of pernicious 'enabling legislation' that allows Government to make sweeping changes away from proper scrutiny.
Get emailing and writing to your M.P. and challenge them on their outlook and participation regarding the progress of this Bill.
Regarding the overall campaign, don't just think it's about a fence and 'private' sign going on parts of the Forestry Commission estate - the balanced structure of how that organisation functions is about to be ripped apart. The Forestry Commission have since inception in 1919, gone from being just commercial forester previously planting tracts of mono-cultured softwood, to arbiter of sustainable woodland management for almost all interested parties, for about 30 pence per tax-payer per year. A coordinated economy of scale enaables research, conservation and shared knowledge for private woodland owners too.
There is a suggestion that suitable charities could run the designated 'heritage forests' with community input. I seriously doubt the gap left by expelling the Forestry Commission can be filled seamlessly by any existing groups without serious regression or even damage.
I have for several years belonged to a small educational charitable trust that initially took on 30 acres of clear-felled Forestry Commission 'surplus' land when the John Major Conservative Government tried to sell off parts of the Forestry Commission.
Trying to manage woodland by committee and consensus is not an easy task - the Forestry Commission's present activities, performance and direction and coordination would be difficult to improve on.
It is somewhat ironic that the United Nations have designated 2011 as International Year of Forests...
Back to my field and home:
An automated flood alert from the Environment Agency for the lower Dee Valley, with the level coming up at Farndon.
Hopefully it'll have settled by the time I'm home for getting ahead with the fencing and hedging.
A large bundle of apple root-stocks ordered for grafting some selected wayside apples I've spotted on my travels.
I suspect they are from discarded apple-cores, but they seem to have adapted and thrived in quite arduous countryside and give viable pleasant fruit...
(I was surprised that fruit tree root-stocks attract full VAT at 20%, even though entire fruit trees are exempt).
A small quantity of plumbing and hose fittings ironically ordered during this weeks rain and high water - ready for summer watering of the nursery stock at home and to mitigate any dry spells for this year's plantings down at the field.
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