The last 'summery' Bank Holiday of the year, so a quick push to boost stock levels of barbecue charcoal made in the woods...
A reasonably productive yield, slowly and steadily graded and bagged up over a couple of days.
Other work has been addressing trees around the periphery of tracks, where grey squirrels have 'ring barked' the growing layer (usually about 3 metres down from the tree top) and killed the top growing leader of the tree.
Along the footpath, this has also given opportunity to widen the path margin edges for light, so a shrub and scrub level can develop for biodiversity.
Other intervention work on the trees is addressing Ash Dieback Disease (ADB) - here the dying trees are dry enough to go straight into the charcoal kiln.
As per national and research guidelines, resilient trees are left, in the hope that their seed leads to genetic resistance. For now, noticeable gaps will be replanted with a mix of Alder, Hazel and Birch.
I've put up a weatherproof info board at one end of the path in the woodland, this has some overview info regarding how the woodland is managed, as well as what work activities and wildlife are likely to be seen month by month...
Elsewhere, I've been following some conservation activities in places I get to around Wiltshire - one area of interest has been conservation grazing cattle at Savernake Forest. A wander further north to a 'Dr. Beeching' disused railway near Marlborough, highlighted some lapsed hazel coppice. There was evidence of (probably 1980s / 90s) conservation tree planting, but also at least one cycle of coppice cutting that seems to have now been overlooked.
Over towards Avebury Stone Circle (after a minor diversion to compare a similar farm estate woodland to my own), I finally tracked down and chatted to the person managing the (quite rare) White Park Cattle.
At some point, I'm still considering low density / high welfare very small herd of cows in the grassland areas of the woodland. This is with particular emphasis and research on how they would moderate the vegetation in a few defined areas.
Also, some very good news from The Royal Forestry Society, regarding how I manage my woodland.
After an on-site assessment by two Chartered Foresters for the RFS, I have been awarded a Certificate of Merit in their Excellence in Forestry awards.
Thank you to those that have helped along the way with this - particularly the inspiring folk at Alvecote Wood and Bulworthy Project in sharing their outlooks, when I first committed to moving my own woodland efforts forward...
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