Another hello from Wales - 2

[MartreCycle]

Hello - a few words on the woodland I have ....

Wood is based 2 miles south of Llanidloes - and about a mile from Llangurig - Ex Forestry Commission - acquired after it was clear felled in 2000 - (looked like the scene from Predator where the land is decimated after the explosion !!).

To date - various successes - excellent birch regenaration - some oaks are doing okay

some failures along the way - very good learning experience though -

though less than a mile from the main road - peace and quiet are two qualities it has in abundance - along with record bramble growth.

Managing for (in no order) wildlife/timber/recreation - I see this as a life long project and a positive life affirming one at that.

a total of three ponds to date and some very boggy bits - two ponds are very acidic owing to peat and the other fresh water supplied from field drainage. -

Bird life seems to be thriving though no monitoring done - a steady trickle of bird boxes put up over the years.

Happy to share experience - and if you in the area - you are welcome to have a wander down the track

[DaveTaz]

Hi there, have you come across Better Woodland for Wales. Our wood is in Denbighshire and we are signing up to this scheme - you get a management plan written with your input and consent, which should lead to getting some financial contributions towards the work you carry out. Only problem is no money for this year. Grants are normally available for things like nest box siting, control of invasive species, conversion to native/natural woodland etc

[MartreCycle]

Hi DaveTaz - The planting up I did was in 2002 and I used the old Woodland Grant Scheme - covered the costs of trees and planting - though not spirals.

What I have come to realise is part of the site has deep peat on it and spagnum moss -

currently playing with the idea of going back to forestry commission and asking to clear fell and leave cleared some of this precious environment - if only I knew then what I know now.

The Better Woodlands for Wales - I think has a focus on timber/wood production first and environment second. I think the English schemes may be the other way around ? ( anyone ?)

The Welsh Assembly government makes the right 'noises' about developing a world class timber industry (not just coniferous) in Wales and seems to be providing the money ( via the BWfW scheme etc). It does seem to be a first come first serve basis - good speed when the new financial year starts!!

Your management planner person should have their 'finger on the pulse' and let you know when the 'new' money starts again.

[tracy]

MartreCycle, would you mind sending me a couple of photos, one of the Preditor explosion look and a couple of what it looks like now? We would love to see the progress. Be very interesting to know more about peat and moss too!