Greetings fellow forest folk!

[solar bud]

. . . from a newbie, my name is Andy Hunt and I've just purchases a little over 4 acres from woodlands.co.uk in north west Wales.

Have now stayed there twice and achievements so far are carving a one-tent campsite/perch out of the hillside using a mattock, making two paths inside the wood cutting down only rhododendron in the process, and making a portable composting toilet type arrangement out of an old plastic garden box which someone round my way was throwing out.

I'm hoping to improve my wood for wildlife (including friends and family ;-)) and bring it into production of wood fuel, timber if possible and maybe even charcoal.

But my first two visits have left me with the impression of what a vast amount of work there is to do!!

Anyway, that's me! :-)

[steve rollnick]

Hi Andy, welcome. I'm due South of you. You sound like me a few years back! Same initial challenges, very similar aspirations, and many now realised, with hard work. Looking back, our selection of a "campsite"was probably not ideal. We spent a lot of time making this, and really should have thought more carefully about dampness, wind direction and the direction of distant traffic noise. We intially started camping high up, where there were lovely views, then the cold winds drove us down to a place that was too damp. Grump. Good luck, Steve

[solar bud]

Thanks Steve!

I must admit, when thinking about getting a digger in to make this campsite I keep looking at all the trees and plants which are currently there and thinking that it will be reduced to a big muddy mess. Seems a shame somehow! Still, as our American cousins are so fond of saying, you have to break some eggs to make an omelette, I suppose.

The old permaculture rule of observe for 12 months before acting probably applies here. Having said that, I'm going to get the work done in the autumn so I've cut that down to six months already!!

[tracy]

Hi Andy

Have a great time in your wood - and yes, there are never ending things that 'could' be done. Remember that the list will never end and the trick is to enjoy it somehow in the midst of it all!

Getting the rhody out is a great start - just watch out for nesting birds - we came across some nesting in it last year.

Looking forward to hearing how you are getting on!

[solar bud]

Thanks Tracy! I am intending to put updates on my Green Cottage blog which you might have seen from the Powerswitch forum:-

http://greencottage.burysolarclub.net

I am beginning to understand why you and Mike haven't been on Powerswitch so much since you got your woodland!! ;)

[tracy]

Yeah, I have forgotten my password and Mike is too busy eyeing up trees to saw down! Much better to be getting on with it that being in a forum... oh wait, oops, this is a forum ;-)

[solar bud]

Hehe :-)