Hedge Laying Experience – Mary Lorimer
Woodfuel Sessions
Thanks to a final push from everyone we completed all the NFC grant work in time to meet the deadline of the 25th of February. Our claim has been submitted, and we have already been paid. This is a significant amount of income for the group ensuring we continue to operate whist remaining financially viable. This season the grant totalled over £7k.
The remaining sessions are restricted to sites where we are allowed to fell during March. We usually load the end of the season at Edwards Wood, but we have been so efficient on that site that we have exhausted the area planned for this season. We are currently re-planning several sessions which are likely to move to either Donisthorpe Woodland Park or Pick Triangle. Where we continue to work during March, we have a policy regarding nesting bird disturbance which we will be adhering to. The Woodland Trust and the National Trust have a policy of ceasing woodland work at the end of February. Please ensure you check the venue of any sessions you are booked onto for the remainder of the season. If you have any questions regarding sites or if you know of any woodlands where we could make a difference please contact us.
The next task is to plan next season’s work. With a deadline for grant applications in April we are already looking at what work we will be doing where. There are likely to be new woodlands in the schedule for next season.
Graham Bowers | Operations Chair
email:
Hedge Laying Experience – Mary Lorimer
We have some young hedges round our field that I would like to lay. Is there anyone who would like to practice their hedge-laying skills, or if anyone would like to come and have a go: we can show them how. Anyone interested can contact me on
Nest Box Installation Foxley
Now the grant work has been completed and felling concluded at Foxley Wood on the 26th February we can plan the annual nest box installation. This season we are planning to install the boxes at Foxley on March 14th. If you can help, please book onto the event on the booking system. Previous years have seen a strong attendance, making light work of the installation.
Kevin Banton | Heartwood Chair
email:
Ecologi/National Forest Event
We have been invited to support an event being hosted by the NFC on April 14th at Feanedock. There will be around 30 people in attendance, many seniors from National and `international companies. Take a look at ecologi.com
We will be making nest boxes with the attendees which they will take away with them as a reminder of the day.
Here are the details we have from the NFC for the wider event on the day, we will be involved for an hour or two. The full itinerary to follow, but if you would like to be involved, please book onto the event on the system.
Key points summary
- This is the inaugural board meeting of the Media in Service of Nature movement. The event marks the formal establishment of the initiative, so attendance places us (NFC and Heartwood) at the centre of a potentially industry-shaping framework.
- There will be strong cross-industry representation across major brands, media agencies, publishers, media owners and trade bodies. Attendees include giffgaff, Vitality, Heineken, Mulberry, MG OMD, WPP, Immediate Media, Global, JC Decaux and the IPA.
- The session will be heavily filmed and photographed, including drone footage. All material will be used by Ecologi to promote the launch of the movement across trade press and potentially national media. Our location and our presence will be visible within that coverage.
Kevin Banton | Heartwood Chair
email:
The Hub Update
This month’s TOITW is very close to the end of the month, so we are having to write this update ahead of the session on the 28th.
It’s been a very frustrating period for everyone who gets involved with the Hub. The weather hasn’t been kind and on top of this there has been serious work taking place on the main tracks. The ditches and water management work is now complete and will be followed by re-laying of the track when it dries. You will see a big difference when you next go along as the hedges on both sides have been cut to the ground and the ditches have been made deeper and wider. Hopefully in the long term we will benefit.
Regarding activities at the Hub, we are focussing on construction of nest and bat boxes which form part of the NFC grant and have a strong team booked onto the session on the 28th.
We received disappointing news from Calke Abbey who will no longer be buying charcoal from us for their BBQ. There are major works taking place at Calke and the BBQ will not be charcoal fuelled in the future. Sales to Calke have been strong for a couple of years, but as with all things nothing stays the same so we will search out new charcoal sale opportunities, let us know if you have any ideas or sales leads.
We have lots of charcoal wood to process and store as the team have been extracting and transporting timber from sessions throughout the season. Future TOITW sessions will need lots of hands to process and stack if you are able to help.
Chris Adams, Kevin Banton, Dave Barker | Hub Team
email: