This month
The season is underway, with at least one woodfuel session now completed at every site we are working this winter. Here’s the news from the woods, along with more community engagement, including our October Apple Day.
Meanwhile, Christmas production is in full swing at the Hub. Our plan to meet the demand for this year’s Christmas market has started to take shape, with plenty of people putting in the hours to make it happen.
Woodland Wins
Apple Day at Donisthorpe
Our Apple Day at Donisthorpe Woodland Park on 11 October was another lovely community event. Warm, sunny weather brought plenty of people along to enjoy the day, and we were able to share some of our traditional skills with the next generation.
Around 16 children had a go at besom making, each keen to have their own witch’s broom ready for Halloween. It was a worthwhile contribution to club funds too, so a good result all round!
A new woodland partnership
Woodstone School at Ravenstone invited us to visit its private woodland and offer advice on management work. Although the site is relatively small and has seen some work over the years, it isn’t suitable for our usual woodfuel sessions.
However, we have agreed to work with the deputy head to address a small number of damaged trees. With funding provided by the National Forest Company, we will also be making and installing nest and bat boxes in the spring. It’s another opportunity to share our skills and support woodland wildlife within the wider community.
Woodlands in detail: Session Updates
With at least one woodfuel session now held at every site we are working this winter, here are a few updates from the early weeks of the season.
Donisthorpe Woodland Park – The move to the new car park brought a few teething problems, with some attendees having difficulty locating the car park and then finding the work area on foot. These issues have now been ironed out and shouldn’t cause further problems. The woodland itself is producing high volumes of timber.
Swadlincote Woodlands – The car parking and log collection arrangements worked well at the first session. There is plenty of good-quality timber available, and the session numbers are well matched to the capacity of the access routes and work area.
Bridge End Copse – Following a successful first session, we have agreed to increase the attendee limit from 12 to 15. On-site parking needs careful management, but the session leaders understand the arrangements.
Smisby Wood – The attendee limit has also been increased, from 15 to 18. Parking remains the limiting factor, and we may need to review numbers again as the ground becomes wetter.
Foremark Reservoir – Sessions are running as in previous years, with no significant issues. Please remember that this site involves more manual carrying because of the distance between the work area and the loading point. Most of the timber is Hazel, so boot loads may be smaller than at some other sites.
Pick Triangle – At the first session, parking was available on site because the ground was dry enough to accommodate more vehicles. This arrangement will change as conditions get wetter. We have also opened up a new woodland compartment, which contains plenty of timber for this season and into next.
If you have any questions about a site or its arrangements, please speak to one of the team.
** Don’t forget to check your email if you are booked onto an event, preferably on the morning of the session, just in case the weather has become an issue or arrangements for the session have changed. We try to closely follow the weather, but forecasts can be unreliable.
The Hub
Charcoal Timber
The first month of the season has seen a good volume of charcoal timber extracted from the woods and brought to the Hub. Thank you to everyone who has added charcoal wood to their boot loads and dropped it off.
Our plan is to build up a stock before bringing the tractor and branch logger together for a dedicated processing session. This should make the best use of our equipment while minimising unnecessary vehicle movements.
Dragon Watch
We plan to keep the Dragons running through the winter to build up a stock of charcoal ready for the spring.
Recent TOITW sessions have concentrated on Christmas crafts, but whenever the right resources and people are available, we’ll be firing up the Dragons. It’s productive work, and not a bad way to keep warm during the winter months!
Christmas Production
Christmas has always been one of my favourite times of the year at the Hub. There’s plenty to do, lots of crafts to make, and a real sense of people pulling together and enjoying themselves.
This year has been busier than ever, with our snowman-making activities planned for the Rosliston Christmas Market. Our regular outlets placed their orders early, and Rosliston asked for 100 Snowmen and 100 Reindeer to be ready in time for the October half-term holiday.
The organisation and effort involved in meeting those orders has been wonderful. Everyone involved is a volunteer, yet the commitment and hours put in have been remarkable. It says a great deal about the community we have built within Heartwood and at the Hub.
With the Rosliston orders now almost out of the door, attention has turned to preparing for the Christmas Market itself. We aim to have 100 snowman kits available for each of the four market days, so extra help at the Hub with preparing materials and assembling kits would be very welcome. A small team has already carried out a mini-felling session at Donisthorpe Woodland Park to harvest logs for the snowman parts.
The market takes place over two weekends: 28th and 29th November, and 5th and 6th December. Shift slots are available on the booking system, so please come along, support the group and help give the children a memorable experience.
The Hub is for everyone
Don’t forget that Hub sessions are open to all members. The run-up to Christmas is busy, but if you simply fancy spending a couple of hours in the woods, it can be a relaxing way to spend your time at any point in the year.
There is always something to get involved in, with opportunities for everyone, whatever their skills or experience. You don’t need to be an experienced craftsperson or a woodland expert to join in.
Or just come along for the bacon butties!
Hub sessions are listed on the booking system. If you’d like regular updates and to join the conversation, ask us about joining the WhatsApp group.
Next month...
The season continues, with more updates from the woods and a final look at our Christmas preparations as the market weekends arrive.