Are you interested in woodlands and sustainable woodland management?

Question

The Woodland Year by Ben Law release date 12-14 September 2008.

Ben Law will be on television (UK channel 4 ) to coincide with his new book The Woodland Year 12-14 September 2008.

This third book is a month by month journey through the seasons showing sustainable woodland management techniques, seasonal food, timber frame eco building, wildlife and conservation.

http://www.ben-law.co.uk/books.html

http://www.escis.org.uk/Entry/View/Weald_WoodFair/18374

Answer 1

I don't know about the laws on woodland managment in the U.K.  I can only answer this from a more personal standpoint in the U.S.A.  

Three years ago we had over 9000 (nine thousand) native trees planted on our farm in Washington state.  There will be another 1200 or so planted this Autumn.

We believe very strongly in the preservation of woodlands.  We are extremely fortunate in that we have the best of all worlds on our farm.  We have two creeks and a large pond (waterland).  There are mature trees, and even a small forest of several hundred mature trees on our farm.  We have possibly the largest and oldest Alder tree on our farm (I love that tree).

Now we have thousands of baby native trees.  We have scrub and bramble areas also (heaven for our goats).  We also have extremely rich and diverse pastures.  I tried to catalog all the "grasses" we have growing in our pastures.  Thus far I've come up with over 50 different plants I've been able to identify, and more I cannot yet I.D.  

The new baby forests on our farm are already changing the wildlife.  The wild rabbit population (rare native pgymy rabbits) has exploded, since they now have more area to hide from the raptors.  The coyote population has also been doing extremely well on our farm.  Mostly the coyotes stick with eating wild rabbits, and rodents.  They have preyed upon our lamb crops though.  Since we only have 8 adult sheep, the loss of any lambs is fairly signifigant.  

The coyotes are now having to learn to deal with the Great Pyrenees.  Hopefully the coyotes will move onto friendlier pastures soon.  

Canadian Geese nested and raised gooslings on the farm for the first time in years.  The person who owned the farm before us allowed the land to be grossly overgrazed.  The grass was not even half an inch tall.  Now the pasture grass is so deep, it's taller than my 6'3" husband, AND all those baby trees also allowed the geese to feel safe laying eggs there.

In the 8 years we have owned the farm in Washington, we have increased the number of domestic animals on the land five fold (from the previous owner who allowed it to be grossly overgrazed).  We have cut the amount of pasture available by one third, and planted it with native trees.  

Under proper managment, the fertility and bounty of the farm is simply staggering.  Best of all, it improves ever single year.  In another few years we expect the farm will be producing all of our heat, via wood we harvest for our woodstoves.  The numbers of livestock will continue to increase.  So will the numbers of trees, both native, and soon more orchard trees.

After the trees mature enough, they will provide a wonderful shade area for our livestock.  They will continue to provide bountiful habitat for wildlife.  I'm quiet interested to watch how that changes over the years.  It will quickly go from geese and rabbits, to songbirds and squirrels as the trees mature.  

Diversity is SO important!  Next year these baby forests are going to provide habitat for chickens and turkeys as well.  

It's so much fun to see a truely healthy eco system, even if it is just a small one, no bigger than our farm.

~Garnet

Permaculture homsteading/farming over 20 years

P.S.  I didn't realize the gentleman's name was "Law."  Lovely sites, and thus far, I agree with what he is saying!

Answer 2

Yes.  And thanks for posting this.