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Community Woodland
Network
NEWSLETTER - October 2003 |
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Welcome to the First Quarterly
Newsletter from the Community Woodland Network
Now that the project is officially launched and you all know about
it, we thought a quarterly newsletter to complement the website might
be of interest to you. This month's might not be very “meaty” as this
is our first issue, however, we hope that you will have items of
interest which we can include in the January issue. This could include
events you have been to or that are happening in your woods? Items of
interest you have read; local items which you feel need a wider
audience or opinion or in fact anything you feel would interest
woodland volunteers in general; unusual species sightings etc etc –
the list is endless, but please do send me anything that you feel is
relevant. I will put my contact details at the end of this newsletter.
Well, here goes Issue 1!!!!! |
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The Community Woodland
Network quarterly newsletter
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The Community Woodland Network
Conference
The sun shines down on the first Community Woodland Network
Conference
The birth of this exciting project was celebrated by over 160 of
you from Community Woodland Groups all over England at Oxstalls
Campus, Gloucestershire University in Gloucester on Friday 11 July and
Saturday 12 July to share your experiences of managing and conserving
local woods. The conference was sponsored by the Department for
Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Restore UK.
The whole of the two days were blessed with good weather, informative speakers
and excellent company and initial reports hail the event as an overall
success. The project started by the Woodland Trust to support woodland
groups through the country, has identified over 230 community woodland
groups and other woodland organisations already working in woods
throughout England. “The Trust is recognising its traditional
volunteering roots at this conference. Our founders were all
volunteers, giving their time to protect and create woodland,” said
Mike Townsend, chief executive of the Woodland Trust. “People who care
enough to take action and make a difference are at the heart of our
work. We want to help bring woodland closer to people in their own
neighbourhoods.”
Professor Chris Baines, one of the UK’s leading environmental
campaigners and award-winning writer and broadcaster, was the guest
speaker at the conference. The conference also included presentations
from The Green Light Trust, Reforesting Scotland and the Woodland
Trust, as well as workshops, woodcraft displays and a woodland visit.
“Many woodland groups work in isolation and welcome the chance to get
in contact with other groups to share their experiences and
expertise,” said Paul Bunton, Community Woodland Network project
manager. “This network isn’t just for existing groups, but will
encourage other communities who want to get involved in managing a
local wood. We can give them advice on how to get started and put them
in touch with others who have gone through a similar process.” This
dedicated interactive web site to support the network was unveiled at
the conference. A great number of you have already made initial use of
the facility. Keep talking and helping each other and this network
will only go from strength to strength. |
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CWN Conference Delegates
Woodcraft demonstartions
The Post Conference Report
This is now available by clicking on the PDF button below. If you would like
a hard copy sent to you please request this by
e-mail.
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Join the British Beanpole Campaign!
Article sent in by Geoff Sinclair – Geoff is a Woodland Trust
Woodland Officer as part of the South East team but also an active
volunteer in a local community woodland group near where he lives.
To read the article,
click here |
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Buy British |
Health and safety update: chain saw
certificates - outcome of NPTC/LANTRA consultations
During 2002 LANTRA AWARDS, NPTC and the industry got together to
discuss simplification of the process of chain saw certification. The
outcome of this consultation is as follows:
As from 1 April 2003 there are 2 distinct categories of chain saw
user; ‘Occasional User’ and ‘Professional User’. Training courses are
tailored to suit the differing requirements of these types of user.
Definitions
Occasional User – someone who intends to use the chain saw for
business, domestic or leisure activities, but does not intend to work
in forestry or arboricultural activities or work on Forest Enterprise
land, or fell material above 8” in diameter.Individuals who fall into
this category can undertake a LANTRA AWARDS Integrated Training and
Assessment Course (ITA) which, on successful completion, will provide
the user with an ITA card.Only 2 courses are available as ITA courses;
- Chain Saws – Maintenance and Crosscutting
- Chain Saws – Basic Felling Techniques (up to 8” diameter)
Professional User – someone who anticipates seeking
contractual work in professional forestry, amenity or utility
arboricultural activities, which is likely immediately, or at some
future date, to involve felling trees over 8” and/or aerial work.
Individuals who fall into this category will be able to choose 1 of 2
options:
- Complete a LANTRA AWARDS ‘Training only’ course and independent
assessment for the relevant NPTC chain saw unit(s) or
- Complete a non-LANTRA AWARD training course and independent NPTC
assessment for the relevant chain saw units(s)
On successful completion of the NPTC assessment, under either option
the relevant Certificate of Competence will be awarded.
These new chain saw units have been based on the old NPTC 1996 units.
There are 2 compulsory core units covering maintenance and basic
cross-cutting, plus a further 14 optional units, 12 of which are
comparable with similarly-named 1996 CS units plus 2 new units, ‘Fell
Utility Poles’ and ‘Fell Standing Stems’.
We strongly advise that the “Occasional User” level of training would
not be to a high enough level to support people actively involved in
woodland management using chainsaws, whether it be by contractors or by volunteers. The trust is ensuring that all chainsaw operators working
on Woodland Trust land should be considered to fall within the
professional user category.
Operators qualified prior to 1/4/03
All types of qualification received prior to 1 April 2003 will
continue to be accepted, including the LANTRA ‘advanced’ units that
have now been withdrawn. |
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Keep safe -
are you fully qualified? |
Insurance News
There are talks going on in the industry at the moment trying to
resolve the problems that we will hopefully be able to report in a
future issue. However, for some general information please see below:
The Arboricultural Association have information on insurance on their
web-site including 'Frequently Asked Questions'.
www.trees.org.uk/insurance.htm, the FCA have access to schemes
covering Employers Liability, Public/Products liability, Professional
Indemnity, All Risks on Equipment, Hired in Plant, Personal Accident.
Details are on
www.fcauk.com/insurance.htm. BTCV offer an insurance scheme
covering public liability and personal accident which is available to
Associated Groups who are engaged in conservation work, environmental
improvement, habitat management, recycling schemes and community based
improvement schemes. We understand that it also covers volunteer
community woodland groups using equipment (as long as they are trained
and hold the relevant card). Excluded from the scheme are groups which
employ staff, but they can obtain quotes for those groups if
necessary. Premiums start from around £170.00. Contact: Martin Hall
01302 572218 email:
m.hall@btcv.org.uk. The Pole Lathe Turners have just struggled
with their insurance but are back on track again
www.bodgers.org.uk.
For woodland owners the Small Woods Association refers callers to Rural Arbor Products 01952 510265
www.r-a-p.co.uk –
they run a block scheme offering £5 million Public Liability
protection against accidental damage and injury claims, which runs
from 1st July until 30th June each year, at a cost of around £55 per
owner, per wood. |
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Keep yourself and the public covered!!!
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Website news
Obviously during this quarter we have launched the project website
and its online community discussion area. The website main sites
includes the following:
- General project information·
- Useful publications
- Grant Sources
- Training Resources
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Useful Links
- News & Events
- Listing & Map of all Known Groups
Grants
The site also contains a Community Woodland Network grants page which
is all about the grants the project has available. The project has
£40,000 to allocate to grant awards for this 2003-04 financial year
and will have the same for 2004-05.
There is still time to apply for this financial year for the last
£10,000 we have available – remember, the closing date is 31st
October - click here
Online Community
This has started well allbeit a little slowly however, now that the
colder nights are creeping in and we will be getting the same old
winter repeats on the television, we are hoping that you will feel more
inclined to join in and discuss the topics we know are close to your
hearts.
Mini Web Pages
These, as promised, will be available soon. We are hopeful that the
developers will have completed this part of the project by Christmas
ready for you all to build your own group websites within the
framework of the Community Woodland Network. Again, watch the home page
for further details. |
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Online community
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Forestry Commission New Publication
Know your woodland
A new booklet, aimed at helping woodland owners get to know their
woods and care for them, has been published by the Forestry
Commission.
Launching the publication today at the opening of the
South West Woodland Show, Forestry Minister, Ben Bradshaw, said:
"This practical guide to understanding your woodlands is really aimed
at those new to woodland ownership and management, but there is
something in it for everyone. It has a refreshing and straightforward
approach to getting the best out of your woodland and, most
importantly, it explains how owners benefit when a woodland is
managed."
Small, privately owned woodlands make a significant contribution to
the character of the English landscape, and can play a vital role in
the conservation of biodiversity. Every woodland owner has a part to
play in caring for the country's woodland heritage, and this booklet
is a really useful and accessible guide for those woodland owners who
want to know more."
As well as helping owners get to know their woodlands, the booklet
guides owners through a range of ways in which they might improve
their woods, covering topics as diverse as coppicing, tree
establishment, woodland tracks and dead wood. With a section pointing
the way to further information and advice, this booklet will be a
source of inspiration for many. The booklet, 'So, you own a woodland?',
is available free of charge: from the Forestry Commission,
Publications, PO Box 254, Wetherby, Yorkshire LS23 7EW. Tel: 0870 121
4180, fax: 0870 121 4181
e-mail:
forestry@twoten.press.net It is also available from your local
Forestry Commission Conservancy office. |
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Other literature and media news
Butterflies and Farmland a booklet published by Butterfly
Conservation and sponsored by DEFRA. The subtitle is ‘How to encourage
butterflies on the farm’ and includes a chart to help with
identification of the butterfly species. Contact:
info@butterfly-conservation.org Tel: 01929 400209.
butterfly-conservation.org
A new web-site from English Heritage -
www.pastscape.org.uk to access information about the monuments in
the national inventory and use links to access further information on
English Heritage properties, maps and aerial photographs.
The BTCV’s most popular handbooks are now available online -
‘Tree Planting and Aftercare’ and ‘Woodlands’. They provide advice for
conservation volunteers and others working in woodland and tree
management in urban and rural environments.
www.btcv.org/handbooks |
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Grants news
English Nature’s Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund Grants
Scheme. The fund was for a two year period up to March 2004 and is
currently being reviewed by HM Treasury and DEFRA. According to the
web-site all grant applications need to be determined early enough to
ensure completion by March 2004, so the Grants Panel has decided to
close to new applications from 31st January 2004. No new applications
will be accepted after this date. They will, however, welcome short
letters of interest for future grants to enable a quick start should
the scheme be extended following the review. It’s all a bit misleading
because according to an article in Earth Heritage (Summer 2003) all
available funds have been committed. The future of the fund should be
revealed in the Chancellor’s pre-budget report in November.
www.english-nature.co.uk
New Opportunities Fund Fair Share : Transforming Your Space
:– for projects that will improve local environments, enabling
communities to make them safer, healthier, greener, cleaner, better
designed, more welcoming and accessible to all. National funding
allocations - £36,581,000 allocated to England (sorry couldn’t find
the allocation for the rest of the UK). Local authorities have led
area applications. Priority is deprived areas that struggle to access
lottery money. Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities – to
support projects designed to help urban and rural communities
throughout the UK understand, improve or care for their natural
environment, focusing on disadvantage. Fund to be committed by 2005.
www.nof.org.uk
Don’t forget to view our grants section -
click here |
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Money Money Money!!! |
Other Group News - Trees for Free
“From little acorns mighty oaks grow!!” 800 free oak
saplings.
We have received a very kind offer from a Community Woodland Group
Member in Cornwall who has 800 spare Oak Saplings available. These are
available free to a good home, however, must be planted during this
year's season. They are available to any other community woodland group
who can use these (remember, free of charge) - however, you will need to
organise picking them up.
Obviously as this is a one-off offer; and they will be given away on a
first come, first served, basis.
If you are interested please contact Christina Joachim, project
administrator on 01476 – 581155 or by e-mail
christinajoachim@woodland-trust.org.uk |
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Oak sappling |
Other news items
Juniper boost for native woods
The drive to revitalise native woodlands is being boosted with the
publication of pioneering guidance on growing Britain's rarest
indigenous conifer. Juniper is a key element of the natural woodlands
which covered large tracts of the Scottish Highlands -
click here for
details.
Kaleidoscope of autumn hues
Britain is looking forward to a bumper gold rush in the woods as
foresters across the land begin their biggest ever mission to track
the progress of autumn. Woodlands are set to explode into a dizzying
kaleidoscope of yellow, bronze, red and gold -
click here for details.
Planning must support rural communities and protect countryside
Support for thriving rural communities and businesses, while
protecting the wider countryside from unnecessary building
development, are key priorities for the planning system in a new
consultation document launched today. gold -
click here for details.
Value your woodlands says Bradshaw
We have to look beyond the traditional markets. The challenge is to
find new and innovative ways of using woodlands, and the benefits they
provide, to economic advantage," - Forestry Minister, Ben Bradshaw, said
today. Addressing forest industry -
click here for details. |
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Sign off
Well that’s it for issue 1. We hope it was of interest and possibly
useful. If you would like to see any changes or have any feedback for
us about any of the content, layout or design of this newsletter then
please e-mail us at
communitywoodland@woodland-trust.org.uk we will be delighted to
hear from you. Also if you have anything you would like us to include
for the next issue (published January 2004) use the same e-mail
address to contact or send them to:
Christina Joachim
Community Woodland Network
The Woodland Trust
Autumn Park
Dysart Road
Grantham
Lincolnshire
NG31 6LL
P.S. Community Woodland Network Grants
If you are eligible: Don't forget. Do it today.
Apply for a grant this year.
It’s money just waiting to be given away.
Start the process by
clicking here |
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