2000-2001 nwdg committee responsibilities and contact details

2000-2001 NWDG COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONTACT DETAILS
Please direct your queries to the relevant person:
Richard Toleman
Manuel Stables
Linlithgow
West Lothian, EH49 6JF
CHAIR
Alison Averis
2 Traprain Cottages
Haddington
East Lothian, EH41 4PY
TREASURER
Kate Holl
Scottish Natural Heritage
2 Anderson Place
Edinburgh, EH6 5NP
MINUTES SECRETARY
Tel: 01506 845575
Email: toleman@onetel.net.uk
Tel/Fax: 01620 860029
Email: abg.am.averis@virgin.net
Day Tel: 0131 446 2426 Fax: 0131 446 2405
Email: kate.holl@snh.gov.uk
Debbie Cowen
MEMBERSHIP ADMINISTRATOR
Tayside Native Woodlands
Buccaneer Way
Perth Aerodrome Business Park Tel: 01738 553390 Fax: 01738 553833
Scone, PH2 6NP
Email: debbie.cowen@taysidenativewoodlands.freeserve.co.uk
Nick Marshall
62 Newbattle Terrace
Edinburgh, EH10 4RX
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Tel/Fax : 0131 447 4714
Email: nickmarshall@bigfoot.com
Chris Perkins
5 Creachy Cottages
Croachy, By Farr
Inverness-shire, IV2 6UB
2001 FIELD MEETING CO-ORDINATOR
Tel/Fax: 01808 521329
Email: Chris@herwood.freeserve.co.uk
Carol Crawford
WORKSHOP ORGANISER
The Natural Resource Consultancy
26 Miller Road
Tel: 01292 280800. Fax: 01292 280900.
Ayr, KA7 2AY
Email: TNRC@aol.com
Ben Averis
2 Traprain Cottages
Haddington
East Lothian, EH41 4PY
CO-ORDINATOR - LOWER PLANTS GROUP
Meg Pollock
SAC, Kirkton Farm
Crianlarich, FK20 8RU
MEMBER
Tel: 01838 400210
Email: meg_pollock@yahoo.com
Ruth Mitchell
Banchory Research Station
Hill of Brathens
Glassel, Banchory
Kincardineshire, AB31 4BW
MEMBER
Tel/Fax: 01620 860029
Email: abg.am.averis@virgin.net
Tel: 01330 826300
Email: rujm@ceh.ac.uk
CONTENTS
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List of Contributors
Editorial
NWDG NEWS
Report from the Native Woodland Discussion Group Committee - Richard Toleman
NWDG Lower Plants Section - Ben Averis
Report of NWDG/AGWA Woodland Bryophyte Identification Workshop 26th - 28th
October 2000 - Carol Crawford
NWDG/AGWA Lichen Workshop: 18th - 20th October 2001 - Carol Crawford
2nd NWDG/AGWA Bryophyte ID Workshop: 1st - 3rd November 2001 - Carol
Crawford
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NEWS, INFORMATION NOTES, FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Native Woodland Update - Peter Quelch
Guide to Identification of Common Woodland Bryophytes - Carol Crawford
Database of Unpublished Environmental Documents - Nick Marshall
Seminar - The Biodiversity and Management of Aspen Woodlands - Tom Prescott
UK Phenological Network - Andy Fairbairn
Project Blaeberry - Fiona Sinclair
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GROUP/PROJECT REPORTS
Millennium Forest for Scotland - John Hunt and Neil MacGillivray
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PUBLICATIONS
Restoring and Managing Riparian Woodlands
Loch Tay - Its Woods and its People
FC Publications
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ARTICLES
The Potential Role of Continuous Cover Forestry in Upland Native Woodland
Management - Richard Thomson
Urquhart Bay Wood - Paul Young
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LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
Ben Averis - see NWDG Committee
Carol Crawford - see NWDG Committee
Andy Fairbairn, Development Manager, Woodland Trust Scotland, Glenruthven Mill,
Abbey Road, Auchterarder, PH3 1DP. Tel: 01764 662554
John Hunt, Millennium Forest For Scotland, Minto House, 20 York Road, North Berwick,
East Lothian, EH39 4LX. Tel/Fax: 01620 893431
Neil MacGillivray, Millennium Forest for Scotland Trust, 91 Mitchell Street, Glasgow, G1
3LN. Tel: 0141 229 2001
Nick Marshall - see NWDG Committee
Tom Prescott, RSPB, Insh Marshes Reserve, Ivy Cottage , Insh, Kingussie, PH21 1NT.
Tel/Fax: 01540 661518
Peter Quelch, Native Woodland Adviser, Forestry Authority, Knapdale Office, Cairnbaan,
Argyll, PA31 8SQ. Tel: 01546 606304
Fiona Sinclair, 15 Arran View, Dunure, Ayrshire, KA7 4LP
Email: fiona.sinclair@ntlworld.com
Richard Thomson, Forest Research, Northern Research Station, Roslin, Mid Lothian.
Tel: 0131 445 6951. Email: richard.thomson@forestry.gov.uk
Richard Toleman - see NWDG Committee
Paul Young, Woodland Trust Scotland, Shawfield Cottage, Balblair, Ross-shire, IV7 8LQ.
Tel/Fax: 01381 621726. Email: paulyoung@woodland-trust.org.uk
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EDITORIAL
Apologies for the late arrival of this edition of the NWDG Newsletter. Foot and Mouth
Disease knocked our schedule for six, as we struggled to clarify whether sites for the Field
Excursion were going to be open.
2000 Field Excursion
In the event, we have decided to postpone the field excursion until the autumn. It will take
place on the weekend of 22nd/23rd September, with visits to Loch Katrine and Glen Finglas. It
will be slightly shorter than usual (2 days rather than 3) but will include the all-important
AGM. Details will follow when they are finalised.
Other NWDG events
For those of you who want a chance to meet up in Spring, Ben Averis, Co-ordinator of the
new Lower Plants Group (see NWG News Section) has set up an outing to the Birks of
Aberfeldy on 20th May (see enclosed flyer for details). In addition, Carol Crawford is
organising two Lower Plants Workshops in October and November (see NWG News
Section).
E-news
The committee intends to set up an email discussion group for NWDG members. It could
allow people to let other members know of useful information or interesting observations, or
to ask for (and give) advice. If you are interested in joining such an egroup, send an email to
Debbie Cowen. And don't forget to visit our new website: www.NWDG.org.uk.
Newsletter
This edition of the newsletter may look slightly less finished than the last two. This is due to
our illustrator, Yorick Corre, being too busy to design this one, and my lack of DTP skills.
We intend to acquire proper DTP software and the skills to use it, and so future editions will
return to their snappy format. By the way, Yorick has kindly been working for free on the
design work, but is happy to do paid work. You can contact him on 0131 556 0818.
Nick Marshall
PS: A Reminder About Subscriptions
If you haven't paid your annual subscription, there will be a red dot on your address label,
and this is the last newsletter you will receive. Please renew in good time - delayed renewals
cause us endless problems. Thanks.
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NATIVE WOODLAND DISCUSSION GROUP NEWS
Carol Crawford, the Workshop Organiser,
and Nick Marshall the Newsletter Editor
have worked tirelessly on your behalf.
Both give our Group a sound authoritative
basis and our competence is recognised by
environmental bodies. Many thanks to
them.
REPORT FROM THE NATIVE
WOODLAND DISCUSSION
GROUP COMMITTEE
Richard Toleman, Chairman
This year we have held our usual two face
-to-face meetings hosted by SNH at
Battleby and two phone-ins.
Administrative issues were :-
At the time of writing subscriptions are
arriving reasonably well. Please help our
new treasurer by sending yours promptly.
Direct Debit Subscriptions.
We failed this year in spite of a huge effort
by our stand-in treasurer Debbie Cowen.
We shall have it in place for 2002.
Gordon Gray-Stevens and Peter Quelch are
the organisers for the 2002 field meeting in
Argyll, Carol Crawford is organising the
2003 meeting in Galloway. Please come to
the AGM with ideas for location and local
organiser for 2004.
Finding A Treasurer.
Success - at last! After the appeal in the
last Newsletter we had two volunteers. The
committee has co-opted Alison Averis.
This has taken a big load off Debbie. We
thank them both.
I hope our Autumn Trossachs field
meeting will go ahead - see you there.
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NWDG LOWER PLANTS
SECTION
Subscription Rate.
According to the Constitution the
committee will set this by October each
year. We decided on a small increase to
£15 to cover additional administrative
costs.
Ben Averis
Because of the growing interest in mosses,
liverworts, lichens and fungi in Scottish
woods, we are planning to have a Lower
Plants Section within the Native Woodland
Discussion Group.
SNH Grant.
We are applying for a grant from SNH
towards a package of promotional material.
The aim of the Lower Plants Section will
be to raise general awareness of lower
plants, to encourage more people to study
them and to allow such study to bring
people together instead of being left to
learn in isolation. It will be co-ordinated
initially by Ben Averis, and will be open to
any NWDG member at no extra charge;
non-members of NWDG wishing to join
the Lower Plants Section will need to join
the NWDG first.
The Lower Plants Section will be run
mainly through e-mail, as an e-group to
Postponement Of The Spring 2001 Field
Meeting.
There is more about this elsewhere in the
Newsletter and flyers. We were very active
by e-mail and a phone-in conference
during March and April. We were obliged
to postpone the meeting as the venues will
not be open in May due to FMD. We plan
a shortened field meeting in the Autumn.
Other Matters
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was already well-established in the bar
with pre-prandial drinks. The other half
(mostly from Argyll) joined after dinner in
time for Ben Averis' first talk. There were
16 on the course, including 8 SNH folk
and the ubiquitous Peter Quelch.
provide an informal, efficient and free
means of communication between
members. Any member of the Lower
Plants Section will be able to write in to
the whole group to discuss any matter
relating to lower plants (e.g. to request or
provide information or advice), or
communicate more privately to individual
members. All members will receive a
complete
Lower
Plants
Section
membership list, updated periodically.
It was a gentle introductory talk, including
how Ben got interested in bryophytes: he
was partly inspired by "Watson" (E.V.
Watson (1955): British Mosses and
Liverworts - which is now unfortunately
out of print). Ben passed round other
useful identification guides. He talked
about the three types of moss (Acrocarp,
Pleurocarp and Sphagnum) and two types
of liverwort (Thalloid and Leafy) and key
distinguishing features within each type.
He then introduced us to his herbarium and
passed round specimens for us to look at.
How to make herbarium envelopes and
what to record on them were also covered.
It is hoped that e-group communication
will allow informal field visits to be
arranged easily, for example on a local
basis. It is also hoped that there will be an
annual informal field meeting lasting one
or two days. There would be no fee for
this, except perhaps a small one for any
attendees who are not members of the
NWDG.
NWDG members without e-mail may join
the Lower Plants Section. They will be
sent a complete Lower Plants Section
membership list and printouts of any
particularly important or significant emails sent in to the e-group (e.g.
information about annual field meetings
etc).
Us west coasters had a glorious summer
last year; we were therefore somewhat
dismayed to wake up to solid rain. "That's
Argyll for you" the east-coasters said.
However after we got down to Artilligan
Forest and identified our first few
specimens the rain cleared and by lunchtime there were glimmers of sunshine. We
worked up and down a steep wooded
hillside with dripping rock outcrops and
numerous streams. Bryophytes were dense
on the rocks, oak and birch trees and damp
areas of ground. Despite the group's size,
both the beginners and those more
interested in Argyll's oceanic species were
able to learn. We also saw the two species
of filmy fern and returned to the hotel
happy, with tangles of bryophytes in our
plastic bags.
Anyone wanting to join the Lower Plants
Section should contact the author.
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REPORT OF NWDG/AGWA
WOODLAND BRYOPHYTE
IDENTIFICATION WORKSHOP
(26th - 28th OCTOBER 2000)
Carol Crawford
The first Native Woodlands Discussion
Group workshop on bryophytes (and the
first joint event with Argyll Green
Woodworkers Association) was a great
success.
This was a very keen group, and although
the consolidation session was not
scheduled till after dinner, many were in
the room beforehand starting their own
herbaria. After dinner the group got down
to some microscope work using the ID
books. Ben very patiently spent time with
Held back by a leaking roof needing to be
fixed, I arrived in Lochgilphead with 5
minutes to spare! However half the group
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everyone to help correctly identify
specimens. So dedicated were the group
that it was after 10 before the descent to
the bar!
This will be led by Scottish experts Brian
and Sandy Coppins. It will be aimed at
beginners and improvers and will include
the characteristics of the main woodland
species and also rarer species. Other
aspects, such as management for lichens,
will also be covered. It will be based at
Kilmartin and there will be visits to woods
at Barnluasgan and the Faery Isles. Fuller
details
will
be
available
in
August/September, but if you wish to
provisionally book a place email me now
at: tnrc@aol.com.
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The second day was spent at Barnluasgan
Forest. The main trail starts by a loch and
goes round and over a small hill, with local
swampy and rocky areas. The geology is
more mixed than at Artilligan and we saw
more species characteristic of neutral to
basic conditions than on the previous day.
Also some more rare liverworts. Peter Q
showed us his favourite hazel grove for
lichens and we were treated to fine views
of the woodland and lochs from the hilltop. However three-quarters of the way
round the trail the rain began and we ended
the day early in the interpretation hut, back
in the car park.
SECOND NWDG/AGWA
BRYOPHYTE ID WORKSHOP:
1st - 3rd NOVEMBER 2001
Carol Crawford
Because we had to disappoint some people
who wanted to go on the first bryophyte
workshop a second workshop was
arranged for 22nd - 24th March. This has
had to be postponed because of foot and
mouth disease. It has been rearranged for
November 2001. Details are as per the
flyer that went out in the early 2001
mailing: visiting the same forests as last
autumn with Ben Averis; based at
Kilmartin. Contact Carol Crawford at:
tnrcmoss@aol.com if you are interested in
attending. All participants will receive a
copy of my forthcoming booklet.
In the wrap-up session the idea of a
woodland lower plants group was mooted see Ben's article for how this is being taken
forward.
Thanks are due to Forest
Enterprise for access to their two forests,
to Gordon Gray Stephens for helping with
organisation, to Peter Q for bringing extra
microscopes, to our first aider Anna
Griffith (fortunately her services were not
required), and of course to Ben.
Nearly all participants returned feedback
forms and collectively gave it an overall
score of 4.5 - midway between good and
excellent. The tutor and field visits were
considered excellent and we will improve
the elements which didn't score quite so
highly (e.g. food and accommodation) at
the next workshop. There were also useful
suggestions for follow up events. The
most popular was Lichen ID so we will be
running another lichen course in the
autumn - see below.
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NWDG/AGWA LICHEN
WORKSHOP:
18th - 20th OCTOBER 2001
Carol Crawford
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NEWS, INFORMATION NOTES, FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Balharry, Angela Douglas, Una Urquhart,
Philip Ashmole, Andrew Barbour, Peter
Hopkins and Chris Badenoch. Overall, I
estimate that of the list of 36 people on the
three Scottish RACs, at least 14 have had a
strong connection with native woodland
matters, to my certain knowledge. The
Advisory Panel on Native Woodlands
asked for a stronger representation on
RACs and it seems that they have now got
it.
NATIVE WOODLAND UPDATE
Peter Quelch
MFST Outputs
A wide variety of MFST projects and
awards are coming to an end. From 27th
April to 29th July, there will be a major
exhibition at the Royal Botanic Garden,
Edinburgh, to show just what has been
achieved.
The work of the nearly two hundred MFST
Award winners will also be displayed. This
exhibition will be well worth a visit – an
enjoyable way to assess the considerable
cumulative impact of the Millennium
Forest project.
Genetic Policy
Another output which ex-Panel members
will be pleased to see is a new
authoritative FC publication on genetic
conservation in native trees and shrubs, by
Ennos, Worrell, Arkle and Malcolm.
(Technical Paper 31 – unpriced). This
paper has some very useful information,
including an excellent list of definitions
which help to clarify this sometimes
mystical topic. The last chapter on
developing a genetic conservation strategy
is really state of the art, and ends in pithy
recommendations for the way forward.
Just one example of an MFST awards
output: Ben Averis with a team of two
film-makers has issued a botanical video
‘Not Just Leaf Litter’ which shows
woodland flora in lowland and upland
situations, taken over a full span of the
seasons, and it will be a useful educational
output.
News of Initiatives
• Borders Forest Trust are advertising for
a new Director.
• CSCT are advertising for an
‘entrepreneur‘ to work with them on a
local
wood
processing/marketing
venture, which sounds an interesting
approach to enable an initiative to
tackle this subject.
• Cree Valley Community Woodland
Trust have relocated. Contact is Peter
Hopkins at CVCWT, Daltamie,
Palnure, Newton Stewart, DG8 7BE.
Tel 10671 401423, fax 01671 404963.
•
North Highland Forest Trust have
taken on a second qualified forester,
Janette MacKay, (originally from
Islay), to assist Jon Priddy in his work
on native and community woodland
Montane Scrub
Two new publications have been received
on this topic, again partly as MFST
outputs. An excellent booklet from SNH
titled Montane Scrub describes the habitat
in some detail and is well illustrated
(£3.95). Highland Birchwoods have
published the results of a survey of
montane and coastal scrub communities in
Scotland by Neil MacKenzie (£3 incl
p&p). Finally, I have copies of a flyer for
a one-day conference on montane scrub, at
Battleby on 26April.
New members for RACs
Several people familiar to those in the
native woodland world have been taken
onto the three Regional Advisory
Committees for the next 3 years. These
include such well known names as Dick
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issues in Caithness, Sutherland, and
coastal Wester Ross.
SAC are advertising for a project
officer on European pastoralism, which
involves links with native woodlands
and wood pasture systems in particular.
NE Native Woods – Carol Robertson
has a new address: NENW, Ythan
Grove, Victoria Street, Insch, AB52
6JW. Tel/Fax: 01464 821070; Email
unchanged.
Birch Research and Development
Cooperative – a 5 page newsletter has
been issued by Douglas Malcolm
giving progress to date of replicated
provenance trials etc. Andrew Barbour
is now chairman of this group. An
isozyme study showed no genetic
differences in 10 populations of silver
birch in Scotland, and no evidence of
different post-glacial origins (copies
from PQ)
Reforesting Scotland has published a
very informative looseleaf guide
(150pp) to community owned and
managed woodlands in Scotland.
Woodland Trust have issued a state if
the art CDRom called Wild about
Woods, which contains some nice
walk-about type photos of each main
woodland HAP type, with clickable
details of species, features etc. More
about
this
initiative
on
www.wildaboutwoods.org.uk
The Trees for Life website is well
worth looking at. Graham Tuley
pointed out to me that it contains all
935 entries in his pinewood references
list. It also has some very detailed
species profiles of pine aspen and
birch, plus things like wood ants,
caper, even beavers; and virtual essays
on topics like ecological restoration.
www.treesforlife.org.uk
Scottish Woodland History Discussion
Group – leading light in this group,
Fiona Watson, is to be seen in a new
TV programme ‘In Search of Scotland’
on BBC2.
Wood Pasture Survey – Mike Smith is
currently collecting information on
wood pasture sites in Scotland. Let him
know of any sites you know about – he
will not mind duplication of reports.
0131 447 0265 (See enclosed
questionnaire).
Farewell
Brian Brookes, the well-known ecologist,
died in early December.
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GUIDE TO IDENTIFICATION
OF COMMON WOODLAND
BRYOPHYTES
Carol Crawford
At the time of writing I am in the final
throes of compiling this guide which
should be published in April with an
MFST Millennium Award. It is a 40 page
long, A5 booklet with colour photos of the
commonest 32 mosses and three liverworts
found in Scottish native woodlands. It
looks like I'll still have around 20 copies to
distribute free so if you haven't already let
me know you want one please contact me
soon: tnrcmoss@aol.com.
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DATABASE OF UNPUBLISHED
ENVIRONMENTAL
DOCUMENTS
SEMINAR - THE
BIODIVERSITY AND
MANAGEMENT OF ASPEN
WOODLANDS
Nick Marshall
The new charity - Environmental
Information Service (Scotland) has just
launched its database on environmental
"grey"
literature
on
a
website
(www.scotenvinfo.org.uk). Access is free
to all users and the database is easy to use.
At present, the database contains few
references directly related to native
woodlands. Make your information more
accessible by sending information about
your documents for inclusion on the
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database.
Tom Prescott
The seminar will take place at The Duke of
Gordon Hotel, Kingussie on Friday 25th
May 2001, from 10.00 to 17.00.
Organised
by
RSPB,
Butterfly
Conservation,
SNH,
Cairngorms
Partnership, and the Forestry Commission,
it aims to raise the profile of aspen
woodlands, reveal the unique biodiversity
of this habitat and demonstrate ways to
manage aspen stands effectively.
The seminar will bring together for
discussion, speakers and delegates who
share an enthusiasm for the conservation
and future management of aspen.
Background and programme
Although aspen as a species is widely
distributed in Britain, only 160 ha of aspen
woodland remains, mainly as pure stands
in North and East Scotland.
Aspen
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woodlands support many rare and scarce
species including mosses, moths, flies and
fungi. The morning presentations will give
delegates an opportunity to hear key
speakers talk about new and interesting
discoveries.
Futher presentations will
highlight the range of schemes and
incentives for aspen conservation available
to researchers and woodland managers.
we can demonstrate how it is affecting our
wildlife habitats.
We need your assistance in helping us to
record nature’s events!
Records are collated in Spring and autumn.
If you would like to start this Spring
please:
• Ask for a form by contacting the
Woodland Trust Scotland Office (see
List of Contributors - P2)
• Record on line at:
www.phenology.org.uk
The talks will be followed by an afternoon
field visit to Invertromie Wood where the
RSPB
have
undertaken
positive
management specifically for aspen. Here,
the ecology of the aspen woodlands and
the practicalities of aspen management can
be studied and discussed with the seminar
speakers.
Thanks very much.
The final session will include an open
discussion to review the day and to debate
future plans for aspen conservation.
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PROJECT BLAEBERRY
Fiona Sinclair
To secure a place at the seminar (cost £20)
or find out more details, please contact the
author.
As the days lengthen, and the buds begin
to reveal the first fresh green leaves of
Spring, the Millennium Forest for Scotland
Trust will be bringing to a close a major
part of its activity, since its inception in
1996. The end of March will see the
completion of all of their remaining
Millennium Award projects.
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UK PHENOLOGICAL
NETWORK
Andy Fairbairn
Over the last three decades scientists have
produced clear evidence that spring has
been beginning earlier and earlier,
heralded by trees coming into leaf, the
appearance of flowers, butterflies,
frogspawn and the arrival of migrant birds.
More records are urgently needed –
particularly in Scotland - to help study
climate change and its effect on the
environment.
`Project Blaeberry` is one of those
Millennium Award projects. Fiona Sinclair
has spent the past year and more
researching (almost) all there is to know
about blaeberry, in order to present the
case for the future economic potential of
this once much-used shrub.
Blaeberry is a deciduous shrub which
grows both on open moorland and in light
woodland, the bluish berries being ripe
from late July onwards. Moorland is not
the best habitat for blaeberry, because it
tends to be dominated by heather, and is
grazed to the extent that it produces few, if
any, flowers and even less fruit. Light
The Woodland Trust has joined forces with
the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology to
assist their work in monitoring and
evaluating changes in nature’s events. By
monitoring variations in nature’s calendar,
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woodland
provides
the
environment for blaeberry.
optimum
to be effective in preventing heart disease
and cancer.”
“I believe that blaeberry could be exploited
as a resource, to enhance the economic
viability of native woodlands for
community groups, who may want to
manage their local woodlands. It could
also create another source of income for
crofters and farmers in the less favoured
areas,” explained Fiona. “I did a study tour
of North America in the summer, as part of
my Millennium Award, to ascertain the
differences between blaeberry and the
related lowbush blueberry, and to evaluate
the adaptability of blueberry cultivation
methods in trying to help blaeberry to
grow better. Although lowbush blueberry
is cultivated in open fields, there are
lessons to be learnt both from the
cultivation methods used and from the
blueberry industry in general.”
Fiona would like to hear from anyone who
picked blaeberries in their youth and also
anyone who has any stories, either
personal or traditional, to tell about
blaeberries.
She would also very much appreciate any
traditional songs or poems about
blaeberries. “So far, I’ve only managed to
find a couple of poems that even refer to
blaeberry, and an English translation of a
Gaelic song. It seems that the Scots have
taken blaeberry a wee bit for granted in the
past! However, we do know that blaeberry
leaves were once dried to make a tea, that
blaeberry jelly was mixed with whisky and
given to visitors in the 17th century and
that blaeberries were used to treat
diarrhoea and dysentery. We know from
modern research that this latter treatment
was
probably reasonably effective.”
Fiona pointed out that the lowbush
blueberry industry is extremely important
to the rural economies of Nova Scotia and
Maine, as indeed is the blaeberry and other
wild berries to those of Scandinavia.
“Blueberry and blaeberry both grow on
acid soil, so what you effectively have is
an arable crop on non-arable land. With
blaeberry, you have a potential local food
resource which is in ecological balance
with its surroundings, one which can be
exploited either to make or save money for
a rural economy.”
If there are any local names for blaeberry
in your area, or any placenames associated
with blaeberry, Fiona would also like to
hear from you. She is investigating further
sources of funding for preliminary field
trials, and would be very interested to hear
from anyone who has some blaeberry
growing in their garden, croft or woodland
who would like to take part. Fiona’s
project report will be ready by April, and
will be available free on a first-come-firstserved basis to interested community
groups. Her website should be online by
April at www.forestfruits.org.
•
It is the considerable health benefits which
blaeberries possess that could provide a
boost to the chances of its successful
exploitation. “The Americans market their
blueberries very forcefully, on the basis of
the health benefits which they offer. Most
of the nutritional research, however, has
centred on the blaeberry, which the
Americans have to admit is the `gold
standard` in terms of these benefits.
Blaeberries contain twice the amount of
flavonoids and anthocyanins present in
blueberries. These substances are proven
12
13
GROUP/PROJECT REPORTS
MILLENNIUM FOREST FOR
SCOTLAND
The MFS Awards Scheme is due to end in
April. It has been very successful, with
some 277 awards completed and £1
million of funding going towards the costs
involved.
John Hunt and Neil MacGillivray
The end of 2000 marked "practical
completion" for the MFS initiative by
which time the major items of capital
expenditure were to be complete.
Inevitably there has been some over-run
with a number of projects but by the end of
march almost all will have achieved this
target.
To date over £22 million of
expenditure has been reported representing
the creation or improvement of over
15,000 ha of woodland and there is a huge
task to complete the verification of this
work and pay the grant due.
The many individuals concerned have
clearly enjoyed and benefited from the
huge variety of projects which they have
tackled, and the awards scheme has clearly
helped to promote the MFS vision right
across Scotland.
A number of activities are planned over the
next few months to capture the interest of
the general public:
‘Return of the Natives’ - A Celebration
of the Millennium Forest for Scotland
(Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 28th
April – 29th July 2001)
This major exhibition is the showcase for
the Millennium Forest for Scotland
initiative as it draws to a close. Designed
to appeal to all ages and interests, there
will be plenty for the dedicated tree
enthusiast as well as a wealth of interactive
elements with general appeal, including a
time tunnel which the younger audience is
bound to enjoy. You can even gain an
amusing eagle’s-eye perspective on the
changes that have been wrought on our
landscape over the years.
Most projects continue to receive help
from MFST until final completion in 2005
– during this time they will carry out
establishment works such as beating up to
ensure the successful delivery of the
agreed
programme
of
woodland
restoration. However that phase of the
initiative will involve much lower levels of
activity and from July onwards most
MFST staff will leave for pastures new.
The Millennium Guide to Scotland’s
Forest Resource
This website, which is due to be launched
officially in June, is the end result of a
project set up to create the first digital
mapped inventory of all woodland in
Scotland together with a database of
available survey material about each site.
The website has been developed to give
the public free access to information
derived from the woodland inventory. It
14
contains maps and useful facts and figures
on the resource as well as further
information on the types of woodland
found in Scotland. A number of woods
where public access is welcomed have also
been included for those people who like to
get their feet dirty.
Millennium Forest Festival Week 2001
Following on from the success of the
Millennium Forest Festival Week last year,
plans are now well in hand for a repeat
occasion between 19th and 28th May
2001.
The digital inventory covers all woodland
in mainland Scotland, down to 0.1 ha. It
can be used for the strategic management
of woodlands, analysis of change, and
development of habitat networks. It is
envisaged that it will be a particularly
valuable resource for people involved with
woodlands from practical management
through to policy makers.
Individuals and organisations from all over
Scotland have been enthusiastically
sending in registration forms for a great
variety of woodland events. The full
programme listing over 150 events will be
printed and distributed around the country
by mid April.
As well as the printed programmes which
will be available in public places
throughout Scotland, the detailed list of
events will appear on the Millennium
Forest website www.millenniumforest.com.
The project has been carried out by the
Caledonian Partnership as part of an MFS
Project with additional funding from
Highland Birchwoods, the Forestry
Commission
and
Scottish
Natural
Heritage. It is also been supported by the
Scottish Wildlife Trust and the RSPB.
™ Note: As the whole purpose of the
Festival is to encourage people
throughout Scotland to go out and
enjoy woodland, the Foot & Mouth
Disease outbreak may affect many
planned Festival events. A decision
will be taken in early April as to
whether or not the Festival will
•
proceed.
‘A Legacy of Leaf and Learning’ Educational CD-ROM for schools.
This educational resource has been
produced for teachers, particularly those in
the primary sector. It illustrates a range of
‘examples of excellence’ - educational
projects carried out as part of the
Millennium Forest for Scotland initiative.
Teachers will be able to access these case
studies when seeking inspiration for their
own class projects and can download the
support materials required to carry out any
of the activities.
All the content is closely linked to the 5 –
14 curriculum and has been selected with
professional guidance from Learning and
Teaching Scotland, BBC Scotland
Education, and the Primary Education Unit
of the University of Strathclyde,
Jordanhill.
The CD-ROM will be
launched in May 2001.
15
16
PUBLICATIONS
Restoring and Managing Riparian
Woodlands by J. Parrott and N.
MacKenzie (2000) Price £4 inc P&P from
Scottish Native Woods, 3 Kenmore Street,
Aberfeldy, Perthshire, PH15 2BL. Tel
01887 820392 or 01456 486426 Email:
nhnw-snw@btinternet.com
FC Publications
Environmental Impact Assessment
Forestry Projects (Jan 2001)
of
Hazards from Trees - A General Guide by
D. Lonsdale (2000) Practice Guide 13
Forests and Water Guidelines - 3rd Edition
(2000)
This is another in the vital set of
documents
(including
Highland
Birchwoods'
Birch
Management
Handbook), giving practical information
and guidance for native woodland
managers.
This booklet starts by
describing the importance of riparian
woods, and then covers their restoration,
management and re-establishment. It is
comprehensive and clearly laid out,
containing plenty of illustrations and
tables, as well as useful practical advice,
including sections on Restoring Eroded
Riverbanks, Fencing in the Riparian Zone
and Monitoring. Every forester should
have a copy of this important document.
Genetic Variation and Conservation of
British Native Trees and Shrubs by R.
Ennos, R. Worrell, P. Arkle and D.
Malcolm (2000) Tech Paper 31
Phytophthora Disease of Alder by J. Gibbs
and D. Lonsdale (June 2000) Information
Note 6 (revised)
Climate Change - Implications for Forestry
in Britain by M. Broadmeadow (April
2000). Information Note 31
Plant Communities and Soil Seedbanks in
Broadleaved-Conifer Mixtures on Ancient
Woodland Sites in Lowland Britain by R.
Ferris and E. Simmons (June 2000)
Information Note 32
Loch Tay - Its Woods and its People by
M. Stewart (2000) Price £2 inc P&P from
Scottish Native Woods, 3 Kenmore Street,
Aberfeldy, Perthshire, PH15 2BL. Tel
01887 820392
Natural Regeneration in Broadleaved
Woodlands: Deer Browsing and the
Establishment of Advance Regeneration by
R. Harmer and R. Gill (July 2000)
Information Note 35
This booklet is a local woodland history of
Loch Tayside. Its mainly covers the 17th,
18th and 19th centuries and describes not
only how the land was managed and how
the woodlands changed, but also the
relationship of the people with the
woodlands, in particular how they used the
woods and the woodlands' products. It
shows just how dependent on trees people
were, and how farming and woodlands
were highly integrated. The history of
Loch Tayside is paralleled across Scotland,
and this booklet gives a fascinating picture
of it, with many lessons which are still
relevant today.
The Impact of Deer on Woodland
Biodiversity by R. Gill (Aug 2000)
Information Note 36
Environmental Monitoring in British
Forests by D. Durrant (Nov 2000)
Information Note 37
17
ARTICLES
of silvicultural systems may be considered,
from those which produce regular stand
structures such as seed tree or uniform
shelterwood, to those which create more
irregular stand structures such as group
selection or irregular shelterwood. It is
within this broad definition that we can see
the potential role of CCF in upland native
woodland management.
THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF
CONTINUOUS
COVER
FORESTRY
IN
UPLAND
NATIVE
WOODLAND
MANAGEMENT
Richard Thomson
For many of us, the term "Continuous
Cover Forestry" (CCF) conjures up images
of European silver fir and single tree
selection forests. Talk of such things has,
until recent times, been the stuff of myth,
lectures and the occasional study tour.
However, since the 1930's, there have been
a few individuals, especially in the private
sector, who have attempted to introduce
such systems into British forests (see FC
Bulletin 115 for details). Ten years ago,
the Continuous Cover Forestry Group was
formed by a small group of these
pioneering British silviculturists. They
proposed the adoption of Continental
silvicultural techniques to produce
complex, irregular woodlands often of
non-native
species
(for
example,
magnificent stands of Douglas fir managed
by John McHardy at Longleat) but also of
native species (eg John Workman's
Ebworth beechwoods in the Cotswolds).
For many managers of upland native
woods, the primary concern is to maintain
woodland conditions, limiting the rate of
change for woodland flora and less mobile
fauna, maintaining humidity for lower
plants and, in more fertile stands allowing
tree regeneration to be recruited into the
canopy without excessive competition
from weeds. Where native woodlands are
an important component of the farm or
croft, regular and sustained supplies of
timber and maintenance of shelter for stock
and building will be a major consideration.
CCF offers the possibility of producing a
sustained supply of large dimension high
quality timber without the expense of
restocking. This assumes that natural
regeneration
can
be
satisfactorily
established and that grazing pressures are
controlled.
Silviculturists in Britain have generally
had a less purist approach compared to
many continental practitioners (where only
single tree selection and group selection
systems are considered appropriate),
adopting a more inclusive definition of
continuous cover. FC Information Note 29
"What is Continuous Cover Forestry?"
provides the following definition: "…. the
use of silvicultural systems whereby the
forest canopy is maintained at one or more
levels
without
clearfelling….
the
avoidance of clear felling of areas much
more than 2 tree heights wide without the
retention of some mature trees." A range
18
management. CCF allows us to move the
stand towards a more irregular structure
and species composition, intervening
artificially to minimise small scale
disturbance but still relying to a large
extent on natural processes to regenerate
the gap. The advantages of CCF over
minimum intervention in such stand types
are the speed with which the character of
the stand can be changed and the control
available over the size of gap created
(where the stand is composed of neglected
stored oak coppice, for example, it may
take a very unusual event to kill enough
over storey trees in one group for seedlings
of light demanding species to be
successfully recruited into the canopy). It
should also be possible, as we learn more
about species needs, to manage stands to
control dynamics and maintain habitat
requirements (eg maintain appropriate
light levels in native pinewoods to provide
a sward of blaeberry for capercaillie).
In the majority of British woodlands,
clearfelling followed by re-planting has
been the commonest form of stand
management for at least a century. In
native woodland management, the question
of clear felling is most likely to arise in
boreal birch and pinewoods. Natural stand
dynamics in such woodland is likely to
include fire and wind disturbance so small
scale clearfells in some woodland may
well be appropriate. However, where
shelterwoods are employed to regenerate
the stand, such management is still
included in the definition of CCF given
above.
Where nature conservation is the overriding objective for native woodland, a
frequently encountered question is whether
to manage the stand at all, or to adopt a
policy of minimal intervention, relying
solely on natural processes to develop
structure. In many instances, we have
inherited limited structure, species and age
class diversity as a result of past
19
age classes, providing contrasting structure
within different areas of the woodland.
The first approach is less easy to achieve
in upland native woods as, with the
exception of holly and rowan, tree species
are generally light demanding. In Scottish
conditions, climatic factors may also limit
prospects for very irregular stands (very
small gaps may provide insufficient
warmth for recruitment of oak seedlings –
Peter Wormall, pers.comm.). There are
better prospects for more irregular stands
in upland mixed oakwoods (eg Clyde
Valley).
Here, subtle differences in
thinning pattern may influence whether
ash, sycamore or beech is recruited.
The other aspect where CCF can play a
useful
role
in
native
woodland
management, is the restoration of native
woodland on Ancient Woodland Sites.
This approach is not always going to be
appropriate but, in many cases, restoration
will be much easier to achieve and more
successful where transformation to native
species is gradual. In stands which were
formerly upland oakwoods, for example,
where the plantation species is larch or
lodgepole pine and browsing pressure is
low, there will often be abundant
regeneration of native species as an
understorey.
This would be most
successfully recruited where the nonnative trees are removed over several
operations. Establishment of native trees
can often benefit from the shelter provided
by the mature stand.
Within a number of woods throughout the
UK, long-term monitoring of minimum
intervention stands is being undertaken to
study natural stand dynamics. In the
future, these plots should inform us about
the natural pattern of disturbance, allowing
us to more accurately mimic these
processes when practising CCF.
We
should also be better informed about the
consequences of minimum intervention
and whether objectives of management
will be met by it.
Features from the former semi-natural
woodland can be gradually opened up,
avoiding sudden exposure and risk of
windblow (in the case of mature native
trees) or desiccation of lower plants.
In a managed woodland, it can be difficult
to decide what level of structural diversity
to aim for - whether the entire woodland
should have a similar irregular structure
with a wide range of age classes evenly
distributed through the site, or whether
there should be discrete groups of similar
The most important role of CCF in
restoration must be to transform
plantations on moist, fertile sites. This
situation obviously arises more in the
lowlands. In some examples, where clear
felling has been carried out, extensive
20
savannahs now exist, competitive weeds
having claimed the site.
To conclude, some forms of CCF can be
employed to control stand dynamics
maintaining stable stand conditions for a
range of nature conservation and socioeconomic objectives. CCF can also be
used to mimic natural processes,
diversifying stands of uniform character.
In many cases, restoration of plantations
on ancient woodland sites can greatly
benefit from a more gradual transition to
native woodland.
CCF is not the sole preserve of continental
foresters, indeed a range of CCF systems
have been practised in upland native
woods for several centuries. With a
greater understanding of stand dynamics
and species needs, we can develop bespoke
styles of stand management to meet
increasingly specific objectives.
•
URQUHART BAY WOOD
Paul Young
Introduction
The 26.4 ha Urquhart bay Wood was
purchased by The Woodland Trust in two
blocks in 1988 and 1991 with the
assistance of grant aid from the World
Wide Fund for Nature and the Nature
Conservancy Council for Scotland.
21
improvements in access and interpretation
for local people and visitors to Loch Ness.
The Trust woodland lies within the larger
Urquhart Bay Wood SSSI (46.6ha) and is a
NCR (Nature Conservation Review) site
first notified in 1964. The SSSI is the best
example of a swamp alderwood in the
District. It is an ancient semi-natural wet
alder woodland lying on an alluvial delta
between the rivers Enrick and Coiltie on
the shores of Loch Ness and is of national
and international importance.
To date we have felled and removed over
90% of the mature sycamore and are into
our third season of exotic shrub and plant
control. During 2000 Urquhart Bay Wood
SSSI was proposed as a Special Area of
Conservation under the European Habitats
Directive.
The Woodland Trust’s management
objectives for the wood are:
• To manage the wood as a native
woodland providing a long term
commitment to maintenance of native
tree, shrub and floral communities.
• To
allow
natural
watercourse
movement and seasonal flooding and
to conserve and improve the diverse
natural floodplain habitat.
• To control invasive exotic species by,
cutting, felling and ring barking and/or
chemical treatment.
• To ensure the management of mature
sycamore
and
regeneration
is
compatible
with
the
habitat
requirements of important invertebrate
and lichen species.
• To provide informal public access and
to
improve
the
access
and
interpretation for visitors.
• To demonstrate good management
practice through consultation and
involvement of a wide range of
statutory agencies, NGOs and the local
community.
PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE
WOODLAND MANAGEMENT
Alder and ash dominate the canopy, whilst
hazel, gean and willows can be found
throughout the understorey. Sycamore has
colonised throughout the wood with up too
35% of the canopy occupied with mature
trees at the beginning of the project in
1998. Sycamore regeneration is extensive
throughout the wood and on recently
exposed river gravels and channel edges.
These highly dynamic rivers give rise to
periodic flooding and changing stream
patterns. With its mature canopy of
predominantly native trees and a rich
ground flora of dogs mercury, wood
anemone and crow garlic it is one of the
best remaining examples of this type of
floodplain woodland in Scotland (NVC
W6/W7 mosaic).
The main threats to the integrity of the
SSSI and the riparian zones in particular
come from the persistent colonisation of
exotic shrubs and trees. Sycamore and
Japanese knotweed have colonised much
of the woodland and are a persistent threat
to the long-term integrity of this important
habitat. Other species washed downstream
include lupin, snowberry and butterbur
mainly
along
channel
edges.
Balance of Woodland and Other Uses
The woodland is well used by the public
(both local people and tourists) and there
are significant populations of breeding
birds during the summer months. Avoiding
silvicultural operations during the period
April – September prevented conflict with
the peak tourist season and insured the
impact of the main tree felling activities
The Woodland Trust Scotland, with the
support from the FC, SNH, WWF,
Highland Council and the local community
initiated, in 1998, a programme of works
that aims to reverse the decline in
woodland biodiversity, due to the
expansion of exotic species, and create
22
would be minimal. The timing of the
operations was critical to minimising
disturbance to breeding birds and other
wildlife,
which
includes
breeding
blackcap, spotted and pied flycatcher.
4. Clearance of log jams from river
channels where it was safe to do
following concerns from the Ness
Fisheries board regarding the
creation of barriers to salmonid
migration
5. Control of exotic plants and shrubs
including Japanese Knotweed,
snowberry, butterbur and lupin by
chemical treatment
Plan Monitoring and Keeping Records
Our existing management plan is the result
of a public consultation process which
attracted a lot of interest locally. The five
year costed programme and 20 year
silvicultural plan was based on earlier
survey work including a survey of exotic
plants and shrubs and a sycamore
distribution survey. Baseline photomonitoring points have been set up which
will allow gross vegetational changes to be
monitored. A detailed lichen study and
National Vegetation Survey will be carried
out in 2001.
Forestry Operations
The operations within the wood were
funded through a partnership between
Forestry Commission, World Wide Fund
for Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage,
Highland Council, the local community
and Woodland Trust Scotland. Balancing
cash flow with works on the ground has
been critical to the success of the project
so far. In programming the silvicultural
contract, conservation and amenity
considerations were incorporated into the
contract and harvesting plan
Forestry Operations and Safety
Standards
The operations were controlled through a
Silvicultural Contract and Operational
Risk Assessment based on site risk
assessment and hazard map supplied by the
Trust. The contractor (appointed after a
tender process) produced a method
statement and harvesting plan. The work
was carried out based on volume
assessment and using a netting off process
which allows the trust to balance the
income from the timber against the
contract cost.
Selection of Silvicultural System
The principle aim was naturalisation of the
woodland through removal of exotics. This
would be done by:
Around 150 tonnes of timber was extracted
and sold through a variety of outlets
including: Chantler Timber, local charcoal
maker, flooring contractor and local
craftsmen (for carving and musical
instrument making).
All stumps and
subsequent regrowth were treated with
Glyphosate applied with a small knapsack
sprayer.
1. Felling, extraction and ringbarking
of sycamore and beech
2. Pollarding bank-side trees in
response to concerns from the local
community regarding flooding and
erosion control
3. Hand-pulling sycamore seedling
and saplings
23
undertaken. Regeneration from these
mature sycamore will be controlled until
ash, alder and other native trees and shrubs
dominate the canopy.
Avoidance of Site Damage and Pollution
Prior to the contract commencing an
Environmental Assessment was carried out
and consultation was undertaken with
SEPA/SNH/FC/Ness Fisheries Board and
the local community (through the local
community council and our voluntary
wardens on site). Spill kits (for diesel and
chemical spills) were carried by the
contractors during the contract and safe
stacking areas were created. The
environmental assessment ensured that a
minimum
amount
of
chemicals
(Glyphosate) was used and care taken
close to waterways – sensitive areas being
taped off.
Creation of New Habitat and Increasing
Biological Diversity
The creation of small felling coupes and
openings offered the opportunity for
regeneration of native trees and ground
flora. By selectively pulling and chemical
controlling the sycamore regeneration we
will ensure biodiversity is maximised on
site with a more dynamic age structure of
native trees and shrubs developing in the
longer term. The work contributes
substantially to the Wet Woodland Habitat
Action Plan – meeting targets and
reversing decline in this important habitat
as well as meeting the objectives of
Species Action Plans, particularly That of
a Red Data Book species (a Diptera Fly).
Horses were used to extract the bulk of the
timber with a quad and trailer and small
forwarder used to move the smaller
material and assist in stacking and sorting
various dimensioned timber. All timber
stacks were off site, on the edge of the
SSSI. A Forestry Stewardship Council
audit and site visit to Urquhart Bay carried
out in 2000 confirmed our FSC
accreditation nationally.
Modification of Forestry Operations to
Benefit Wildlife
The felling of mature trees was carried out
in the winter months to avoid nesting and
breeding periods. As well as warblers and
flycatchers there are also dipper and
reports of kingfisher along the riverside.
Ring barking of mature trees aimed to
increase the standing deadwood within the
wood. This was carried out in areas away
from public footpaths for safety reasons
and river channels to avoid the potential
for significant log jams in the future. This
approach ensures deadwood habitat both
standing and felled is created to benefit
Greater spotted woodpecker, which are
known to nest in the wood, as well as
insect and fungal communities.
NATURE CONSERVATION
Habitats and Species Conservation
The chemical treatment of the exotic plants
and shrubs on site was included in the
silvicultural contract allowing control over
timing and addressing environmental
concerns – application rates followed FC
Guidance in Field Book 8.
Sycamore and lichen surveys were carried
out to assess individual trees hosting
significant lichen communities. This
confirmed that trees hosting important
lobarion communities should be retained
(Lobarion presence was used as an
indicator of a mature epiphytic lichen
community). A site meeting with the
contractor and SNH to identify and mark
individual
trees
was
subsequently
Whilst our aim was to remove the ongoing
threat of colonisation by exotics it was
clear that a small proportion of the mature
sycamore hosted significant lichen
lobarion communities. In consultation with
SNH, we marked and left key individual
trees standing. We will monitor and
control the regeneration of sycamore
24
operations early on in the project planning
stage. Notices were posted at the entrance,
making available copies of the proposals
and the key operations planned over a
three-year period. A Woodland Grant
Scheme (Woodland Improvement Grant)
was prepared and was the main mechanism
for funding silvicultural operations –
detailed proposals were available through
the FC public register early in 1997.
seedlings
alongside
the
lichen
communities present in the coming years
through the Woodland Grant Scheme
Annual Management Grant.
The recent review of our 20 year
Management Plan has allowed us to
consult widely. In addition to sending the
management plan out to key groups and
individuals in the community, a
management plan was placed in the local
post office, available to anyone interested
through a contact number on a poster at
entrance to the wood and posted as a press
release in the local paper. The contractors
working on the project were mainly local.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Assessment of Landscape Character
Conscious of the impact of operations on
the landscape quality of Loch Ness-side,
our initial survey work and assessment
recognised that the sycamore was
distributed throughout the wood. In
landscape terms, the impact would be
minimal, with a thinning of the canopy
throughout and small coupes visible
internally but not from the main trunk
roads or houses nearby.
Protection of Archaeological Sites and
Support for Forest Heritage
There were no archaeological features
recorded on site although the regional
archaeologist with Highland Council was
consulted as part of the WGS application.
We are working with local landowners to
bring adjacent woodland into management
through Scottish Native Woods, thereby
minimising the seed rain of exotics in the
coming years and maximising biodiversity
by expanding the core area of native
woodland. We have provided advice on
methodology, timing and consents
appropriate to the control operations to
neighbouring landowners. This, combined
with a proposed exotic survey of the
upstream watershed will benefit the longterm management of the woodlands in
Urquhart Bay.
Design of Facilities
To maintain the ‘wildwood’ feel of the
walks in the wood, low-key facilities,
which included waymarking and an
information board at the main entrance
would be developed. This was undertaken
in consultation with SNH, Highland
Council and the local community.
CULTURAL ASPECTS
Involvement with Local Community
The Woodland Officer, along with the
Community Councillor and Millennium
Walks committee, organised a site meeting
to discuss access issues and the impact of
25
for 2001. A Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds guide to bird watching
in the Highlands includes a section on
Urquhart Bay Wood and a soon-to-be
published guide to walking in the
Highlands has a page dedicated to the
wood.
RECREATION AND EDUCATION
Promoting and Enabling Public Access
Visitors are welcome to walk in most
woods owned by the Woodland Trust
(unless there are concerns for public
safety). Existing footpaths therefore need
to be maintained to a standard suitable for
public access. This includes cutting back
encroaching vegetation and overhanging
branches, drainage works and maintenance
of bridges. This is done through an Estate
Maintenance Contract let on an annual
basis, which allows informal monitoring of
visitor numbers and the impact they may
be having (path erosion, litter etc) within
the woods through a monthly report
system.
To complement onsite information, a
leaflet is being designed to encourage
visits by people from further afield, who
would not normally walk in woodlands.
This will be available from tourist offices
in the region.
Assessment of Potential and Demand
A Visitors survey is planned for 2002, with
quantitative and qualitative assessment of
the public perception of facilities and the
organisation feeding in to our long term
strategy for interpretation and information
provision. This survey will complement
survey work being carried out on other
woods during 2001.
Arrangements for Public Access
In response to local concerns, a
programme of footpath improvements was
initiated during 2000 and continues.
Through consultation with Scottish
Environmental Protection Agency and
Ness Fisheries Board, we were able to
extract gravel from the River Enrick for
use as a surfacing. This reduced overall
costs and allowed us to create a surface of
material which is in keeping with its
surroundings.
Provision of Facilities for Recreation
and Learning
In keeping with our aim for quiet informal
access, we have provided an information
and orientation board at the entrance to the
wood. We have also been working closely
with Highland Council Ranger Service and
two public guided walks are programmed
26
and
under
strict
contract
conditions.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The Woodland Officer for the Highlands
manages the woodland and maintains
detailed records of operations and
compliance with contract conditions. He is
responsible for the provision of
specifications and the supervision of
contractors. Regular health and safety
assessments of operations and inspection
of Tree Safety zones along roadsides and
footpaths are carried out and he acts as
point of contact for general public
enquiries. Our Voluntary Warden who
lives in Drumnadrochit is on hand to keep
an eye on the wood and report back to the
Woodland Officer as necessary.
Surveying and Project Monitoring
The work has been undertaken as part of
an agreed Management Plan and a
Woodland Grant Scheme commitment to
improving biodiversity and public access
to the woodland.
The management plan (reviewed Feb
2001) and WGS programme were based on
initial surveys carried out under contract
including:
a. Lichen survey to assess the extent and
significance of the Lichen communities
b. Forestry Commission Condition survey
c. Exotic species survey and sycamore
distribution map
d. Access survey – with specifications for
upgrading
and
construction
of
footpaths
e. Photo-monitoring survey - this is
ongoing with a baseline record for
1998 and will provide information on
the extent of regeneration and the
remedial work necessary to achieve our
objectives.
f. Deer Management Plan following the
Deer Commission for Scotland agreed
format (includes an assessment of deer
browsing damage)
DEER CONTROL
It is vital to monitor and if necessary to
control the deer population in the wood, to
reduce the browsing and grazing pressure
on tree seedlings and wild flowers. A Deer
Management Plan will be prepared on
completion of the sycamore felling. Deer
numbers and pressure will be assessed
based on dung counts and by monitoring
browsing damage within the created
clearings. Control will be done sensitively
in consultation with our neighbours and
employing experienced stalkers registered
with the Deer Commission for Scotland
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CONCLUSION
Further monitoring will be undertaken
using
photo-monitoring
techniques
together with an assessment of natural
regeneration carried out on an annual basis
– mainly along gravel bars and within the
recently created felling coupes. This will
ensure that any further exotic species
arriving in the woodland after the main
period of eradication (1998-2003) will be
recorded and their control incorporated
into an annual maintenance programme.
Negotiations are underway with adjacent
landowners to carry out a catchment-wide
survey of exotic shrubs, thereby addressing
in the long term the sources of the seed
arriving in Urquhart Bay Wood.
•
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NATIVE WOODLANDS DISCUSSION GROUP CONSTITUTION
Name: The organisation shall be the Native Woodlands Discussion Group
Aims and objectives: The purpose of the group is to encourage interest in native woodlands, their
ecology and management.
Membership: Membership of the group will be:
a. Individual
b. Family (1.5 x full rate)
c.
Concessionary (0.5 x full rate)
Membership of the group will cease 18 months after the payment of an annual subscription.
Committee will advise the Meetings Organiser for the year of the fee for attendance of non-members.
Officers and committee:
a. The group elects a committee of not more than eight members. The committee shall co-opt or
appoint such officers as are considered necessary. Officers will be eligible to vote at committee
meetings.
b. Committee members shall serve for three years, but shall be eligible for re-election.
c. The chairperson shall be nominated by the committee and endorsed by the Annual General
Meeting.
d. All members are free to attend committee meetings.
Accounts:
a. The financial year shall be the calendar year
b. The committee will set the annual membership fee before the end of October.
c. The treasurer will keep accounts and present a financial report by 15th March each year. The
accounts shall be independently audited by a competent person before presentation.
Annual General Meeting: An AGM shall be held at such a date as is determined by the committee.
Notification of that meeting shall appear in the newsletter at least one month prior to the AGM.
Business at the AGM shall be determined by a simple majority except changes to the constitution
which shall require a two-thirds majority of those members present. Family membership entitles up to
two votes if both are present.
The chairperson and the treasurer will each submit a report at the AGM.
Meetings: The committee shall organise or authorise any member to organise such meetings as
considered desirable.
Publications: The committee shall approve such publication as are considered desirable, and which
carry the group's endorsement.
NWDG OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Objectives: The purpose of the Group is to encourage interest in native woods, their ecology and
management, with a particular emphasis in Northern Britain.
Activities:
* Organise at least one Field Meeting with related discussion each year.
* Organise Workshops on subjects suggested by members (initially two per year).
* Issue Newsletters (currently two per year) with an emphasis on members’ contributions.
* Maintain contact with like-minded organisations through the membership.
Membership: This is open to any interested individual (There is no corporate membership).
Subscription: According to the following categories Ordinary individual
Family
Concs./Unwaged
Constitution:
£15.00 p.a.
£21.50 p.a.
£ 7.50 p.a.
The NWDG constitution is on the inside back cover of this newsletter
Subscriptions should be sent to Membership Administrator: Debbie Cowen
NOTES FOR NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS
Copy date for the Autumn 2001 newsletter is 15th September. The newsletter will go out in the second
half of October/early November.
The following types of contributions are always welcome:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Group or organisation reports
Woodland reports/updates
Research, management and articles
Shorter items of news, e.g. new groups/initiatives/projects or personnel changes
Letters to the editor
Reviews of books or other publications relating to native woodlands.
Illustrations - cartoons, logos, pen and ink drawings of trees and wildlife etc..
Contributions can be up to 1500 words long. They should ideally be word-processed in Word for
Windows 98 or compatible software and sent by email or on floppy disk. Please include full contact
details with any contribution. Contact the editor if you have something to contribute but are having
difficulty meeting a deadline. Also if you have an idea for an article you wish to discuss.
The current editor is:
Nick Marshall, 62 Newbattle Terrace, Edinburgh, EH10 4RX
Tel/Fax: 0131 447 4714 Email: nickmarshall@bigfoot.com
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