Surveying the Woodland and planning for the Future
By Andy the stuff doer
We’ve said all along that we need a plan for what we are going to do in the woods. We have rough ideas but need to firm them out and work out how different aspect will interact.
I have lots of ideas about the forestry and silvaculture aspects, timber sales will come in to this eventually so I need a long term management plan. This has to take into account what will happen to habitats and other plant species. So a good starting point will be know what we have in there.
So far I’ve drawn up a map, what I intend is for this to be marked up, in multiple layers with every thing we have in there. Ranging from the trees, bushes, shrubs, ground cover, plants, mosses, lichens and fungie, topography, ground conditions, mammals, birds, reptiles and insects.
It’s quite a project but I have started, so far I’ve measured and counted and plotted the scotts pine. Next on the list is larch and I must admit it’s quite a daunting prospect. It needs to be done though as I know the most of larches have served their nursary purpose. Now they need extracting so the hardwoods have got more space to thicken up.
To speed the process up, I could do with more bodies and brains on the job. So can I get the kids interested in helping out. Rather than just casual observing, is some methodical recording going to be possible?
The woodland is long term thing it will be fascinating to see how things change over time. This starting survey will eventually become a grand historical reference. I’m hoping our children and grandchildren will view it this way, that’s what I mean by long term.