www.hertsdirect.org/environment
www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/herts
www.butterfly-conservation.org
www.england-in-particular.info
| USEFUL SOURCES OF INFORMATION | |
| 1. The Wildlife Trust for Northamptonshire | |
| Lings house, Billing Lings, Northants, NN3 8BE | |
| Provides courses and training on general wildlife topics and specialist botanical courses. | |
| Contact Vera Herman on 01604 405285 or email vherman@northwt.cix.co.uk | |
| 2. Priory Country park, Bedford | |
| Information on courses and events from The Wardens office, Priory Country Park, Barkers Lane, | |
| Bedford, MK41 9SH, tel 01234 211182 | |
| 3. Anglia Woodland Project | |
| AWP is a newly formed partnership of the County Councils of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire | |
| and Essex with the Forestry Commission. It will meet regularly and will provide training events. Topics which have been suggested so far include: | |
| veteran tree monitoring | |
| deer management | |
| marketing of low grade wood | |
| marking and measuring timber | |
| formative pruning of young trees | |
| short rotation coppice | |
| If you have any suggestions for further topics contact Gary Battell, Woodland Advisory Officer, Countryside Service | |
| St Edmunds House, County Hall, Ipswich IP1 1LZ tel 01473 583000. | |
| HERTS WOODLAND FORUM SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON WOODLAND MANAGEMENT This directory is available at www.greatgroves.co.uk and will in due course be repeated on the Hertfordshire County Council website. Last update 08-12-2002 INTRODUCTION This directory is intended for those who own, or are interested in, woodlands to guide them to the various sources of information that exist in or around Hertfordshire. It has been produced and updated through the Herts Woodland Forum with the help of the Countryside Management Service. (CMS) The addresses of all the organisations mentioned can be found at the end of this directory. CONTENTS Limited free advice Advice from consultants NGOs promoting woodland management Training courses Literature · Libraries · Bookshops and publishers · Magazines · Recommended reading Goods and services Woodlands to visit Information on specific topics Addresses of organisations mentioned LIMITED FREE ADVICE Forestry Commission, East England Conservancy The FC regulates woodland work on behalf of the Government through a system of grants and felling licences. The Woodland Officer who covers Hertfordshire can provide advice on the administrative requirements for management and guide the owner through the process of application for grants. Countryside Management Service (CMS) This is a good first point of contact for landowners thinking of undertaking woodland management. A site visit is usually available with free and impartial advice on what to do next, if you wish to proceed. District and Borough Councils They have responsibility for tree work in Conservation Areas and sites covered by Tree Preservation Orders. These designations will affect any management work within a woodland. For addresses, see under "District and Borough Councils" The ten Districts and Boroughs are: North Hertfordshire DC Dacorum BC Stevenage BC Watford C City & D of St Albans Welwyn Hatfield DC Three Rivers DC Hertsmere BC East Hertfordshire DC Broxbourne BC County Woodland Officer (Hertforshire County Council) Mr Ian Gibbon at Environment Department Chiltern Woodlands Project This registered charity offers advice and help to the owners of small woodlands within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. (Dacorum BC and Three Rivers DC) It publishes a newsletter, "News of the Woods" and several other publications as well as organising training and events. Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (HMWT) Hertfordshire Wildlife Sites Project Wildlife sites are the most important places for wildlife, identified by locally-developed criteria. Over 1,900 wildlife sites have been selected across Hertfordshire. The aim of this project is to protect, maintain and enhance the existing wildlife resource in Hertfordshire outside statutory sites. The project is co-ordinated by the HMWT in partnership with a number of organisations. Free management advice is available to wildlife site owners from the partners. Contact Heather Sohl, Wildlife Sites Officer, HMWT, for further information. Address at end. Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group It offers advice on all aspects of wildlife conservation on farms and on sustainable farming. A free half-day visit and report are offered to all farmers and landowners, with follow-up advice and help with grant applications. ADVICE FROM CONSULTANTS A list of members of the Institute of Chartered Foresters will indicate local firms. They offer a wide range of services, including advice, arranging grants and licences, carrying out management work and negotiating land purchase. See also the "Chiltern Wood Directory" published by the Chiltern Woodlands Project and "Tree Sourcebook 2002" by Treesource. NGOs PROMOTING WOODLAND MANAGEMENT Forestry and Timber Association This is the new body formed by the amalgamation of the Association of Professional Foresters (APF) and the Timber Growers Association (TGA). It covers the whole forest industry, including small woodland owners who are well catered for. Small Woods Association The SWA promotes the management of small woodlands, which in South-east England are often undermanaged. It produces a quarterly magazine, Smallwoods, and runs training courses and seminars. Members receive a useful information pack. Free information on woodland management can be given to those who contact the organisation. The SWA aims to bring together everyone with an interest in small woods. Royal Forestry Society The RFS aims to spread knowledge about trees, woodlands and forestry, and encourage the multi-purpose sustainable management of woodland. It publishes a quarterly journal, organises visits and events, runs demonstration sites, lobbies and advises, and maintains an extensive library and slide collection. Continuous Cover Forestry Group The CCFG runs courses and visits to encourage the various alternatives to clear felling. Herts Woodland Forum This is a forum where woodland and countryside organisations, woodland owners, interested individuals and local authorities can exchange ideas in order to (1) promote the County's Biodiversity Action Plan and Woodland Strategy, (2) explain woodland management to the public, and (3) provide advice and support training to this end. The Forum has worked closely with the Countryside Management Service to produce this directory. Anglia Woodland Project This involves the six counties of the Eastern Region of England through their County Woodland Officers. It promotes good woodland management for quality timber production, biodiversity and the regeneration of the countryside. It will put woodland owners in touch with agents, contractors and potential customers. Anglia Woodnet The main aim of this woodland business agency is to bring into contact all parts of the forest industry with emphasis on marketing and exploring sources of funding. St Albans Community Forest Association It was formed in 1992 to support the creation of the Watling Chase Community Forest. It campaigns for the protection and enhancement of the Green Belt surrounding St Albans; it carries out conservation work and lays on lectures and visits. Watling Chase Community Forest This covers an area bounded by St Albans, Hatfield, Barnet, and Bushey. It is managed by the Countryside Management Service. TRAINING COURSES The five nearest agricultural and horticultural colleges which offer courses, short and long, on countryside management and forestry skills: Herts : Oaklands College Middx : Capel Manor College Essex : Writtle College Beds : Shuttleworth College Bucks : Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College BOOKS AND MAGAZINES LIBRARIES The County Library Service (Herts CC) Local libraries will have some books on forestry, but an extensive range can be ordered through the inter-library loan system. At the Central Resources Library at Travellers Lane, Hatfield there is a reference section with a wider selection and all the publications of the Forestry Commission which is the largest publisher in the UK of books on forestry. Technical Library at County Hall Based in the Environment Department, this library has a more extensive collection. While intended for staff use, arrangements can be made for the public to borrow or read as reference. It has most of the books listed under "Recommended Reading" below. Royal Forestry Society at Tring The reference library is available to the public during normal office hours; please give a couple of days' notice. Members may also borrow books. BOOKSHOPS AND PUBLISHERS There are a small number of shops specialising in forestry : · Stobart Davies Ltd, Hertford : forestry, woodscience, woodworking · Treesource, near York : forestry · The Tree Bookshop, Summerfield Books, Brough, Cumbria : Botany, natural history, forestry · Forestry Commission Publications, Wetherby (mail order) The FC is the leading UK publisher of forestry. · The Stationery Office Bookshop, London WC2 The UK government's publishing house and retailer. It stocks FC titles. · BTCV Publications & Merchandise (mail order) : practical manuals. MAGAZINES · Forestry & British Timber Monthly a trade journal · Forestry and Timber News Quarterly · Quarterly Journal of Forestry by the Royal Forestry Society · Smallwoods Quarterly by the Small Woods Association · Tree News Twice yearly by the Tree Council · Continuous Cover Forestry Group Newsletter Twice yearly RECOMMENDED READING History and Archaeology · Trees and Woodlands in the British Landscape, Rackham, Phoenix Giant, 1996, 1-85799-455-8, out of print · Natural Woodland, Peterken, Cambridge UP, 1996, 0-521-36792-1 · History in Chiltern Woods, A Guide to the Identification and Management of Woodland Archaeological Features, Morris, The Chiltern Woodlands Project, 1999, 0-9535773-0-9 Textbooks · Caring for Small Woods, Broad, Earthscan, 1998, 1-85383-454-8 · Silviculture of Broadleaved Woodland, Evans, HMSO, (FC Bulletin 62) 1984, 0-11-710154-0 · Woodland Conservation and Management, Peterken, Chapman & Hall, 1993, 0-412-55730-4 · Woodlands, Brooks, BTCV, 1980, 0-9501643-7-2 · Introducing Farm Woodlands, Johnston et al, HMSO (FC) 1988, 0-85538-353-4 · Establishing Farm Woodlands, Williamson, HMSO (FC Handbook 8) 1992, 0-11-710309-8 · Forestry Practice, Hibberd (Ed), HMSO (FC Bulletin 6) 1991, 0-11-710281-4 Botany : Tree Species · Broadleaves, Edlin & Mitchell, HMSO (FC Booklet 20), 2nd, 1985, 0-11-710039-0, out of print · A Field Guide to the Trees of Britain and Northern Europe, Mitchell, Collins, 1978, 0-00-219213-6 Tree Pathology · Tree Doctor CD-Rom, with Handbook, Forestry Commission Woodland Crafts · Traditional Woodland Crafts, Tabor, Batsford, 1994, 0-7134-7500-5 · Living Wood, Abbott, Living Wood Books, 2002, 0-9542345-0-2 Policy and Law · The UK Forest Standard, HMSO (FC), 1998, no ISBN · Hertfordshire's Woodland Strategy, CMS/Environment Dept., 1997, no ISBN · Tree Felling : Getting Permission, HMSO (FC), 1997, no ISBN Case Studies · A Wood of Our Own, Evans, Oxford UP, 1995, 0-19-854950-4 · What Happened to Our Wood, Evans, Patula Books, 2002, 09541947-0-5 · The Woodland Way, Law, Permanent Publications, 0-1-85623-009-0 Directory · Tree Sourcebook 2002, Ryan(Ed), Treesource, 2002, 0-9543594-0-2 (Our thanks are due to Methven's Booksellers, Hertford, for providing current information on the titles above.) GOODS AND SERVICES Local Directories · The Chiltern Wood Directory, Chiltern Woodlands Project · Services Directory, Oxfordshire Woodland Project · Green Pages - East Herts Environmental Directory, East Hertfordshire District Council National Directories · Forestry Contracting Association Directory 2002. There are six entries for Hertfordshire. · Tree Sourcebook 2002, Ed J Ryan, Treesource. A very useful document. · (the latest) Official Catalogue to the APF International Forest Machinery Exhibition. See 11 lines below. Market Place for Buyers and Sellers Eco-lots (formerly Woodlots and Eco-Ads) is at www.ecolots.co.uk (updated fortnightly) and is also in a bi-monthly paper version. It contains for-sale and wanted adverts for forestry and ecology, as well as forthcoming events. Trade Fairs APF International Forest Machinery Exhibition. Held in late September in alternate years, i.e., 2002, 2004, 2006, etc at different locations in the UK. South West Woodlands Show Held in September annually at Exeter Racecourse. Weald Wood Fair Held in September annually at Bentley Motor Museum, between Lewes and Uckfield, Sussex. Map Ref. TQ 485 160 Chiltern Wood Festival Held annually at the Chiltern Open Air Museum, Chalfont St Peter on the Bucks-Herts border. Woods at Work A one-day event held in Wendover Woods (Forestry Commission) to show woodland equipment and crafts. It is organised by the Chiltern Woodlands Project. WOODLANDS TO VISIT Countryside Management Service Booklet : A Guide to Hertfordshire's Working Woodlands, written for woodland managers. Woodland Trust The Woodland Trust manages a number of sites around Hertfordshire containing a broad range of habitats. These include the ancient semi-natural hornbeam woodlands in part of the Broxbourne National Nature Reserve, the chalk grasslands of Tring Park and the community woodlands of Merry Hill in Bushey. All these sites are freely available to explore on foot and more details can be found on these and other sites at the online directory at www.woodland-trust.org.uk National Trust Ashridge Park Hatfield Forest (Essex) Corporation of London Burnham Beeches (Bucks) Map Ref. SU 956 850 Epping Forest (Essex) Map Ref. TQ 412 982 Forestry Commission The FC has a policy of free public access to its woods wherever possible. The following woodlands are recommended: · Balls Wood, Hertford Heath, Map Ref. TL 348 104 · Bramfield Woods, Tewin, Map Ref. TL 282 166 · (Bramfield) Park Wood, Tewin, Map Ref. TL 285 154 · Harmergreen Wood, (Old) Welwyn, Map Ref. TL 246 171 Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust See under "Limited Free Advice" above. Royal Forestry Society Forestry and Timber Association These two organisations lay on visits to woodlands where the owners explain their management to members. An excellent kind of learning experience. Access land The Ordnance Survey's latest editions of the Landranger 1:50,000 and Explorer 1:25,000 maps show public access land edged in purple. Westonbirt Arboretum Far from Hertfordshire, but one of the most interesting arboreta in England. INFORMATION ON SPECIFIC TOPICS Biodiversity and Wildlife · British Naturalist Association · Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group See under "Limited Free Advice" · Hertfordshire Biological Records Office · Hertfordshire Natural History Society · Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (HMWT) Hertfordshire Wildlife Sites Project: see under "Limited Free Advice". Birds Royal Society for the Protection of Birds British Trust for Ornithology Plant Diseases Forestry Commission, Forest Research Station at Alice Holt Grey Squirrel Control The grey squirrel is probably the greatest danger of all to woodland in South-east England. Current best practice is contained in the FC's Practice Note, "Controlling Grey Squirrel Damage to Woodlands". Research continues for better control. Contact : Brenda Mayle at Forestry Commission, Forest Research Station, Alice Holt. Deer Management · British Deer Society · The Deer Initiative · A deer management group is to be formed in North-east Hertfordshire. Contact : Peter Dewey, Forestry Commission, Wingrave Area Office. Woodland Archaeology · Archaeological Unit, Hertfordshire County Council · Chiltern Woodlands Project It publishes a "History in Chiltern Woods". See Recommended Reading, History and Archaeology. Insurance of Woodlands If
your organisation is mentioned in the Directory and you would like to
correct or extend an entry, please contact Mr M. Dixon wolfric@waitrose.com,
01920 463631 |
|
| FURTHER NEWS | |
| Patrick
McKenna is now local SWA co-ordinator for Norfolk, Suffolk and
Cambridgeshire and with a shared interest in Essex where he spends a lot
of his time. He hopes to lay
on various training courses and events which will be open to members in
Herts, Beds and Bucks.
Contact Patrick on patrick.mckenna@rochford.gov.uk |
|
| Hertfordshire Veteran Tree Survey. If you can help, information and forms from Stuart Warrington, Dept of Environmental Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB Tel 01707 284137 email S.warrington@Herts.ac.uk | |
| The Wild Service Tree in Hertfordshire. Carole Young and Stuart Warrington are re-recording wild service trees in Herts. and are very anxious for information on their state of health and location. Contact Stuart if you can help | |