Keeping woodland working

People with areas of woodland large and small can turn to him for advice about how to set up management programmes and can attend workshops and demonstrations to learn practical skills for themselves.

“Woodlands can bring all-round benefit, for wildlife, for landowners, for people to enjoy, where there is public access and for local sustainability,” said Mr Rees.

Good management can make woodlands more commercially viable for timber production and today there are new and growing opportunities for sales of firewood.

The Vale of White Horse District Council purchased Besselsleigh Wood in 1999 as a ‘ready-made’ public amenity, an area already planted with well-established trees.

Since then, the wood has been enjoyed by many sections of the community — for walking, for quietly enjoying wildlife and for being involved in practical work led by the Oxfordshire Woodland Project and the district council.

Besselsleigh Wood includes many trees of a good age, together with others which Mr Rees describes as ‘middle-aged’.

“There are a lot of very, very old trees, which we intend to keep,” he said. “Some of the middle-aged ones have outgrown their space and we are slowly and gradually taking some of these out, to give more space for the older and better trees of both ages to grow.

“We have done a small amount of felling this winter but we are keeping the best trees, of course, for the long term.”

Trees of historic importance are always left. “Besselsleigh has some really significant trees that have gathered interest decade upon decade. If they are still there in 200 to 300 years, they will still be gaining a conservation patina. We recognise the value of these trees and want to keep them for the long term,” he added.

A certain amount of dead wood is left also, this being of particular value for many species of insects and other forms of wildlife.

“The subject of thinning is often regarded with apprehension by some owners of recently-acquired woodland, for fear of making irreversible mistakes,” said Mr Rees. “New owners should be aware that to do nothing to combat congestion among growing trees will ultimately cause the greater harm.

“Trees grow throughout their lives and need more living space as time goes by. With natural competition, some trees will be suppressed, leading eventually to death.

“Even in conservation woodland occupied by native tree species, it is sensible to select trees for their timber potential.

“Timber trees will be straight and upright, without heavy low branching. They are usually worth high-pruning, to enhance their natural form.

“Occasionally trees may be found to have unusually valuable non-timber properties that make them worthy of long-term retention. For example, large pollarded trees of great age may be found marking a parish boundary.

“Occasionally trees may be found with important features such as rare lichen colonies, or maybe of rare species, such as the wild service trees.”

Bat roosts, of course, have special protection.

New young trees are also being planted at Besselsleigh — some recently by members of a local Rainbow Guide group, who were able to enjoy a day out in the woods with their leaders.

Major work such as felling is carried out by contractors but members of the public can share in activities such as coppicing. A group of local people is being established. Among them is Richard Snow: “I got involved as soon as we moved here two years ago,” he said. “We are an informal group, a kind of ‘Friends of Besselsleigh Wood’. Under David’s watchful eye, we help with some of the work that takes place.”

This has included the tree planting, the coppicing and work to paths, including a new circular route around the wood.

“The new circular path has improved the access here,” said Mr Snow. “This is a wood that we want the community to use and enjoy.”

The hazel which is coppiced can be offered to gardeners and allotment holders for use as pea and bean sticks. These sticks are also offered for sale at the local farmers’ market in Appleton.

Another way in which local people have been involved is when there has been recent felling, by helping to saw up some of the timber.

There will be an opportunity to visit Besselsleigh Wood on Saturday, May 9, for a bluebell walk, starting at 10.30am, at either of the Appleton or Besselsleigh entrances.

As well as the commercial benefits of tree thinning — more valuable timber in the long term, and produce for the firewood industry in the short term — the reduction of density in the overhead tree canopy will have had greater benefits for wildlife.

Woodland flora will have more light and air to grow and flourish, with benefits for insect life, and where berried shrubs grow, with benefit in food for the birds.

All such clearance took place only at the appropriate times, said Mr Rees. “Avoid thinning in the nesting season,” he said, “and otherwise choose dry late summer or frozen winter conditions.”

There are other ways the public can be involved at Besselsleigh. “This is a working woodland and there is something for everybody, all kinds of skills are required. If people want to do wildlife or habitat studies, or make a photographic survey, that will be of great use to us,” said Mr Rees.

“All ages can be involved — we have had the youngsters from the Rainbows, we have retired people and teenagers from the Wychwood V Project. People are making the connection between woodland and a sustainable resource.”

The Oxfordshire Woodland Project is an initiative of the Oxfordshire Woodland Group, which is made up of representatives of the local authorities in the county, woodland owners and other people with an interest in forestry.

Among its members is Edmund Strainge, who has hosted demonstration days at his farm in Ducklington.

He tells how when in 1989 he bought some additional farmland, this included 65 acres of woodland. “We did not know much about woodland,” he said, “and a few months afterwards I heard about the Oxfordshire Woodland Project, which had recently been started.

“The manager at the time, Ken Broad, came out to look round and was very helpful.

“He asked what we wanted to do with the woodland. I said that we wanted it to be an amenity and to improve it for wildlife and if possible wanted it to be self-financing.

“Some of the land had previously been used for growing Christmas trees and there were also some Japanese larch, which were not suitable for the Oxford clay type soil of this area.

“The rides were widened, to help the wildlife and to make it easier for contractors to come in and do work to the trees.

“We have done replanting and returned to native species such as oak, ash, beech and field maple.”

Mr Strainge was interested to discover that brambles, with their crops of blackberries, and bluebells, which over time had disappeared through lack of light under the tree cover, eventually returned — the brambles possibly as a result of seeds dropped by birds but the bluebells by natural regeneration. He has been told that they could reappear even after as long as 70 years.

Mr Strainge said: “David Rees brings people together. If he knows somebody who wants wood and he knows we have some, he puts us in touch.”

There are many people who do want wood — firewood suppliers such as Martin Drew in Nuneham Courtenay and Clinton Harris in Witney both say that during this winter, demand has been outstripping supplies of seasoned timber and they will be looking to build up stocks for next year.

David Rees and the Oxfordshire Woodland Project can be contacted on 01993 814140 or by email at: owp@oxfordshire.gov.uk