Kent Downs Woodfuel Pathfinder - FREE Conference

The Woodfuel Pathfinder has now been operating for almost four years and we are fast approaching the end of the current phase of the project.

The ADAFOR Interreg project, which has enabled the Pathfinder to operate for the last two years, comes to a close at the end of March 2015.

To mark the end of ADAFOR the project partners will hold a small, two-day conference on March 5th and 6th at East Brabourne.

We would like to extend an invitation to readers of this blog and their colleagues.  The conference is FREE to attend.

To book a place please go to our Eventbrite page.

Alternatively email us at matthew.morris@kentdowns.org.uk or call 01303 815 171.

Good Woods – Free Woodland Advice for Landowners and Managers

There are more than 3 million hectares of woodland in the UK, however in England alone it is estimated that more than 45% of our woodlands are either unmanaged or under-managed.

This has contributed to a decline in biodiversity, loss of amenity and skills, and poor routes to market for wood products. 

The Good Woods project will tackle these issues. This project is being delivered in Kent by the Kent Downs AONB Unit (except the High Weald area where the project is being delivered by the High Weald AONB Unit).

Woodland owners will receive a free visit from an experienced woodland management advisor who will help them understand the opportunities for their woodland, the steps they need to go through to get it into management and establish the first steps on the ‘myForest’ management system.

The ‘myForest’ website has been developed by The Sylva Foundation and helps to produce a Forestry Commission approved management plan simply and easily.

All advice is free and provided by experienced officers from the Countryside Partnerships in Kent.

If you would like to make the most of the woodland on your land, whether it is by selling timber, logs or chipwood to the local market, increasing its biodiversity or even investigating the potential for claiming Renewable Heat Incentive by installing a biomass boiler on your property then this could be the perfect first step. 

To find out more and whether you are eligible for a visit please contact:

Mike Phillips
01303 815170
mike.phillips@kentdowns.org.uk 

Good Woods is a groundbreaking project aiming to breathe new life into UK woodlands. B&Q has teamed up with sustainability charity BioRegional and forestry charity The Sylva Foundation to revive woodlands to provide environmental, social and economic benefits. 

For more information please visit the Sylva foundation website. 

Woodfuel Pathfinder featured on BBC Countryfile

In case you missed the most recent episode of the Countryfile, and the feature on coppice management and woodfuel, you can see it here on the BCC iPlayer: Countryfile March 11th 2012.

The venue was Torry Hill Fencing, a business that clearly demonstrates how good woodland management can yield a range of benefits.

It was also pleasing to see that the only waste product from the process, the bark that is removed from the chestnut lengths before they are split for pailings, can be used as goat feed (which was a somewhat unexpected by-product from a morning's filming with Matt Baker)!

Woodland Contractors Workshop - Nov 17th, Lenham, Kent

Kent Downs Woodfuel Pathfinder: Woodland Contractors Workshop

Dog & Bear (Lenham, Kent) on November 17^th at 7pm – Free Buffet

After many years the markets for Kent’s woodland products are improving, woodfuel is starting to provide opportunities for lower quality material (particularly at a local level) and people are increasingly recognising the value of wood as a sustainable product. 

If, as an industry, we are to take advantage of these developments we need a robust and evolving network of woodland contractors.  Appreciating that there is a huge range of business models we would like to better understand what would help existing contractors develop their businesses to respond to the improving conditions.

The workshop will also provide an update on support available to the sector including:

·         The evolving market opportunities

·         The FC’s new Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant

·         Grant support for machinery & business development

·         Funding for apprentices

The Kent Downs Woodfuel Pathfinder is a joint Forestry Commission and Kent County Council project (with funding from the EU ERDF Interreg IVa programme) exploring what temporary support would help the woodland industry evolve to become fully self-supporting delivering:

•              Market driven sustainable management of Kent’s woodlands

•              Maintenance of Kent’s landscape character & secure local jobs

•              Carbon lean & sustainably sourced fuel for local heat

Over 70 contractors from Kent, Surrey and Sussex are being invited to this event.  It provides an opportunity to tell us what would help YOU, learn about new initiatives and network with other companies operating in the sector. 

Places are limited.  Please email matthew.morris@kentdowns.org.uk (or call 01303 815 171) to reserve a seat.