With the demand for spaces in November we see our first split session of the season on the 5th November. Below are updates from the committee regarding session spaces, WI craft sessions at Heartwood HQ, our involvement in a project for Stirling University, and more
David Gravett - Membership Coordinator
What's In this Woodfueler
Pick Triangle & Community Woods Project
December Wood Fuel Sessions
December wood fuel sessions go live to all members to book onto Tuesday 1st November at 6pm. As always if a session is full and you would like to attend please add yourself to the waiting list. While this doesn't guarantee you'll get a space it does give us an indication of demand and if there are enough skilled members booked on or on the waiting list we can look to split the session across two locations.
January wood fuel sessions will go live to skilled members on Tuesday 15st November at 6pm and to all members on Thursday 1st December at 6pm.
David Gravett - Membership Coordinator
Session Availability
You will have seen the update email detailing actions we are taking to address the availability of session. Since the email we have published the remainder of the season dates along with the dates when the sessions go live for booking. You will find the link on the session booking page - 2022 / 2023 wood fuel dates
We have also implemented reduced "skills" places on those sessions yet to be released and have increased the session numbers at Donisthorpe Woodland Park.
Your continued support by booking onto the waiting list is appreciated.
One point we have received as feedback is from members who don’t necessarily attend sessions for logs. This may be partners or individuals, but one of our proud claims as a group is that we cater for every members needs, so if you join the sessions for well-being, fresh air, exercise or whatever you are very welcome. The suggestion that attending sessions and not taking logs deprives other members of the place is unfounded.
Kevin Banton - Heartwood Chair
Heartwood HQ
This month we welcomed 25 ladies from the Ashby WI as visitors to Heartwood HQ, they made a contribution to attend and were provided with all the parts to make themselves a reindeer to take home.
We have decided to put the retorts to sleep for the winter but there are lots of other things to keep everyone occupied. We are continuing to move the charcoal wood from Foxley Wood so that next year we have lots ready to make charcoal.
On Saturday 29th, the group were also making stars and wreaths from birch tree wood. Thankyou Alex and Kev for the star and wreath idea, we feel these also will be very popular.
If you would like to be part of making these (even for yourself) book on a session. We will be there this month on:
- Friday 11th November 9.30am
- Saturday 26th November 9.30am
Remember we always have the fire going with the kettle on and for a small donation, bacon and sausage will be cooking on the hearth. (Dietary requirements accommodated if known.)
Chris Adams - Heartwood HQ Chair
Training
First Aid course dates for 2023
- Thursday 10th August
- Saturday 2nd September
Each session which is run by Heartwood has to be supported by a team of First Aiders. Without these we can not even use hand tools, never mind chainsaws, the ATV or clearing saw. It may look like we have a lot of first raiders already, however with increased sessions and attendees we have to increase that number. Some people who we have trained in the past are no longer members and they need replacing. The course is funded by Heartwood and usually runs from 9am until 4ish.
Email
Robin Barber - Training Coordinator
Stirling University project
We have been asked to take part in a project looking at the benefits of first thinning in young woodlands. There are 6 local woodlands that we have offered to carry out very limited thinning in controlled areas that will be monitored over the next two years. Each woodland will have three designated 10 metre radius circles - one will be thinned and all timber/brash removed, one will be thinned and all timber/brash left in situ and the final area left untouched. There isn't a great deal of work for us to do, but we’ll need a few willing volunteers to help with the potential that there may be a little firewood (depending on site and access). We will put the dates on the system once agreed with a few places for helpers to book onto. We’ll let you know when these dates are available.
Kevin Banton - Heartwood Chair
Nether Hall Wood Coppice Work
I've been thrilled with the response to the coppice sessions at Nether Hall Wood. So far there have been three sessions from which we have completed around 40 stools. Some very useful material has been taken away for bean poles and hazel hurdles, plus we’ve cleared away the remainder as firewood. I’ve been collecting poles for our Christmas craft sessions at HQ and have managed to source enough to make lots of Reindeer legs - including the 30 Reindeer we have made with the Ashby Spa WI.
We did have one session on Sunday, but I’m afraid we don’t have the resource to continue these. The Tuesday sessions are all in the booking system.
There will also be a number of these sessions converted to mini-wood fuel sessions once the coppice work for this session is complete. There are around 30 Ash trees to remove from ride-side that are either dead or have die-back very badly. These will be very small sessions with very small amounts of wood available.
Kevin Banton - Heartwood Chair
Pick Triangle & Community Woods Project
There are a couple of initiatives just getting going with the National Forest team. Pick Triangle is a woodland in Albert Village owned by the National Forest. We are working with Zoe to encourage a "friends of" group to start caring for the woodland. This will be kicked-off on the 6th November when we will lead a "taster day", in effect a short Woodfuel Session for any locals interested in getting involved. We only need a small team to manage the session.
The National Forest Company has been successful in a bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a Community Woodlands project, starting in November and will initially run until August 2024.The project will see the creation of 10 new community woodlands in the National Forest, and we are particularly interested in working with communities in more urban and peri-urban areas that can be disproportionally affected by limited access to woodlands and green space. The project aims to ensure that new woodlands created in the National Forest are accessible to everyone and will:
- establish ten new community groups to manage and care for the new woodlands.
- work in partnership with the Rural Community Council, to engage with local communities that don’t currently have access to woodlands close to where people live. New woodlands will be jointly designed with communities to meet the needs of local residents, which could include providing space for people to meet, community events, outdoor classrooms, volunteering and wellbeing activities.
- provide training on woodland management techniques and to help establish new community volunteer groups (which can then join the National Forest Community Woods Network!).
- develop a bespoke leadership programme will be developed to ensure groups have the skills and capability to provide quality provision for all abilities, and to support them to be sustainable beyond the lifetime of this project.
If you would like more information, please contact Kevin or Hollie Davison
Kevin Banton - Heartwood Chair
Durham Woodland Revival
At Timber 2021 we met with a representative of a project taking place in and around County Durham. We have a great deal in common with some of the projects associated with this initiative and were thrilled to welcome three of the management team to Heartwood HQ in October. Discussing woodland projects over a bacon sandwich and a cuppa we talked about our background, how we work with landowners, how we engage with our members and how we raise funds through sales and grant work. It’s an ongoing project, so take a look at their website - Woodland Revival Project
Kevin Banton - Heartwood Chair