Annual Report 2017/18

Transcription

1 Annual Report 2017/18 A registered charity founded in April 1989 by the Chiltern Society and partners. We are based in the Chilterns Conservation Board s offices in Chinnor. We work across the Chilterns Natural Area, which includes all of the Chilterns AONB and the towns. For more information please see our webpages at News of the Woods No 54 Summer 2018 The Chilterns AONB covers 324 square miles of countryside. It is one of 38 AONBs in England and Wales, which belong to the same family as National Parks. The Chilterns AONB is heavily wooded with over 21% woodland cover, 60% of these woods are ancient. Ash dieback, Chalara, is now found in the Chilterns, it is most noticeable on saplings. This fungal disease is likely to kill millions of ash across the AONB, with roadside and hedgerow trees harder to replace. IN THIS ISSUE Bluebells in the Chiltern Society s Bottom Wood at Radnage, Buckinghamshire an ancient woodland the Project has helped look after since Chairman s remarks....2 Our aims....3 Summary of work....3 Examples of work....4 Case study Events....6 Annual Report & Finances 7 Services...8 Registered charity No Company limited by guarantee registered in England no

2 Annual Report In the past year John gave advice and assistance to 61 woodland owners spread across the Chilterns. 39 of these were ancient woodlands or plantations on ancient woodland sites, three were wooded commons, three had TPO s and five were SSSIs. He helped obtain felling licences for 21 owners from the Forestry Commission and helped find contractors to carry out a range of practical work, including harvesting timber and firewood and replanting. Further applications for felling permission and other work continues to be organised. In total the area of trees and woodland visited in the past year to offer advice and assistance was over 556 ha or 1374 acres, so the average size of woodland was 9.1ha, however just 3 ownerships were over 30ha. During the year we agreed a contract to help the Royal Forestry Society with the management of 74ha of Hockeridge and Pancake Woods near Berkhamsted. We have organised regular volunteer workparties with the Chiltern Society (7 sessions on Friday mornings averaging about 15 volunteers per session) and a series of 12 chainsaw training courses in partnership with Vale Training. We also help Chiltern District Council manage 16 ha of Angling Spring Wood with assistance from Prestwood Nature volunteers. Other work included six woodland training events, including woodland archaeology, ancient woodland flora, formative pruning and tree identification (two sessions for Chiltern Society members in Bottom Wood) with over 78 participants, and gave 5 talks to groups and societies and one guided walk. John also led a training visit in September for 33 staff of Woodland Trust to see and discuss woodland archaeology and PAWS restoration in Pigotts Wood. John organised the Chilterns Woodland Conference in partnership with the Chiltern Society in October, with 60 participants and included speakers from the Forestry Commission and RSPB. The afternoon session included a site visit to nearby Whiteleaf and Brush Hill to consider tree health and species choice. CHAIRMAN S REMARKS ANDREW INGRAM During the last year we continued our efforts to raise more income from fees for our woodland management services, from training sessions and events, and from other sources. We must thank the Chiltern Society for their successful woodland appeal, and to others for their grants and donations, which means that we managed to end the year with a small surplus to carry forward. We are grateful to all our partners for their continuing support, including Wycombe and Chiltern District Councils, Three Rivers, the Chiltern Society and Chilterns Conservation Board. We work with closely with the Chilterns Conservation Board on tree and woodland related matters in the AONB, in return for a space in their offices in Chinnor. These are uncertain times. Sadly the health of trees across the Chilterns continues to deteriorate. All ages of ash are now starting to suffer from fungal Dieback, (Chalara). Some mature oaks are affected by Acute Oak Decline, some pines, Horse chestnuts and elms also have disease problems. Browsing of natural regeneration or planted trees by increasing numbers of deer can be expensive to control, and the cumulative impact of bark stripping year after year on younger trees by grey squirrels on beech, oak, birch and others means it is difficult to establish the next generation of trees. These tree health problems and a changing climate mean it is becoming increasingly difficult to know what trees to plant. It is a real concern that we may be the last generation to walk through a fine stand of hardwoods. However, it may be that the trees outside woodlands, such as the many mature ash in hedges and along the lanes, that are at greatest risk of being lost. Should we now consider introducing other species of trees be they broadleaves or conifers? 2

3 Our aim is to achieve a cherished and thriving woodland resource across the Chilterns and surrounding areas. We promote effective and sympathetic woodland management, so protecting the landscape, conserving nature and promoting a sustainable woodland economy, which is also of value for recreation and tourism. Work is across five linked themes: A. Landscape: to protect and enhance the wooded landscape of the Chilterns. B. Biodiversity: to maintain and enhance nature in the Chilterns. C. Economy: to promote a sustainable woodland economy in the Chilterns; including the use of timber and wood fuel. D. Historic Environment : to raise awareness and interest in the history and archaeology of woods across the Chilterns E. Community: to increase awareness, understanding, and enjoyment of Chiltern woodland. The Chiltern Woodlands Project offers an advisory service to help bring woods into management, working in partnership with others including contractors and volunteer groups. The main areas of work in the last year included: Thinning beech for firewood Glis glis - an invasive pest Woodland advisory & consultancy work in 2017/18 District Number of Area (ha) owners visited Chiltern Wycombe South Bucks 1 9 South Oxon Three Rivers Dacorum 4 31 Aylesbury Vale 3 16 Central Beds Other Total year old ash in Bottom Wood 61 owners were visited to offer advice and assistance on the management of their trees and woods. The area covered was at least 544 ha, (1370 acres). The average size of woodland visited last year was about 8.9 ha (22 acres), many were smaller than this. Wild cherry blossom 3

4 Some examples in pictures of work organised by the Chiltern Woodlands Project Organised six Chiltern Society volunteer work parties on Friday mornings in the Royal Forestry Society s Hockeridge Wood between Berkhamsted & Chesham Chiltern Rangers about to clear evergreen laurel in Walkwood Volunteers cleared young birch around specimen trees Collecting birch firewood in Cockshoot Wood, Hughenden Prestwood Nature volunteers in Angling Spring Wood Thinning deteriorating ash in Mousells Wood for firewood Winter damage to a wild cherry at Chesham Bois Common 4

5 Case Study Felling conifers to restore ancient woodland at Monkton Wood We obtained felling licences from the Forestry Commission for three new owners to fell 4 small areas of mature conifer plantations. These three ownerships total 5.3 ha (13 acres). Mackrory s of Nettlebed Sawmills felled larch, western hemlock and Norway spruce, plus poorer beech and other broadleaves for firewood from other areas of this fascinating ancient wood. Larger gaps were then replanted with broadleaves. Loading conifer sawlogs on to lorry 5

6 Organised a programme of road side safety tree works, identified in a report by Tilhill for RFS in Hockeridge & Pancake Woods, in the summer Harvester cutting larch in a small ancient wood near Latimer Events in 2017/18 We ran two fully booked tree identification workshops, one autumn and one in winter (for the Chiltern Society), held at Radnage Village Hall with site visits to Bottom Wood. We held another well attended woodland archaeology workshop at Pigotts Wood in March. We also ran two workshops looking at ancient woodland flora and PAWS restoration. 6 Bottom Wood Tree ID course We are on Formative pruning of broadleaves workshop VALE TRAINING GROUP, based near Aylesbury, carried out a number of chainsaw courses over the autumn and winter months in RFS Hockeridge and Pancake Woods, with the trees selected and marked by John Morris.

7 Board of Directors / Trustees Andrew Ingram Adrian Lepper David Harris Derek Ford Cherry Aston Richard Pushman Bob Cartwright Heather Barrett-Mold John Gladwin - Chairman - Company Secretary - Chiltern Society (Vice Chairman) - Finance - For Buckinghamshire County Council - Chiltern Society - Chilterns Conservation Board - Chiltern District Council The AGM to approve the accounts and elect the Board for the coming year will be held in Chinnor in the autumn. Snow damage to Holm oaks in December, blocking path in Hockeridge Wood Financial Summary Income This year 2017 /18 Last year 2016/17 Total Income 65,658 55,045 Expenditure Total Expenditure 57,270 57,305 Chiltern Society RFS volunteers coffee break! Surplus / Deficit 8,388-2,260 Note both years figures show an in kind contribution from CCB for office of 5,500 in both income and expenditure. These accounts will be available from the office, 0n request. A funding raising appeal by the Chiltern Society and generous donations helped improve our financial position giving us a surplus to carry forward. Staff John Morris, Director Found sites and selected and marked trees for Vale Training Group to hold chainsaw courses We are most grateful for the continuing support of the Chilterns Conservation Board, who provide the project with office accommodation in Chinnor. Our thanks to officers from key partners including the Forestry Commission, Chilterns Conservation Board, Bucks County Council and Chiltern District Council who are members of the steering group and attend the Board meetings to offer advice and support. 7

8 CHILTERN WOODLANDS Snow in March in wood near Princes Risborough PROJECT SERVICES Woodland Management advice (free first visit) Woodland Management plans Tree and Woodland Surveys Woodland ecological and historical assessments Woodland Grant applications Felling licence applications to the Forestry Commission Identifying and marking trees for felling Finding and supervising contractors Tree Health and Condition Surveys Training, Events, Conferences, Talks & Guided walks In October 2017 we organised the Chiltern Woodlands Conference in partnership with the Chiltern Society, who helped with all the administration and bookings. It was held at Lacey Green village hall and included afternoon site visit to Whiteleaf and Brush Hill nearby which the Chiltern Society now manage. One of the talks at the 2017 woodland conference All photos copyright John Morris A full village hall for the Chiltern Woodland Conference in 2017 Contact John Morris BSc CBiol MRSB, Director Chiltern Woodlands Project The Lodge 90 Station Road Chinnor, Oxon OX39 4HA Phone woodlands@chilternsaonb.org Registered charity No Company limited by guarantee registered in England no