ProSilva Ireland

Pro Silva Ireland Sat April 27, 2013 Open Forest Day: AFI site at a Coillte property in Rahin, Co. Kildare

prosilvaireland — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:24:30 +0000

ProSilva Ireland is excited to announce its April open forest day. It takes place on an AFI* site at a Coillte property in Rahin, Co. Kildare on Sat April 27 2013

Venue: Rahin Wood is located off the R401 between Edenderry & Kinnegad (@ 53.391416,-7.07262). Part of the wood backs onto the River Boyne which forms the border with Co. Meath and is also very close to Co. Offaly.

The site includes an Oak/Beech mixed woodland planted in 1935 and a Norway Spruce woodland planted in 1991 with some natural regeneration of Ash throughout.

Day begins: 11 am – 4.30 pm

Please bring your own packed lunch, wet weather clothing and boots.

A €20 donation is appreciated to cover the cost of the visiting Pro Silva Europe foresters.

* The AFI (Association Futaie Irrégulière) is an association registered by French law, setup in 1991 by a group of private forestry consultants in order to promote the management of irregular stands. It aims to share technical information and is founded on the principles advanced by ProSilva of Close-to-Nature – continuous cover forestry management. Although these two associations share many common objectives they both operate within their own separate spheres.
Our forest leaders for the day:

Dr Sophie Bertin, guest forest expert for ProSIlva Ireland April Open Forest Day, founder of ‘Ekolog’ in France

One of our foreign experts on the day will be Sophie Bertin from France, the founder and managing director of Ekolog, a company which provides consulting, research and training to corporations and organisations on how their business practices are impacting and are dependent upon ecosystems, and how they can incorporate these concerns into a responsible investment strategy and sustainable ecosystem management practices.
website www.ekolog.fr/english/

___________________________________________

Phil Morgan, President of ProSilva Europe and Great Britain

Phil Morgan, President of ProSilva Europe and past Chair of ProSilva Great Britain (www.ccfg.org), will be our other forest expert leading our Kildare Open forest day with Sophie Bertin. Phil is a regular visitor, consultant and advisor to the Irish forest sector and he translated the AFI recommended handbook below. He also wrote the 2006 ProSilva Ireland booklet What makes Close to Nature Forest Management an attractive choice for Irish farmers? which can be downloaded from this site

Phil Morgan has pursued a varied career in forestry that first took him to France where he worked in state and community woodlands before reading for a degree in forestry at Aberdeen University. He worked as a forest surveyor in the tropical rainforests of Brunei, then as a forest manager for Tilhill Forestry in the Scottish Borders that led him to become the Shotton Paper Company Area Forest Manager in Wales.
He now combines consultancy work and the management of woodlands in Wales through his own company Sustainable Forest Management and through a trading co-operative called SelectFor. He is a specialist in continuous cover forest management and close to nature forestry. He has a wide client base including the Forestry Commission in Wales, large plcs, estates, private forestry investors, farmers, community groups and individuals. He is based in Wales but his work has taken him to all parts of the UK, the Republic of Ireland, France and the USA. He is actively expanding the Association Futaie Irrégulière (AFI) network outside of France particularly in Ireland and in Britain.

As a founding member of the Continuous Cover Forestry Group he has represented the group and travelled to many countries across Europe. He attended the inauguration of ProSilva Ireland at Spanish Point in 2001 and has accompanied PSI on many occasions. He has also assisted in establishing ProSilva Norway in 2008.

He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) and a member of the Association of Consulting Foresters (ACF) of America. He is a past chairman of the Continuous Cover Forestry Group (CCFG) 2007 – 2012 and international vice-chairman of the Association Futaie Irrégulière (AFI).

__________________________________

Just a reminder: the AFI published a full-illustrated paperback hand-book packed with all aspects of irregular forest management last year, with information very applicable to Ireland. Highly recommended.

More info here

Updated details: ProSilva Ireland members forest study tour Czech Republic May 9-12, 2013

prosilvaireland — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:23:35 +0000

Learn about LOW IMPACT SILVICULTURE IN SOUTH MORAVIA REGION

Updated: Mon 25 March 2013 with itinerary and costs; itinerary can be downloaded

ProSilva Ireland is delighted to announce the programme of the 2013 ProSilva Ireland Members Study trip to Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic, located in the heart of Europe, has an area of 78,864 km2, distributed throughout the regions of Bohemia and Moravia. The landscape is dominated by densely forested hills, interspersed with mountain ranges.

The programme will be centered in the South Moravian region and we will stay in Brno.

The main highlights will include:

viewing the conversion of former conifer monocultures by selective harvesting , conversion of former conifer monocultures to the shelterwood system using spruce, silver-fir and beech.

we will also study Beech and Oak dominated forest management, un- managed natural forests and Close-to-Nature forest management that has higher conservation status.

Timetable and provisional costs: (the full itinerary can be downloaded here (Xcel document)

Aer Lingus flight Dublin – Vienna Thur May 9th depart 07.30am, arrive 11.15am
Members are to pay for their own flights, coach costs, accommodation and meals as listed below.
Aer Lingus flights appear to be in the region of €200. There are no Ryanair flights available.
Will be met at airport by mini coach in which we will travel for the few days, this will return us also to the airport on the Sunday morning (approx coach cost 50 EUR per person)
On Thursday, the day of our arrival, we travel to Brno in the Czech republic (approx 155 km) with a visit to a forest on the way
All day Friday and Saturday will be spent in the forests
On Sunday we will return to Vienna for flight departure at 11.55, arriving into Dublin at 13.45pm.
Breakfasts will be included in the accommodation price, more details to follow
Lunches will be organised as simple meals in the field approx 8 EUR per person
Dinners in the evenings will cost maybe 15 – 20 EUR per person.

Study tour details:

All members are welcome to attend.

ProSilva Ireland and ProSilva Czech Republic will be organising the bus transport and accommodation

Places are limited. To secure a place please send a €50 booking deposit to the membership secretary to 36 Fitzwilliam Square as soon as possible.

Wish to come but not a member yet? – Please see our ‘Join’ page for details here

ProSilva Ireland wishes to thank ProSilva Czech Republic and member Tomas Vskra for arranging and hosting this study tour. Also thanks to ProSilva Ireland committee member Donal O’Hare for liaising and co-ordinating this valuable international study trip for our members.

______________________

There is growing interest in permanent forest management in Ireland so please feel welcome to forward this event to others

Members invited to take part in research survey on deer sightings in Ireland

prosilvaireland — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:21:03 +0000

Dr Fidelma Butler and Dr Ruth Carden, University College Cork, are leading a research team who have been awarded a grant by the Dept. of Agriculture, Food & the Marine to examine the use of forests by deer in Ireland.

This three year project seeks to quantify deer populations, habitat and silvicultural elements that influence local deer population densities and behavioural patterns. Methods for genetic fingerprinting of faecal pellets will be developed at Waterford Institute of Technology and used to estimate deer densities. The findings of this work will inform national deer management strategy.

An important part of this project is the assessment of how people across the island of Ireland view the presence of wild deer in the landscape. To this end a survey of the public perception and awareness of deer is being conducted. Further information on this project can be found at: http://www.ucc.ie/en/forestecology/Research/FORDEER/

You can complete the survey in less than 5 minutes here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FORDEER

or download the paper form FORDEER survey and send the survey to:

Dr. Sandra Irwin, PLANFORBIO Programme Manager, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Enterprise Centre, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, IRELAND

www.ucc.ie/en/planforbio

www.ucc.ie/en/iufro2012

Ireland-wide Ash Dieback Alert

seanhoskins — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 21:42:32 +0000

The fight to contain ash dieback continues after discovery of the disease here late last year.

The Forest Service is coordinating the national response with various other government and industry groups, along with ash growers.

Chalara ash dieback disease is a relatively new, very serious disease of ash caused by the fungal pathogen Chalara fraxinea.
It has spread rapidly across much of Europe, with the majority of European countries where ash is present reporting dieback.
Trees infected with this disease must be felled, in order to comply with EU Plant Health legislation.

The Forest Service is calling for vigilance to stop the spread of ash dieback. Growers and the public are being asked to familiarise themselves with symptoms of the disease and to report its presence.

See below for useful links and further information:

Forest Service Health Site:

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/forestservice/foresthealthandseeds/

Forest Service Press Announcements:

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/websearch/?q=chalara&n=web&action=search&s=date

Forest Commission Site:

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/chalara

Forest Commission Questions and Answers Site:

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-8w9euv

One Week Until Pro Silva Ireland’s Monuments and Forestry Open Forest Day

seanhoskins — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:59:27 +0000

Only one week until Pro Silva Ireland’s Monuments and Forestry Open Forest Day.

The open day takes place next Saturday October 6 at Coillte’s Burren forest property, Co. Cavan, part of the Marble Arch Global Geopark.

While this forest visit has the theme of Monuments and Forestry, the usual Pro Silva forest principles will also be discussed.

The day’s objective will be to look at alternative options to clear-fell and explore the forest’s potential for aiding the preservation of the Burren’s valuable ancient structures.

The open day will begin with a series of lectures at the Marble Arch Caves and Global Geo Park Centre followed by a visit to the Burren property which will provide an opportunity to see the potential for forest cover to protect cultural features at the site.

Pro Silva Ireland October 2012 Open Forest Day: Forestry and Monuments, Another Approach.

Date: Saturday October 6, 2012

Venue: Marble Arch Caves and Global Geo Park Centre and The Burren, Co. Cavan.

Directions: See below for a site location map. The Marble Arch Centre is marked A and the Burren Forest is located nearby to the west.

For better detail and to get directions from your departing location to the Marble Arch Centre click on the View Larger Map button below.

To zoom in or out on the larger map use the control at the left hand side of the map.

To find directions from your departing location to Marble Arches click on the Get Directions button at the top left of the screen then type your departing address into the From box and type Marble Arches Global Geopark into the To box and click on the blue Get Directions button.

View Larger Map

Meet: 10am for tea and coffee at Marble Arch Caves and Global Geopark Centre

Lectures: Begin 10.30am and include:
- Marble Arch Caves and Global Geopark Manager Richard Watson: “Forests Growing Tourism As Well As Trees”.
- Chief Forest Service Archaeologist Emmet Byrne: “Megalithic Features Of The Burren”.
- Pro Silva Netherlands Secretary Martijn Boosten (Co-author of Cultural Heritage In Sustainable Forest Management): “Forestry And National Monuments – The Dutch Approach”.

Walking Lecture Tour:

- Depart Marble Arch at 12 noon and drive to The Burren, approximately 30 minutes away.
- 12.30pm First stop and lunch
- 4.30pm Finish.

There will be also be an option of visiting a nearby stone enclosure with local guides.

A €20 donation is appreciated to cover the cost of the visiting Pro Silva Europe foresters. Please bring your own packed lunch, wet weather clothing and boots. Detailed directions to follow.

Pro Silva Ireland October 2012 Open Forest Day: Forestry and Monuments, Another Approach.

seanhoskins — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 09:38:34 +0000

This October sees Pro Silva Ireland host an exciting open forest day at Coillte’s Burren forest property in Co. Cavan, part of the Marble Arch Global Geopark.

The Geopark is an UNESCO-designated site famed for its high concentration of archaeological and geological features.

The Open Forest Day takes place on Saturday October 6 and the objective will be discuss alternative options to clear-fell and explore the forest’s potential for aiding the preservation of the Burren’s valuable ancient structures.

The clear-fell system with a no-thin regime was the primary silvicultural system adopted in the majority of the Burren property to date.

Archaeological and cultural features were protected by careful felling within and around the features with a large un-planted buffer zone being retained around the feature after a clear-fell.

The open day will consist with a series of lectures at Marble Arch followed by a visit to the Burren property that will provide an opportunity to see the potential for forest cover to protect cultural features at the site.

While this forest visit has the theme of Monuments and Forestry, the usual Pro Silva forest principles will be discussed.

It will be a great opportunity for anyone wanting to learn about sound silvicultural methods that do not involve clear-fell.

Pro Silva Ireland October 2012 Open Forest Day: Forestry and Monuments, Another Approach.

Date: Saturday October 6, 2012

Venue: Marble Arch Caves and Global Geo Park Centre and The Burren, Co. Cavan.

Meet: 10am for tea and coffee at Marble Arch Caves and Global Geopark Centre

Lectures: Begin 10.30am and include:

- Marble Arch Caves and Global Geopark Manager Richard Watson: “Forests Growing Tourism As Well As Trees”.

- Chief Forest Service Archaeologist Emmet Byrne: “Megalithic Features Of The Burren”.

- Pro Silva Netherlands Secretary Martijn Boosten (Co-author of Cultural Heritage In Sustainable Forest Management): “Forestry And National Monuments- The Dutch Approach”.

Walking Lecture Tour:

- Depart Marble Arch at 12 noon and drive to The Burren, approximately 30 minutes away.

- 12.30pm First stop and lunch

- 4.30pm Finish.

There will be also be an option of visiting a nearby stone inclosure with local guides.

A €20 donation is appreciated to cover the cost of the visiting Pro Silva Europe foresters.
Please bring your own packed lunch, wet weather clothing and boots.
Detailed directions to follow.

Planting real forests, forever producing wood and adding beauty

prosilvaireland — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 09:18:41 +0000

ProSilva Ireland member and host to our last ProSilva Open Forest day in Leitrim, Mary Legge, reflects on all they have learned about forests over the years

It was both a great pleasure and rather intimidating to welcome the members of ProSilva Ireland to our woods on 28th April 2012. By no means are we trained foresters and though we may have a little more knowledge now than 25 years ago, that is all we have. Despite this, we are so proud of our trees.

About 25 years ago we read of the potential for tree growing in Co. Leitrim where we owned a cottage and two acres. We asked a neighbour to plough the ground and we bought 1000 trees in plugs from Brian Hussey’s Woodlands and put them into the ground. Easy. So we looked around for some more land. We bought 40 acres at Drumkirwan. This time became more serious as the grant scheme was involved.

The land was spread over two hills with a valley between. I walked over the land with the forest advisor and the rushes and grass were so high that they brushed my chin. He advised spruce, I asked about ash, he told us about interplanting with Noble Fir for Christmas trees. We put several thousand mixed broadleaves on both sides of the house, in effect the valley part of the land.

Again we bought S/S from Woodlands Nursery in Tuam. They cost 117 pounds per 1000. The land was mole ploughed and we set to….. For labour we press-ganged our chlldren and any other family members we could get, (my brother-in-law was a horticulturalist). I also contacted the Botanic Gardens where I knew the students were looking for week-end work.. and we were lucky enough to be introduced to local people amongst then Brendan who has been with us ever since. It was very late for planting, May, but all the trees except for the ash, were in plugs of soil, and as we toiled up and down the hill in beautiful weather, my niece said it reminded her of the film Jean de la Florette.

And then we returned a week later to find the hares resented our intrusion and had nipped the top four inches off every oak and beech tree. So that autumn we bought tree shelters and moretrees. I had to get a local saw mill to make stakes 1x1x48 inches—– well over 1500 of them. I forget how much the stakes cost, but the shelters were 1 pound each. This next planting was in the winter– better for the trees but bitterly cold twisting the wire ties of each shelter on to the stake with bare hands.. Then followed a few years of tending the trees. We beat up the S/S with 10% silver birch (now almost all suppressed), we stamped down the grass around each tree, we shaped and shaped the oak, we tried to protect the Noble Fir with home made black polythene rings attached to stakes, we cut back the brambles and sprayed them with Roundup and we shaped and shaped the ash and then would come a frost and we shaped again. The vision of a return from Christmas trees died early on as we realiised the customer likes his tree to be free of dead grass, beautifully shaped and clean- not muddy from being dragged over the ground to the trailer. The ash was more promising until we were told it was only good for firewood (though firewood is coming into its own now).

About seven or eight years ago I heard of ProSilva Ireland and became completely sure it was the way forward. We thinned first when the trees were 16 years old and again three years later and we are planning our third thinning at present. We are searching the ground hopefully for seedlings and to our delight we have found birch, spruce, sycamore and even a couple of oak. I always wanted ours to be a permanent forest and with a bit of continued luck it looks like we are getting there.

We shall have built a real forest which will be there forever producing wood and adding beauty to the countryside.

Mary Legge, ProSilva Ireland member

As always, comments welcome.

Cultural heritage in sustainable forest management, the Dutch perspective

prosilvaireland — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 08:00:28 +0000

Stichting Probos has just published an extensive guide on cultural heritage of forests in English, German and French. The goal of the guide is to transfer the enthusiasm and passion for the subject and the knowledge that has been developed over the last decade in the Netherlands, to forest managers and forest owners in other countries.

Nearly all forests in Europe are the outcome of the work of many
generations, each of which has left its traces which can still be found in the forest today. Examples may include: boundary banks and dykes, celtic fields, burial mounds, charcoal-burning platforms, saw pits, kilns, features associated with game management and forestry, ancient wood pastures, historic planted forests, stands of old
industrial or pre-industrial coppice, coppice with standards, pollards, shredded or other ‘working trees’ for the production of acorns, fodder, tar, resins and other products.

Across Europe these kind of valuable forest sites and historical artefacts are being damaged in routine forest management activities. This usually happens unintentionally due to a lack of attention for cultural heritage in forestry and a lack of experience in integrating cultural heritage in forest management. Forest managers and forest owners are in general not aware of all historical artefacts that can be found in their forests.

p
In the Netherlands, cultural heritage has received considerable attention from forest managers during recent years. Research is being conducted into the history of many different forest areas and the cultural heritage is subsequently being mapped out. Historical forest landscapes or individual historical elements are also being restored in many different places. Stichting Probos has been devoting a great deal of energy into highlighting this cultural heritage and transferring knowledge to forest managers and other people who are directly or indirectly involved with forest management in the Netherlands. It is now time to share this knowledge with other countries.

The main target group of the guide are forest managers and other people who are directly or indirectly involved in forest management, including researchers, policy makers, students, volunteers and such like. In order to make the guide as recognizable as possible for forest managers in various countries, examples from other European countries are presented. The guide is mainly about forests. It goes without saying however, that the information can certainly also prove relevant for research into thehistory of other natural areas and even the current agricultural landscape.

The guide has been produced with financial support from the Collaboration Fund of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), the Province of Gelderland (the Netherlands) and Stichting Probos.
Order information
Cultural heritage in sustainable forest management (Softcover, 88 pages, full color)
Patrick Jansen, Mark van Benthem, Casper de Groot, Martijn Boosten
ISBN 978-90-74277-228
mail@probos.nl / http://www.probos.nl
Price: € 12 including postage (within Europe)

Please contact Mark van Benthem for questions, photographs or a (free) copy for review:
Stichting Probos
P.O. Box 253
NL-6700 AG Wageningen
The Netherlands
t: +31(0)317 466560
e: mark.vanbenthem@probos.nl

About Stichting Probos

Probos is an independent non-profit institute for forestry, forest products and services, established in 1965. Probos strives for a sound balance between the different forest services and values and a sustainable financial basis for forest management. Probos’ main fields of expertise are: sustainable forest management (SFM), afforestation, cultural heritage in forests, biomass production and procurement, timber market intelligence, certification of SFM and Chain of Custody (CoC), Green Public Procurement and specialised ICT services (forest data). Through applied research, pilotprojects, information activities (seminars, field excursions, websites, publishing books and articles)

Probos enhances the know-how and awareness on these issues in the forestry and timber sector in the Netherlands and abroad.

Further details of ProSilva Ireland trip to SE England forests Sept 6-8, 2012

prosilvaireland — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 23:12:02 +0000

Details for the ProSilva Ireland to South East England

We are planning to go from a Thursday 6th returning on Saturday 8th September, 2012.

We suggest members to look at direct flights from Dublin to Southampton return costing €132 basic package today with FlyBE, leaving Dublin at 8.30am and a return flight from Southampton leaving at 15.05pm

There is a Travelodge available for about £40 a night which would be centrally located to the sites – ProSilva Ireland will book rooms but people attending need to let Paddy Purser, the membership secretary know, that they are attending. With the flight the provisional cost of the study tour is ~€250, not including food and bus travel.

Places are limited. To secure a place please send a €50 booking deposit to the membership secretary, Paddy Purser, to 36 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin, as soon as possible.

Wish to come but not a member yet? – Please see our ‘Join’ page for details here

ProSilva Ireland wishes to thank the UK ProSilva group, the Continuous Cover Forestry Group – CCFG for arranging and hosting this study tour.

ProSilva Ireland Study Tour Itinerary

Thursday: 9.30 arrive in Southampton

9.30 – 12.00: out of airport & travel to Melbury Estate

and then to Clifton Wood 5 miles away

Clifton to Travel Lodge at Podimore is 20 mins.

Friday: Travel to Rushmore Woods: 50 mins.

Rushmore

Travel to Cranborne: 20 mins

Cranborne

Travel back to Podimore 1 hr 10 mins.

Saturday:

Travel to Stourhead: 30 mins

Stourhead to Southampton Airport: 1 hr 20-30 mins.

________________________________

Learn about IRREGULAR SILVICULTURE IN THE LOWLANDS

Thursday 6th September to Sat 8th September 2012

The visits will illustrate the application of irregular silviculture on a range of site and forest types and consider stands in different stages of transformation on private estates in Dorset and Wiltshire. All the woodland enterprises have multiple objectives but profitability and timber production are key aims.

Locations & Main Points of Interest

CRANBORNE ESTATE, Cranborne, Dorset

Early stages of transformation in coniferous stands
More developed broadleaved stands (AFI Research Stand)
Introduction of irregular silviculture into semi-natural, broadleaved stands

RUSHMORE ESTATE, Tollard Royal, Wiltshire

Middle stages of transformation in Norway spruce and Douglas fir stands
Irregular silviculture in broadleaved, semi-natural stands
Biodiversity & Close-to-nature Continuous Cover Forestry on Ancient, Semi-natural stands and Plantations on Ancient Sites

STOURHEAD (WESTERN) ESTATE, Mere, Wiltshire

Developed, multi-specific coniferous stands (including AFI Research Stand)
Historic Landscapes & Close-to-nature Continuous Cover Forestry

ProSilva Ireland members forest study tour to South-West England, Sept. 2012

prosilvaireland — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:19:03 +0000