Trees and Sheep

This week the Grampian Regional Forestry Forum had an informative and interesting visit to the James Hutton Research Station at Glensaugh in Aberdeenshire.

During the visit the group visited the experimental agroforestry plots where areas of Scots pine, larch and sycamore were planted at varying planting densities of 100 trees per hectare (ha) and 400 trees per ha. Agroforestry systems on the open hill combine pasture grazing for sheep with the trees providing shelter for livestock. The trees also add to the landscape quality of the local countryside.It was interesting to see a new area of agroforestry planted with ash. A sturdy supporting post is required to prevent the stock knocking the tree over as they are a preferred rubbing post. In the past ash was cut and used as fodder for livestock.

You can visit these plots yourself via a self-guided trail, find out more on the James Hutton Institute website.

Wood cranesbill

Bracken control

Cutting bracken is hard work, even with a scythe ...

... and pigs do the job better!

Scots Pine at Mar Lodge

Scots Pine regeneration in Glen Quoich

Closer......

FEI stall at Fife Show

For the first time the Howe of Fife FEI cluster group had a stall at the Fife Show. This was very successful. There were activities for children such as making insect hotels from bits of bamboo cane, and making picture frames from sticks. One of our cluster members is an expert in green woodworking and he showed the children how to make pencils from sticks.

Howe of Fife FEI cluster group

FEI stands for Forest Education Initiative. The aim is to re-connect people with woodlands. There are cluster groups all over Scotland comprising of organisations, and individuals.
We are always looking for new people. If you go onto http://www.foresteducation.org/ you can find your nearest cluster.

If you live in East Fife and want to be involved in the Howe of Fife cluster or want to find out more you can contact the secretary jane.holmes@fife.gov.uk or the chair chris.childe@scottishnativewoods.org.uk

Ten years on the Tay

This was an excellent event on the Tay by Dunkeld yesterday, celebrating 10 years since beavers were first spotted on the lower Earn. Scottish Native Woods have been taking an interest in this issue as it focuses attention on the riparian environment, and we provided some support for the day in domating our display boards and other other interpretative material.

What is that?

It is a beaver tail.........

Listening intently.........

Hugh Chalmers (right) was the first to spot a beaver on the lower Earn in 2001, when he was one of 8 people in canoes to witness the sight. Now working for the Tweed Forum, he has also been associated with the Borders Forest Trust and Reforesting Scotland.  Well done Hugh.

Kayaks on the Tay

A number of those present had came down the Tay be canoe and kayak from Ballinluig.

Cooncillor Bob.......

Councillor Bob Ellis, second right, says a few words of thanks to all those involved.

Ten years on the Tay

argent & sable

The argent and sable is a grand name for this day flying moth. This one was hanging upside down on a blade of grass in the evening light. There are two varieties of this endangered moth, one relies on young birch leaves as a food source.

Dappled shade

Here are a few more photos from PAWS survey work on the west coast at the start of this week.

A woodland glade

Bracken coming up

Among the conifer trees

Moss and Ferns

Split oak.......

This big oak tree split right down the middle in the storms on Monday.

Red deer in the woods.....

VIDEO- If you go down to the woods today.......

This was an interesting find out in the woods this week. People had hung all sorts of cuddly toys, garden gnomes and trinkets from trees over a large area, often in very ingenious and interesting ways. "Prayer trees" are often found in parts of the Highlands.....this area was a variation of that. Each person is obviously trying to out-do the rest, or devise their own particluar interpretation. The overall effect is quite remarkable. I I had not been trying to do some surevy work, I could have stayed for hours.

This was interesting.....six little wrens hanging by threads from the branches, turning around in the wind.

Will blog some more tomorrow.

Salt burn

Large parts of Scotland got hit by fairly extreme spring time storms on Tuesday. On the west coast, the wind was laden with salt, and this has had a big impact on young vegetation

The fronds of this fern are blackened, withered and droopy

These hazel leaves look as if Autumn has arrived already, all yellows, browns and muted greens
Blackened & withered ash
This year's growth on the oak tree is still clearly green, however the leaves are all black and shrivelled.

PAWS surveying on Loch Arkaig

Here are some pics of a very wet day surveying plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) on Loch Arkaig, north of Spean Bridge.

VIDEO- Some commentary......

Could'nt resist referring to previous west coast experiences...!!

Among the conifers.......

And again.....

And again.....

And again.....

And again.......

Next door.....

PAWS plantations have been cleared on neighbouring ground. Broadleaves are left standing, but there are not very many of them, and this approach does not really retain woodland conditions. However, thinning these remote plantations is usually out of the question. A lot of broadleaves are being planted here, and hopefully much of the ancient woodland interest will survive, and there will be greater flexibility in the next generation woodland on this site.

Survivors.......

If the above stands were cleared quickly, the result would be like this. The priority should be to clear around the oak trees and stabilize them before clearing the wider area. In this situation thinning of the woodland is not really an option.

Arkaig pinewoods in the rain

You can see how heavy the rain was here. The white flash is a mountain burn in the distance.

Waterfall at the entrance to Glen Arkaig

Three hours later after a lot of rain

Video- Quite a noise!

Another waterfall

Through the branches.....

Closer.......

Wet.....

Two rowan seedlings.......

Hello!....some deer pictures

Through the windscreen

And again.......

Deers escaping....

More deers.....over the wall

springtime fiddles?

Here's a fern still emerging. This springtime growth is known as a fiddleneck, because it looks rather like the neck of a fiddle (the scotch for violin). Ferns are one of the unsung glories of the native woods of western Scotland

The Last Root Collection of the Season

This week, I undertook the last aspen root collection in the North East for this season. The aspen tree is growing on a crag at 450 metres above sea level. Despite the overcast day, there were lovely views across the valley.

The warm weather has meant many aspen are coming into leaf early.

The roots have been sent to Highland Aspen Group tree nursery in Kingussie to propagate new aspen trees for planting next winter. Some of these young trees may even be planted back on this site.