Annual Meeting 2009

 

Theme

New Futures for Farm Woodlands.

Dates

The meeting took place on Monday 22 June and Tuesday 23 June 2009.

Location

The first day of our annual meeting was based at the new woodfuel-heated National Forest Youth Hostel in Derbyshire, England. 
Find out more about the National Forest Youth Hostel.

Programme

Programme for Monday 22 June

  • Practical experience of delivering new woodland opportunities. Clive Keble - National Forest Company
  • Potential for ammonia abatement using agroforestry. Christine Braban - Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh
  • Farm woodlands and the potential for woodfuel. Ian Tubby - Co-director of the Biomass Energy Centre, Alice Holt
  • The effects of woodfuel extraction on biodiversity. Keith Kirby - Natural England
  • Multi-functional benefits of silvo-pastoral agroforestry in Central Queensland, Australia. Michael Stephens - National Association of Forest Industries, Australia
  • Engaging farm woodland owners in the wood-chain - an innovative approach. Gabriel Hemery - Sylva Foundation, Oxfordshire
  • Management of oak agroforestry systems for timber, livestock and seed production. Rodrigo Olave and Jim McAdam - Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Loughall, Northern Ireland
  • Social barriers to and opportunities for the development of woodfuel production from farm woodlands: a review and preliminary research results.Norman Dandy, A. Lawrence and Jo Secker-Walker - Forest Research, Alice Holt
  • How do farm woodlands contribute to Regional Woodland Strategies? Gerry Lawson - Chairman of Farm Woodland Forum; Tom Dutson - National School of Forestry, University of Cumbria
  • Workshop on research needs related to farm woodlands. Gill Petrokofsky - Oxford University

Field programme in the National Forest for Tuesday 23 June

  • Sourcing, harvesting and supplying woodfuel for the hostel.
  • Visit to two family-run businesses with 30-60 hectares of woodlands in the National Forest which are diversifying from mixed farming to landscape/woodland-based leisure and recreation.
  • Lunch
  • Reviewing the management of a 25 or 50 ha woodland holding with a farmer and the design agent.
  • Staunton Harold: a 140 ha Forestry Commission/National Forest Company site with extensive parkland and a 27 ha walnut woodland.

Find out more about the National Forest