Annual Report 2012 1

LLANGATTOCK COMMUNITY WOODLAND GROUP

ANNUAL REPORT

OCTOBER 2011 - SEPTEMBER 2012

Llangattock Community Woodland Group (LCWG) has continued to move forward during 2011/12. Although our application for funding through Environment Wales to employ a Woodland Manager was not successful, we were able to secure funds from the Brecon Beacons Trust and the National Park SDF to employ someone on a contractor basis to pilot the role and prove its scope and viability. Subsequently Huw Lloyd was appointed to this role and took up post in June 2012. He has more than proved his worth not only in enabling the group to become more effective, but also giving us the confidence to apply again to Environment Wales for a post that combines management of woodlands and the management of our volunteers. As this report will identify, Huw’s appointment has clearly helped us meet key objectives of LCWG including:

• realising the potential for financial sustainability by 2014

• building on the volunteer base encouraging diversity and access to our activities

• developing local sources of high-quality, sustainable wood fuel and wood products

• improving the environment throughout our managed woodlands

September 2011 to May 2012

In the first part of the year prior to Huw taking up his position, LCWG continued to undertake work within the parameters set in previous years. Our partnerships with woodland owners continued to flourish and we are now an established part of the community, with strong links with various other groups and organisations including Canals and Rivers Trust, Blaen Brân Community Woodland , Knighton Tree Allotment Trust, Llangattock Area

Community Allotment Society, 1st Crickhowell and Llangattock Scouts, Brecon Beacons National Park Authority and Tidy Towns Wales. Our partnerships with Llangattock Green Valleys and The Green Valleys continues to develop and the support of these two business-focused community interest

About LCWG

“It’s been a really good way to meet new people having moved to Llangattock recently.”

Volunteer

About LCWG

“I’ve worked in the countryside all my life and doing this as a volunteer means I can keep in touch with the environment and meet great people too”

Volunteer

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companies convinced LCWG that applying for the alternative funding would be worthwhile. During the first part of the year we gained much from the guidance of Gareth Ellis, Biodiversity Officer for the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority. His knowledge, vision and commitment to our group has been particularly valuable. His move to The Green Valleys on secondment further reinforces the commitment to community woodland groups including taking our experiences across to new groups. As well as maintaining activity over specific Saturdays and Sundays, a weekday group became properly established meeting once a month for a morning session. This group focused their attention on clearing the large amount of laurel in the canalside woods. The group was supported in this by Kevin Phillips and other members of the Canals and Rivers Trust team (formerly British Waterways) Saturday and Sunday activity focused on the private woodlands at Dan-y-Graig, at Tyle Barn and at Ty Mawr. Their owners, Helen Marks and Mitchell Field, Susan Gray and David Evans respectively have continued to show the group their trust and generosity in allowing our volunteers to exercise woodland management on their properties.

May 2012 to September 2012

As soon as Huw was in post, it was clear that LCWG was moving up several gears in its activity and the impact on the various woodlands and the supply of wood fuel. He significantly added to the administrative capacity enabling volunteers to be well- briefed in advance of each programmed session. Having a dedicated leader meant that the Tuesday daytime group could meet on a weekly basis for a full day—but with flexibility for those volunteers unable to commit this amount of time. This has resulted in a more cohesive volunteer

group that quickly rises to the new challenges that have come along. Huw’s local knowledge and networking skills quickly secured further physical resources for the group to carry out its work more effectively. For example, the Canals and Rivers Trust were persuaded to make a canal barge available for moving timber for processing into wood fuel from the canalside to where the wood processor could be set up at the Limekilns. Huw was soon in touch with the more established Blaen Brân Community Woodland Group who work 200 acres of larch woodland to the north of Cwmbrân. As a result, our firewood processor was loaned to Blaen Bran in exchange for a large log splitter and a small forwarder (used to transport felled logs to where they can be processed.) We are extremely grateful for this relationship with Blaen Brân which has significantly added to LCWG’s productivity.

About LCWG

“It’s great to get out once a week to work with LCWG volunteers who share so much with me. I love the countryside and would like to work full time in some kind of job which keeps me outside so this is helping me to build up skills and learn so much too”

Volunteer

About LCWG

“LCWG has given our group somewhere to go for woodland skills and it’s great to be able to work alongside volunteers”

Scouts leader

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Experience in woodland management has enabled Huw to prioritise the group’s activity to capitalise on what has already been achieved in previous years. For example, in Dan-y-Graig woods there was a significant number of lying trunks and branches from earlier felling sessions. Some of this had deteriorated but much needed to be salvaged if its wood fuel potential was to be realised. By giving the group a lead on removing and carefully stacking these rounds and lengths of timber, Huw has significantly added to the stock of useable wood fuel. His knowledge of the range of additional products that can be produced from using native hardwoods has encouraged at least two new volunteers to plan to produce turned items, greenwood products and items of furniture. Although LCWG had already made significant progress up to June 2012 towards meeting its goals, the pace and quality of outcome has been transformed by using the modest time-limited financial support that was secured to establish the contract post. Although it is hard to calculate fully the value of having someone employed to manage and coordinate its activities, LCWG would be unable to do its work at all without the dedicated hard work of volunteers both in the woods and in the various administrative and management roles. This is the place to acknowledge what an impact they have made not only in the woods but in the wider Llangattock community and definitely putting LCWG on the map. So thank you to everyone who has contributed over the last 12 months to make this the most successful year to date for Llangattock Community Woodland Group.

THE HIGHLIGHTS 2011 to 2012

The woodlands

Ty Mawr

Some charcoal has been produced here and some hazel coppicing begun for hurdle making , Remaining felled and hung up birch has been processed. Access to this site is physically challenging and the wet summer has made it difficult to maintain all the planned activities. Taken about 10³ metres of wood fuel from Ty Mawr this autumn.

Dan-y-Graig

There has been a lot of activity here mainly extracting timber felled last year and bringing it to the Lime Kilns for processing. An area in the barn has now been cleared which will mean that firewood processing on site can continue even during wet workdays. Vincent Wildlife Trust have negotiated to have bat boxes installed and to undertake further bat surveys. Massive haul of about 15³ metres of wood fuel from Dan y Graig

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Canalside

In the early part of the year much of the mature laurel was felled and the branch wood burned on site. The remaining larger material has been extracted manually and was transported by boat back to the Lime Kilns for processing. Some felled ash left near the towpath by felling contractors has been cut into rounds and transported to the Lime Kilns for splitting both manually and by used the Wallenstein splitter borrowed from Blaen Brân Community woodland.

Tyle Barn

This very steep site presented new challenges when it came to extracting timber felled last year. The safest way to undertake this involved hauling it uphill by tractor, cutting and stacking lengths in a corner of the field above the property. Thanks are due to George Smith, Llwmws Farm, for the loan of the tractor and the use of the field and to David Higginson from Blaen Brân Community Woodland for the use of extractions chains, ropes and pulleys and for generally overseeing the operation. The stacked timber has been subsequently removed to the Lime Kilns for processing, about 10³ metres for processing. LCWG now has an agreement to deliver a plan to manage the woodland on behalf of the owner, Dr Susan Gray.

All wood fuel from Tyle Barn was Ash so an invaluable source for our customers and volunteers.

Volunteers

Nearly 800 volunteer hours have been undertaken this year. The group has attracted 11 new volunteers since May 2012. Twenty six volunteers have contributed at least 1 day during the course of this year so far. We have provided some experience for two local Duke of Edinburgh Award participants and some volunteering on prescription for two people including one with his carer.

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Productivity

Despite the very wet conditions approximately 35m3 of wood has been processed using the firewood processor ("The Hawk") or the borrowed Wallenstein log splitter. About 28 loads (approx 28m3) of wood fuel has been distributed since June 2012. Of this 10½ loads were the agreed honorarium to volunteers who had undertaken 20 hours activity.

Physical resources

The Lime Kilns area has been cleared of debris and provides a very useful area for wood fuel processing, especially when the LCWG gazebo is used to provide shelter against the rain. The LCWG Woodstore (now appropriately signed as such) has been improved and its capacity enlarged whilst maintaining the same footprint. A significant quantity of processed wood can be dried out in this store.

The Canal and River Trust (formerly British Waterways) have made a motorless barge available to LCWG for transporting material from the canalside to the Lime Kilns area. There is some discussion about providing an engine and a grab to make such operations more efficient.

The developing relationship with Blaen Brân Community Woodland woodland has resulted in LCWG being able to use various pieces of equipment in exchange for their using the Hawk. As well as being able to use their Wallenstein splitter which is capable of dealing with large rounds, LCWG has benefitted significantly from the use of a small forwarder that can be used with a small tractor or all terrain vehicle.

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David Higginson of Blaen Brân Community Woodland has carried out some useful modifications to the Hawk which makes it much more stable when being towed.

Working with others

Together with the reciprocal arrangements with Blaen Brân Community Woodland, the Hawk has been hired out to others for 17 days. LCWG is in discussion with Canal and River Trust and the canal’s Commercial Operators’ Group to improve the canalside facilities. This would involve choosing some canalside lengths where tree felling would improve the views of the Black Mountains and producing woodland and wildlife activity materials for families to use along the towpath.

Public Relations

Jackie Charlton and Huw Lloyd attended the Royal Welsh Show as guests of Llais y Goedwig, the voluntary association of woodland community groups in Wales, for whom LCWG undertook a case study last year. There was a photographic competition on the stand and LCWG’s pony logging photograph was chosen as the winner.

There have been several news articles about LCWG written by Dianne Spencer (volunteer) and three published in the Brecon & Radnor Express and in the Abergavenny Chronicle.

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The third annual Woodland Family Fun Day was held in August with the wet weather having a dampening effect on attendance. Although it was dry during the activities themselves, it was a very wet day, a theme which ran throughout our summer activities. However those who did attend enjoyed the sausage sizzle and making bug hotels and bird feeders and gathering bits for the egg box treasure trove provided by Tidy Town Wales.

We have collaborated with Tidy Towns Wales on Litter Picks and worked with The Green Valleys organising a walk for Bio-diversity Week in May. Very successful litter pick in Ty Mawr Woodland with the story published in the B & R together with our Family Fun Event above.

Again LCWG had a presence at the Llangattock Community Allotment Society Summer Show and raised £30 in our annual raffle for one load of our firewood. The demonstration of the Hawk was well received and the Bug Hotel competition was a great success so much so it will be part of the programme next year too.

A film crew from BBC 1 CountryFile, together with presenter John Craven attended a special canalside workday in September 2012. The edited film was broadcast at the end of September and featured children from Llangattock C in W Primary School undertaking wildlife activity in the canalside woodland; an interview of Michael Butterfield, CEO of Llangattock Green Valleys; LCWG volunteers transporting wood by barge for processing.

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SUMMARY

The past 12 months has witnessed a step change in the level and quality of the work that LCWG has been able to undertake. Our previous annual report indicated that the progress up to this point would be unsustainable without the input of a part-time employee. What it was not able to predict but has been demonstrated in practice is that having an experienced coordinator/manager would significantly add to the productivity and sense of well-being of the volunteer group. We have grown, particularly since June 2012 in all manner of ways, in wood fuel output; in an increased pool of volunteers; in contact and collaboration with other woodland groups; in the use of a wider range of forestry equipment. LCWG volunteers have developed a significant spirit of cohesiveness and purpose and that has directly contributed to this being our best year yet. Jackie Charlton (Chair)