Slasher Magazine Summary: Publication No. 360 - April 1993
The scanned images of the Slasher were produced by and courtesy of the Forest Research library staff based at Alice Holt, Surry, where some of the original copies are located and assisted by staff at Forest Research, Roslin. Brian Mahony has been instrumental in locating many missing editions and continues the searches to locate all the earlier publication numbers.
The content summary below was very kindly compiled by Diane Birkett, Bedfordshire. See PDF attachment link below the text to view the full document. A total of over 420 issues or publications were produced between January 1948 and the final issue in 2009. To read the full edition please see the PDF link below this text.
Looking to the Future
The reaction of Forestry Commission staff to the Secretary of State for Scotland’s announcement in the House of Commons on 30th March.
You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby
Perthshire Conservancy office staff entered into the spirit of the “Guess the Baby” competition in aid of Comic Relief. Organiser Jane Campbell was delighted with the £30 raised for the charity.
Pictures: (1) The baby to name. (2) The grown up version (Syd House, Perth Conservator) on the back page of ‘Slasher’.
Best Wishes to Paul and Bronwen Vickers
Good wishes go to Paul and Bronwen Vickers, who were injured in the IRA bomb attack in Warrington town centre in March. Paul, an FOII in West Midlands Conservancy, was hit by shrapnel and Bronwen lost part of one leg. Bronwen’s courage was singled out for praise by the Prince of Wales on his visit to the hospital in the aftermath of the attack.
FC Land Rover, a Bosnian Lifeline
An ex-Forestry Commission Land Rover has become part of an invaluable lifeline to thousands of Bosnians surrounded by Serbian forces. The Land Rover 109, formerly used in North Scotland, was resprayed, serviced and kitted out as a paramedic unit and supply vehicle. It left Britain in February as part of a convoy of 50 vehicles supplied by the Bosnia Relief Fund. As well as carrying food and medical supplies, mainly under cover of darkness, it will be used as a field ambulance.
Forester's Dream?
A Feller Clambunk Skidder at work in Hafron Forest, Newtown Forest District, is leaving only stumps behind. The yellow metal arms hold up to 25 whole trees, which are taken to the roadside for processing, ensuring the site remains virtually brash free. The clear site is a big advantage for planting, and under some conditions it may even remove the need for ground preparation. In Newtown, they have found an extra benefit – a market for the roadside brash, used as wood chips by horticulturists and in equestrian arenas.
The Commission also has Feller Clambunk Skidders operating in East England and Llandovery Forest District.
Picture: Feller Clambunk Skidder.
National Strategy Vital, Say Committee Report
The House of Commons Environment Committee has produced its first report, entitled ‘Forestry and the Environment’, following its investigations which included taking evidence from senior Commission officials (see December ‘Slasher’). The report accepts the importance of a national forestry strategy in an international context. It also highlights the need for better co-ordination between the agencies involved in implementing forestry policy, and demands a clearer statement on the importance and purpose of trees for the UK.
New Advisory Panel
A new Advisory Panel is to be set up for the Forest of Dean, giving a wider range of organisations active in the forest, the chance to become more involved in its management and safeguarding its character.
Cwmcarn
Cwmcarn Forest Drive celebrated its coming of age by re-opening at Easter with its Wales Tourist Board Seal of Approval certificate on display. The Forest Drive in South East Wales received a 78 per cent score from the Board’s independent assessors and the comment “A beautiful drive.”
The Way Ahead for Forestry in Wales
A new group has been set up to advise on the way ahead for forestry in Wales. Chaired by the Forestry Authority, the group represents the main forestry, farming, environmental and development agencies in Wales. Its conclusions and recommendations will be reported to David Hunt and the Minister of State at the Welsh Office by Spring 1994.
Strathclyde Green Belt to be Planted
Forty hectares of Strathclyde greenbelt are to be planted over the next few years as part of the Clyde Valley Community Woodland Plan in Greater Glasgow. Commissioner Gavin Laird launched the new scheme, a joint effort involving the Forestry Authority, Strathclyde Regional Council and 14 District Councils at Blantyreferme in March.
Sam's the Man – Penpal
Lothian and Tweed Forest District has appointed 11 year old Sam Bentley as an Overseas Liaison Officer. Following a short interview with Forest District Manager Alan Corson, Sam agreed to take up the post immediately. The decision to appoint an OLO was taken following a request from a 12 year old Ghanaian for an FE staff member to be his penpal. Sam stood out as an exceptional candidate, especially as his dad Mike is H&M District Forester at Lothian and Tweed and step-mum Dawn is one of the Commission's Press Officers. As a sign of the times, Sam will work from home keeping Oppong Kyetyeku Daniel abreast of forest practice and other matters, including the keeping of pet snakes. Sam’s FDM commented “Sam has a wide remit and we will help as much as we can. The only things ruled out are job-sharing and babysitting the snake.
Picture: Sam Bentley, the new Overseas Liaison Officer.
Forestry Contractors for New Association
Forestry contractors have set up a new Association after a survey showed 90 per cent support for such an organisation. The Forestry Contracting Association was launched in South Scotland at the beginning of April. The conveners hope it will grow into a national organisation, after encouragement was received from contractors in the rest of Britain. Its aims are to increase the profitability of forestry contracting; to ensure continuity of work throughout the year; to develop the skills of contractors; to introduce a code of practice on quality standards, safety and environmental issues.
Enduring Tropical Heat and Luxury of Indonesian Life
Chris Walker of Physiology Branch NRS visited Indonesia at the invitation of the Overseas Development Administration in January. Chris was asked to assess the way ODA funded research on mycorrhizas (beneficial links between some fungi and plant roots) is being carried out, with particular attention to likely commercial applications and the needs of the Indonesian Government. From laboratory and field experiments, it is clear that mycorrhizas can play an important part in re-afforesting damaged tropical sites. The contract took Chris to the university towns of Bogor and Yogyakarta, and to a research station in the tropical rainforests of East Kalimantan, formerly part of Borneo.
Picture: Chris Walker with Kartini Kramidabrata, a scientist from the Herbarium at Bogor, Indonesia.
'Childhood Wood' a Lasting Memorial
Eighty families from all over the UK gathered in Clipstone Forest, Sherwood and Lincs District in February to plant a lasting memorial to 150 victims of mucopolysaccharide disease - a rare but often fatal disorder affecting young children. A sapling clone of ancient Sherwood oak was planted for each victim in what will be known as the Childhood Wood. Lord Howe and Michael Howard, Secretary of State for the Environment, joined guests who planted trees on behalf of families unable to attend.
April Fool? No, it's a Real Staggerer
Alarm bells rang for Ayrshire and Arran Forest District Manager Tony Burns, when a lady telephoned on the morning of 1st April to report a large stag attacking sheep. Resisting the temptation to say “Oh deer. How staggering”, careful questioning revealed the complaint was genuine. Evidently the stag had started to feed with sheep during the winter and now trotted up to the ATV when the farmer went to feed the flock. It was a source of interest and amusement to the family, but this had come to an abrupt halt when the stag started to chase sheep, attacking and killing lambs. Permission to shoot the stag out of season was obtained from the Deer Commission and Senior Ranger Jim Newall drove into the field. As the stag came trotting up, Jim's efforts to achieve his 93/94 cull were off to a flying start.
New Skye Gaelic Trail Earns Praise
Wester Ross Forest District will be bringing the Gaelic language to life for the scores of visitors to Skye, with their Gaelic Alphabet Trail, due to open in June. Scottish Natural Heritage Chairman, Magnus Magnusson praised Forest Enterprise for their imaginative approach, at the opening of the new Aros Centre at Portree in March. The £750,000 centre, built on land leased from the Forestry Commission, is to provide a focus for Gaelic culture on the island. The Trail which will begin and end in the Centre car park, leads the visitor past a range of tree species, each identified with the initial letter of its Gaelic name. There is a tree for each of the 18 letters of the Gaelic alphabet from ailm (elm) to ur (yew). “The trail will raise the visitors’ awareness of the forest and its trees as well as of the Gaelic language,” said Wester Ross District Manager Ron Johnstone, “and it will be suitable for pushchairs, wheelchairs and blind visitors.”
Picture: Ron Johnstone with Magnus Magnusson and SNH staff at the opening of the Aros Centre on Skye.
Argyll Forest Park Ranger Service
Argyll Forest Park launched the Forest Park Ranger Service to support their summer events programme. New Recreation Ranger, Robin Kennedy will be running the programme, which will include guided walks, slideshows, wildlife safaris and a Forest Festival Day.
Picture: Robin Kennedy.
Westonbirt Lumberjills are Back in the Groove
Lillian Kearn and Pat Parker turned back time when Westonbirt Foresters Tony Russell and Richard Paton sprang a surprise on them at a Women's Timber Corps reunion at the Arboretum in March. After 30 former “lumberjills” had planted a beech tree to commemorate the founding of the Corps, Tony and Richard produced a wartime cross-cut saw from Westonbirt's Visitor Centre and asked the ladies to convert a 3 cubic metre oak log into pit props. Without hesitation, Lillian and Pat, both in their sixties, took up the challenge. It may have been 50 years on, but for the lumberjills present, it seemed like only yesterday.
Picture: Lillian Kearn and Pat Parker with their former Women’s Timber Corps colleagues.
Millions of Trees Planted
Over 100 million trees have been planted by private owners in Britain since the introduction of the Forestry Commission's Woodland Grant Scheme in 1988 - enough to circle the world six times if planted in a single row. The impressive statistics were announced by Forestry Minister Lord Howe at the launch of a new community woodland in Swadlincote, South Derbyshire, in February.
Kielder Bat Could be a Record
Kielder Forest Ranger, Gordon Riley has discovered what may be the oldest pipistrelle bat on record in Europe. The injured bat was found on a lawn near Gordon's house during a spell of mild weather at the beginning of February. Kielder records confirm it was one of a series of adults ringed in August 1980 about 1½ miles from where it was found, making it at least 12½ years of age. Although some bat species have recorded ages of more than 20 years, the pipistrelle tends to have a shorter lifespan - the oldest recorded in the Handbook of British Mammals, was killed by a cat in Buxton, Norfolk, aged 11. Kielder is home to a number of bat species, including Brown Long-eared, Whiskered/Brandts and Daubentons with Natterers and a Noctule breeding in bat boxes for the first time last year. Bat box schemes are well established and there are plans to test special hibernation boxes in the area. A recent clearfell of Sitka spruce has uncovered bats in a mine dating back to the early 1800s, and this may be an important hibernation site.
Spoil Tip Award a Tribute to Welsh Community
In March, a former colliery spoil tip became the first site in South Wales Conservancy to receive the Forestry Authority’s Woodland Management Merit Award. The old Marine Colliery, near Pontypridd, ended its working life in 1965. After initial restoration by British Coal, Mid Glamorgan County Council undertook reshaping work and in 1988, the 13 hectare Gelliwion site entered into the Broadleaved Woodland Grant Scheme. The Commission’s Neath plough was used to break up the planting area and a broadleaf mix was planted, including alder, birch, poplar, oak, rowan, pussy willow, hawthorn and ash. It is a tribute to the local community that there has been virtually no vandalism or littering of the site. The alder has proved the most successful species, reaching heights of up to three metres and in 1990, a survey by the Glamorgan Wildlife Trust showed that wildlife populations were increasing. Well used by local people, the site makes a significant contribution to the urban environment and is a fine example of multi-purpose woodland.
Picture: Local people find Gelliwion the perfect place to relax.
Kielder First in Forest Fashion
Visitors to Kielder can now choose from a new range of T-shirts specially designed for the Forest by top Fashion Marketing students from the University of Northumbria. Recreation Officer Chris Probert set the students a specific design brief to reflect either the conservation or recreation aspects of the forest. The conservation theme asked for a Merlin to be used as a symbol on a white T-shirt, while recreation asked for a range of activities to be considered, including mountain biking, cross-country skiing, mountain duathlons and the Husky Rally.
Picture: Modelling their designs are Liz Beaumont, Philip Lawrence and Sophie Goswell.
Public Accounts Evidence
The Public Accounts Committee has taken evidence from Director General, Robin Cutler and FE Chief Executive, David Foot, following the National Audit Office report reviewed in Issue 12 of Feedback.
An Excellent First Centre
A Gloucestershire woodland received the Forestry Authority’s first 1993 Centre of Excellence Award in March for its clear demonstration that growing good timber need not conflict with wildlife, landscape and people enjoying themselves. The award was made jointly to John Workman, former owner of Workmans Wood in Sheepscombe, and the National Trust, to whom he donated the property in 1989. Mr Workman's family has managed the wood, an SSSI and part of a National Nature Reserve, over the last hundred years. As well as producing high quality, marketable timber, the wood and its conservation areas can be explored by public footpaths. “Unfortunately, many of Britain's broadleaf woodlands are currently only growing timber of very moderate quality,” said the Forestry Authority’s Chief Research Officer, Julian Evans. “Workmans Wood is an outstanding exception.” The occasion also gave the Forestry Authority an opportunity to launch its new handbook, ‘Growing Broadleaves for Timber’ by Julian Evans and silviculturist, Gary Kerr.
Picture: John Workman and Bill Heslegrave, Wye and Avon Conservator, with the Centre of Excellence Award certificate and sign.
Wellingtons Needed at Waterloo for Historic Restocking
Duncombe Park, Helmsley, North Yorkshire, leased by Forest Enterprise, will be planted with 19,000 trees – a mix of broadleaves and conifers, including saplings grown from some of the oldest oaks in Northern England – many over 500 years old. The 85 hectare plantation was created in 1815 to commemorate Wellington's victory. Originally stocked with larch, it was clear felled in the First World War to help the war effort.
Picture: Lord Feversham of Duncombe Park, takes up a Napoleonic pose at the Park’s Waterloo Plantation.
HQ Venue for Euro Committee
Thirteen member countries of the European Free Trade Area were represented at Headquarters at the beginning of the month, for the annual meeting of CEN 175, the European Committee for Standardisation. The three-day Conference, taking place in Britain for the first time, was examining European standards for timber and giving the appropriate working parties time to discuss their findings. The schedule also included visits to a working sawmill in Carlisle and an introduction to the harvesting operations taking place in Mabie Forest, Ae Forest District. Donald Thompson of Business Enterprise Division represented timber growers in the British contingent, with Paul Marsh of BSW representing the sawmillers, George Schreiber, the Timber Trade Federation, and John Morgan, the British Woodworkers Federation. The British representatives were led by John Sunley.
Picture: Representatives at the CEN 175 meeting.
The Commons Statement
A statement on forestry investment by Ian Lang, Secretary of State for Scotland.
Forestry Commission Under the Spotlight
On 30th March in the House of Commons, the Secretary of State for Scotland announced the setting up of an official group to review forestry investment incentives and options for the ownership and management of Commission woodlands. The thin end of the privatisation wedge? Tracey Francis interviews Director General Robin Cutler on the announcement and its implications.
The article includes the questions and answers.
Picture: Director General, Robin Cutler.
TUS View
Trade Union Secretary, Kenny Murray addresses the issues raised by Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Lang’s statement.
Picture: Kenny Murray.
Wave Old Crest Goodbye
A new element is to be introduced to the Commission's corporate identity. Intertwining branches of oak, ash and Scots pine surmounted by a crown form a new crest designed to reflect the involvement of England, Wales and Scotland in the Commission. The new crest will replace the present one on letterheads, official statements and formal documentation for the Forestry Authority, Forest Enterprise and Policy Resource Group. The change was needed because the crown shown in the previous crest is a version used throughout England and Wales, but not in Scotland. “Although the crest has seemed acceptable to us, the Lord Lyon took us to task for using the English crest when our Headquarters is in Scotland,” explained Frazer Lindsay, Head of Public Information Division. “Rather than have the Scottish regions using a different version, the Board of Commissioners decided a completely new badge, specially designed and commissioned for us, would be more appropriate.
Picture: The new crest design.
How A New Crest Is Commissioned
The Crest was designed by Jeffery Matthews, who worked under the direction of Design and Interpretation Branch. The design chosen shows intertwining oak, Scots pine and ash branches, seen to be representative of England, Scotland and Wales, surmounted by a crown. After approval by the Garter Principal King of Arms and Lord Lyon, King of Arms, the crest has to be submitted to the Queen for permission to use her crown. As a proper heraldic device, the crest must be registered and a complete description supplied to prove its authenticity.
Digital Mapping Changes Production of Wall Map
The traditional methods used by our cartographers to mark out the intricacies of the Commission's maps and plans are to be replaced by digital mapping software, capable of producing plans as detailed as those produced manually, but which can be altered or upgraded far quicker than a cartographer could trace and draw the revisions.
Over the next three years, the Cartographic sections in Headquarters and the Regional and National offices will be engaged in transferring enormous quantities of map detail into the new system. Some Regional offices will see the benefits this autumn. “North England will be the first Region to have the new capability,” said GIS Development Officer Graham Bull of Policy Studies, “but other Regions will be added over the next few months.” Investigations into the new technology began in October 1991 when a Geographic Information System project team was set up at Headquarters to look into the possible applications of Digital Mapping/GIS within the Commission. After taking the pilot project through many stages, the team of Alan Mitchell and Dave Stewart (Business Systems Division), and Bob Selmes, Graham Bull and Esther Whitton (Policy Studies) recommended that the equipment be introduced for both the Forestry Authority and Forest Enterprise. The recommendation was endorsed by the Executive Board in December and January.
Pictures: (1) Esther Whitton and Graham Bull capturing data via one of the GIS workstations, before converting it into a vector form for use on the main system. (2) A sample of what the new technology can produce. This printout combines data on coastal and national boundaries, National Parks, Forest District boundaries, District Office locations, county names and land managed by Forest Enterprise in Wales. (3) From manual data capture on the digitising table to colour printouts from the A3 printer.
Postbag
Brina Evans, FE Wales, ‘Slasher’ Correspondent for Wales, criticises the decision to change the format of reporting retirements in ‘Slasher’ into list form, reminiscent of Classified Adverts columns, and omitting photographs.
Mr E. Baldwin, Dumfries, a retired recipient of ‘Slasher’ appreciates the better quality and layout of the magazine. He was intrigued to read about the setting up of the Welsh Trim Trail which has ‘eight sets of apparatus spread over a gruelling 850 km uphill climb’. He believes the claim that it isn’t for the fainthearted might be something of an understatement, and as for Hafodyrynys soon having some of the fittest people in SE Wales, he thinks it quite likely that it will have some of the most knackered or the Welsh equivalent!
Alan Mitchell, retired FC Dendrologist writes: It is highly gratifying to see claims being made for specimens superior to those cited in Field Book 10. That book was compiled partly to stimulate interest in the matter and so to make a game for foresters and others, playable with some chance of success almost anywhere. It is disappointing, therefore, how often claims are made which depends on a misreading of the dimensions published. John Boluski’s fine aspens may well exceed 25 metres in height, and I hope they do, and the record can be updated, but his girths are still puny. Field Book 10 clearly states that the second figure is cm diameter. He cites 89 cm girth. I make that 29 cm diameter, and the record printed is 48 cm diameter. But keep at it, Joe. The record is very small and should be beaten easily.
Robin Heaney, Ayrshire and Arran Forest District, recites an old poem of consolation for unsuccessful fishing trips:
It’s either ower early, Or else it’s ower late
There’s either nae water, Or else there’s a spate
It’s either ower calm, Or else it’s ower clear
There’s aye something wrang, When I’m fishing here.
A letter received suggests the area cleared by the storm devastation of 1987 could be planted with Maple trees. A scenic drive through the planting could lead to a car park with an ‘Olde English Tea Shoppe’ and a factory to refine the syrup. A good waffle mix recipe is offered.
A response is offered by South Downs District’s Colin Palmer: In practice, there could be problems with the species of Maple that grow in Eastern Canada growing successfully in our conditions. Namely Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple), Acer saccharinum (Silver Maple) and to a lesser extent Acer rubrum (Red Maple), none of which will tolerate chalky conditions very well. In fact, the best alternative in theory, would have been Acer nikoense (Nikko Maple) or Acer plantanoides (Norway Maple), which would cope far better with our conditions and is in fact occasionally planted for amenity, but not in any great scale at present.
The other consideration of course is from an ecologist’s point of view, in that those Maples mentioned are unfortunately not native to southern Britain.
We very much appreciate the thought that has gone into this and will keep the general idea in mind for the future. Meanwhile, you may rest assured that the Forest Enterprise branch of the Forestry Commission will continue to enhance the forest landscape, wherever the opportunity arises, for the continuing enjoyment of the public.
A letter from Jock Low: Down Memory Lane - Trawsfynydd After the War. The Trawsfynydd area of North Wales was used in two wars as an artillery firing range, also the practice ground for mortars and lighter weapons. It was decided that the ranges could now be used as forests. The Bomb Disposal people were called in to examine and, it was hoped, clear the area. This was eventually completed, but it was suggested that any tractors used on the area should be armoured. Side, rear and front armour plus an armoured top hatch was required.
While the tractor drivers and I were adapting to these vehicles, I noticed workmen on the track, now a road, from Trawsfynydd to Bala, with picks and shovels. I asked if they ever came across any odd things in their excavations and was taken down the track to be shown a number of small artillery shells and two and three inch mortars, set very neatly along the top of the excavated material. We had a word with the local Council and put them in touch with the Bomb Disposal crowd.
Before the operation started, we were excavating material from suitable banks near the site for road building, which was in progress near the area. I arrived near the site on one occasion to be met by the operator running up the slope away from the machine. While digging, he raised the shovel and the nose of a shell appeared over the top of the bucket edge. I suggested we go down and take a look, but he did not feel that was a good idea. On examination I found a six inch Howitzer shell in the bucket. Once again, Bomb Disposal was sent for. I wonder what Enterprise and Authority do for excitement these days?
After Jimmy McRorie of Isle of Arran read the article in “Slasher” Issue 359, referring to the fall in planting levels, he was prompted to delve into his forestry memorabilia to find verses which appeared in an Argyllshire paper thirty years ago. The verses lamenting past times planting the Sitka are printed.
Diary
Temporary loos were erected for the APF Forest Machinery Demonstration at Dalby Forest last year.
Picture: Floods around the loos with the suggested caption “Someone was busting!”.
Toads Crossing - With a Spring in Their Step
Visitors to Forest Enterprise’s Top Lodge office at Fineshade, Northants Forest District, have been asked to slow down to avoid squashing toads and other amphibians on the road. “The toads are still sleepy from their winter hibernation and they are on their way to forest ponds to breed,” said Northants Forest District Manager, Keith Wilson. “They have other things on their mind than road safety, so we are asking drivers to exercise some caution on our forest roads to try to preserve amphibian numbers.
Classifieds
160 Quarterly ‘Journal of Forestry’ editions from 1949 to 1989 for sale.
Thanks to Mrs Alberta Gillatt from Adderbury, Oxfordshire for her hard work in arranging the Women’s Timber Corps reunion at Westonbirt on 17th March.
Notification of a reunion on 15th May at the Dean Heritage Museum Trust at Soudley in the Forest of Dean.
Congratulations to Howard & Moira Hart on the birth of a son, Elliot James on 10th March 1993.
Retirement Association news on visits by the Edinburgh and South Scotland Group and the Alice Holt Group.
Standing Out From the Herd
Kielder Head Moor’s feral goats were filmed for the regional wildlife programme ‘Up Country’. They are also being studied by the National Trust goat specialist David Bullock, who is researching the genetic purity of the isolated herd.
Believed to have grazed on the moor since the Middle Ages, the goats are managed by Forest Enterprise staff for the Kielder Head Committee. “We have found that goat numbers need to be restricted to around seventy,” said Kielder’s Conservation Officer, Bill Burlton. “When there are too many goats, we try to round them up and send them to good homes.”
Picture: Goat.
Combined Effort to Save the Red Squirrel
A major new initiative is underway in North West England to safeguard the future of the red squirrel. The Forestry Authority have been involved in coordinating the new initiative, which brings together 80 organisations and individuals, including the National Trust, English Nature, local authorities and land owners. It is the first time such resources have combined for conservation in Cumbria and Lancashire. The initiative, headed by Lord Carlisle and run by a small steering committee, will be launched in October. Meanwhile, work is being carried out by a technical group led by Forest Enterprise to make recommendations on strategy and action. “This is an important initiative if the red squirrel is to survive in the area,” said Keith Jones, Conservator of Cumbria and Lancashire.
Picture: Red squirrel.
Otters May Opt Out of Natural Birth
Nine purpose built otter maternity units are now in place in Ceredigion Forest District, along the upper reaches of the streams that flow into Cardigan Bay. The Bay itself is one of the foremost otter regions in Wales, and the units have been set up to encourage the establishment of inland populations. Paul Deuce, the Forester responsible for the new scheme, said “The units were completed in January and we hope to see otters using them for breeding or for shelter. Our Rangers are already monitoring them for signs of life.”
Picture: Otter.
Kylerhea Gets Another Otter Hide
If you spend 2½ hours at Kylerhea’s first otter hide on Skye, you have an 80 per cent chance of spotting an otter. This statistic has led to the building of a second hide, which, unlike the first, will be available to interested study groups for a hire charge of £50 per day. Opened in January, the new hide is designed to yield detailed data sheets and records of sightings which will help in understanding the otter and how best to accommodate it. “Credit must go to Alistair McKenzie and Donald John Macrae, who built the hide,” said Wester Ross District Forester, Roger Coppock. “I recently took Jim Green of the Vincent Wildlife Trust there and we saw a group of seven otters - the greatest number Jim has seen at one time in more than 20 years of otter watching.” The award-winning first hide will remain open to the public free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis, and the District will be employing a temporary warden over the summer to help with both hides, to give information to visitors, and record and research the otters.
Strasbourg Trip
AO Eleri Davies from the Forestry Authority’s Wales National office is on the National Committee of the Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs and represented them in Strasbourg recently. She gives an account of the trip.
Picture: Eleri Davies.
Almost a Tie
For the worst collar-and-tie combinations in the Commission, there's no doubt who takes the biscuit - it's the team from the Drawing Office at Headquarters, who held a competition in February to see who could produce the most tasteless match. The choice was hard, but in the end, Jim Henderson took the prize – a tie dipped in acrylic and sprayed gold – though the ‘Slasher’ office thinks Rab Beck and Alan Ramsay ran Jim very close.
Picture: Jim Henderson (third from left), Rab Beck (centre) and Alan Ramsay (third from right).
Fungus - Food For Free
Tyn Y Groes, Ganllwyd was the venue for 35 foragers for fungus in October. Forest District Manager, Mark Yorke and mycologist Charles Aron from Llanberis led the group, who gathered a rich harvest from the mixed woodland areas. Back at the Coed y Brenin Visitor Centre, Charles Aron identified many of the 68 species collected and separated them into edible, inedible and hallucinogenic.
Picture: The foragers.
Arrivals
Ewan Calcott, FOIV, Suffolk Forest District.
Brendan Callaghan, FOIV Aberfoyle Forest District.
Iwan Downey, FOIV, Dolgellau Forest District.
Ian Harvey, FOIV, West Midlands Conservancy.
Sally York, Environmental Education Co-ordinator, Environment Branch, HQ.
Ruth Jenkins, Conservation Officer, FA, Wales.
Moves & Promotions
Mike Bentley, FOIV, from Cowal Forest District to Lothian & Tweed Forest District.
Keith Bradbury, HR, from S & W England Regional Office to Thetford Forest District.
Chris Evans, AO, Research Division Alice Holt on promotion to EO Research Division Alice Holt.
Roger Ford, FOIV, from Llandovery Forest District to Somerset & South Devon Forest District.
Frank Jackson, FOIII, from Lothian & Tweed Forest District to Aberfoyle Forest District promotion to FOII.
Kevin McKillop, FOIV, from Ayrshire & Arran Forest District to Aberfoyle Forest District.
Nick Mainprize FOIV, from Clwyd Forest District to Perth Conservancy.
Gordon Patterson, Forest Ecologist, from Wildlife & Conservation Branch NRS to Forestry Practice Division, HQ.
Graeme Prest, FOII, from Fort Augustus Forest District to Inverness Forest District.
Ted Radford, FOII, from Aberfoyle Forest District to Forestry Training & Safety Council, HQ on promotion to FOI.
Dick Rogers, FOII, from West Midlands Conservancy to Marches Forest District.
Malcolm Wield, FOII, from Tay Forest District to Fort Augustus Forest District on promotion to FOI.
Retired
Don Bardy, Chief Education & Training Officer, HQ, Scotland, retired on 17.3.1993 after 40 years’ service with the Commission.
Andrew Bearhop, Regional Land Agent, South Scotland, retired on 24.4.1993 after 38 years’ service with the Commission.
David Chadwick, Principal Forest Officer, HQ, Scotland, retired on 26.3.1993 after 30 years’ service with the Commission.
Ken Davidson, SCE Engineering o/s Inverness, Scotland, retired on 31.12.1992 after 40 years’ service with the Commission.
Jim Dempster, Forest Worker, Dalmacallam/Upper Nithsdale Forests, South Scotland, retired on 8.1.1993 after 45 years’ service with the Commission.
Alistair Howden, HCE at ACE South, North Scotland, retired on 24.12.1992 after 47 years’ service with the Commission.
Jimmy Fletcher, Roads Foreman, Kintyre/Loch Awe Area, Civil Eng Lochgilphead, Scotland, retired on 26.2.1993 after 42 years’ service with the Commission.
Donald Fraser, FOIII, Perth Conservancy, Scotland, retired on 31.12.1992 after 33 years’ service with the Commission.
Walter Paterson, Forest Research Officer, Newton Nursery, Scotland, retired on 24.3.1993 after 40 years’ service with the Commission.
Alistair Scott, Director, Forestry Practice Division, Scotland, retired on 12.2.1993 after 35 years’ service with the Commission.
Stan Share, Senior Ranger, Cowal Forestry District, Scotland, retired on 5.4.1993 after 41 years’ service with the Commission.
Myra Younie, AO, Newton Nursery, Scotland, retired on 6.1.1993 after 30 years’ service with the Commission.
Ron Hoblyn MBE, Environment Forester, Thetford, England, retired on 21.3.1993 after 39 years’ service with the Commission.
Brian Long, Head Recreation Ranger at Kielder, England, retired on 19.3.1993 after 28 years’ service with the Commission.
John Massey, South Downs Forest District, England, retired after 34 years’ service with the Commission.
Geoff Whiteford, Area Civil Engineer (West), England, retired on 31.3.1993 after 29 years’ service with the Commission.
Rex Whitta MBE, Head Ranger, Thetford, England, retired on 24.3.1993 after 44 years’ service with the Commission.
Derek Wood, FOIII, Marches Forest District, England, retired on 16.2.1993 after 41 years’ service with the Commission.
J. Wynford Evans, SGBII Forestry Authority Wales, previously Victoria House, retired on 9.2.1993 after 25 years’ service with the Commission.
Dave Robinson, FOIII, Llanrwst Forest District, Wales, retired on 10.3.1993 after 36 years’ service with the Commission.
Obituaries
Gwidon Marain Buszewicz (Busz) MBE, former Head of the Seed Laboratory & Seed Store, Alice Holt, has died aged 79.
Tom Jane, Head Forester, Kielder, who retired in 1972, died on 5 February 1993, aged 82.
Graeme Kippen, Chainsaw Operator at Dunkeld, died on 25 January 1993, aged 33.
Jimmy Reid, formerly of Achaglachgach Forest, Newton and Teindland, has died.