Creating Sustainable Woodland For Amenity & The Environment

Where i am based in Lincolnshire there used to be a huge connection between the fields and forests and the the local community. Which has in present years declined and is nearing extinction. The pressure for production and economy in agriculture is driving farmers further from their true passion countryside life. wildlife is also in decline farmland birds, bats, insects, and animals are also suffering because of the loss of connection and interest from the local and wider community.

But i am trying to preserve and even stimulate this bond between people and the environment while continuing to farm in a modern profitable way to also create a bio-diverse sustainable environment. I believe in the old saying “what pays stays” and especially in farming that’s true but farms are becoming more corporate and busy larger farms are not positioned to provide the environmental care that is needed and are just too busy farming to be interested in their local environment and many need to be shown that good environmental management is both profitable and rewarding in so many other ways probably forgotten eg: The dawn chorus.

The one of the greatest losses also i feel is the loss of many skills which produced important sustainable products from the well known ones like food & timber to its lesser known ones like Charcoal, Mushrooms and coppice products that are more environmentally friendly than the modern equivalent eg:

VS

In 2001 I on the retirement of my father I became the tenant of New Bridge Farm and have worked the land as a farmer with a keen interest to improve both the farm profitability(sustainability) and improve the environmental benefits of the farm.

In October 2016 i was offered the tenancy for a further 25 years and have turned my spare time and energy to our woodland and to create natural habitats this has been done through my own hardwork with the help of government funding ( see: entry level scheme and mid tier scheme for more details of the funding i received) but this funding is proving too little to show my woodland any real improvement .

We already have added buffer strips of wild grasses around most fields to act as habitats, wildlife corridors and to protect the local water courses from any unintended pollution from the agricultural enterprise. we have small plots of winter bird cover to help protect and feed wild bird throughout the winter and with the help of you hopefully much much more.

So my plan is to use my time and your money to work in a more environmentally sympathetic manner while promoting a safe environment for the public to use.

To control invasive weeds & enhance & introduce the natural woodland flowers, grasses, and bushy growth.

To enhance the woodland by thinning and replanting to create a more diverse canopy and stimulate a ground layer of growth in some areas of the wood also leaving some wood behind to decay to provide habitats for insects.

To use coppicing techniques to encourage bushy growth and enhance the natural environment for insects and butterflys.

To craft and erect bird boxes, butterfly and insect houses, and put up owl boxes and feeding stations.

To improve the amenity value of the woods my creating paths and a parking area. A stretch goal would be to buy a log cabin summerhouse style building for the local groups including woodworkers, bird lovers & photographers to use.

Plus create a small workshop to produce wood products.

I hope you approve and can contribute

Many thanks for your consideration.