Hardwood felling and thinning courses/CPD - any ideas?

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

I think there's definitely more coming into management. I've done two since December, only small scale, mostly firewood, but a few poles left for sale as logs. There's talk of more coming up in the future as well. I'm not sure it's economically viable at the moment, but as this isn't a factor on these jobs its not a problem. While I'd like to see these making money, I'd rather see them thinned than not as they should produce better in the future.

 

Also, as new plantings of commercial sofwood in the last 20 years has been virtually zero, and a lot of commercial re-stock has been done with broadleaf as well, we have a growing resource of hardwood timber. We should be teaching ourselves how to manage this. I know much (or most?) has been planted at fluffy densities (1100 sph in many cases), but we should still be making some effort to bring these woods into management.

 

Forests all over the world suffer when the people cannot make a living from them, if we want to have our hardwood forests and woodlands properly valued we should make more effort to look after them and gain an income from them. This should start from planting and tending and right up to thinning, underplanting etc. This would seem a good oportunity for those of us who are interested to develope and improve our skills.

 

Should also remember that softwood may have a limited shelf life. SW Scotland this year is not planting any pine (DNB), no larch (phytopthora), no market for firs to speak of so that leaves.... spruce - how long before dendroctonus or ips puts that on the no more planting list? I'm not saying this will happen, but we should at least bear it in mind. It is well worth considering that we may have a different species mix to work with in the future and developing skills before we need them rather than being forced to react to circumstances.

 

Rant over - I feel better now.

 

Definitely interested in learning more on this (in case you hadn't noticed).

 

No market for Fir?! Serious?! Demand sky high down here. DF and SS are the velcro trees - hang em up and have fun freeing them

[Big J]

Thanks for all the information there.

 

Perhaps the first 'course' could be run as more of a workshop. 4 or 5 Arbtalkers talking about and demonstrating various methods, techniques and tips for efficiently dropping hardwoods. I'll speak to one of the local estates and see if they have licences in place anywhere for us to work in.

 

Afterwards, I should be able to form some sort of plan for learning outcomes and all of that!

[Charlieh]

theres a guy in mid wales running a training co called mwmac

they run courses that run along nptc type courses, sort of practical workshops on specific topics, such as winching or processor use (cant think of any good examples) etc etc

 

all based on cirtificate of attendance type "quals"

 

Have a word with them regarding formatting of the type of course you are thinking about I think they would put you in the right direction.

 

The mainguy is called Chris, cant recall his surname.

 

His name is Chris Hughes - Good bloke and has something to do with designing NPTC courses so really good idea to get in touch.

 

Chainsaw, Construction, CPS Training, Courses, Qualifications, Mid Wales

 

 

I under no circumstances would recommend anyone on the forum go down this route if you want to get forestry training or qualifications, Im not going to get into an open slagging match on this, and have deleted the first response I had put when i saw these posts. If people want more info I will discuss it on a private message.

 

 

Big J round here most trainers cover hard and softwood felling. The bigger issue on the 30/31 is getting people trained in using the correct equipment such as a timber tape, tongs etc and spend more time focusing on this as this is what really lacks in most newly qualified people i come across, they have never used a tape or tongs. I think most people after the first week should have an idea on tree selection for thinning, if after 5days they havent then maybe they arent cut out for thinning work.

[Ty Unnos]

Thanks for all the information there.

 

Perhaps the first 'course' could be run as more of a workshop. 4 or 5 Arbtalkers talking about and demonstrating various methods, techniques and tips for efficiently dropping hardwoods. I'll speak to one of the local estates and see if they have licences in place anywhere for us to work in.

 

Afterwards, I should be able to form some sort of plan for learning outcomes and all of that!

 

I think this is a great idea. I was talking the other day to a forestry instructor at the local college and he was saying the same thing. Students have plenty of practice on softwood but very little on hardwoods.

 

Another angle is the conservation side. I do most of my work for a local wildlldife trust and rather than thinning we are selective felling to promote one species or create a specific habitat. Felling a single large Sycamore amongst a load of Oak when you are not allowed to damage or fell anything else is quite a challenge.

 

Anyway I am managing a beech plantation that would be a great place to run a hardwood thinning workshop. Its in North East Wales. If there is interest we could sort something out for the Autumn.

[Spruce Pirate]

No market for Fir?! Serious?! Demand sky high down here. DF and SS are the velcro trees - hang em up and have fun freeing them

 

SS always moves - mostly because there's so much of it. Silver firs (NF, GF) were more what I was thinking of when I said no market for it - I was in full on rant mode by that point in the post. You're right, DF doesn't hang around for long at roadside.

 

I think a workshop / seminar type thing is more what I'd be interested in. It might be interesting to have a trainer there, but only as a participant, not carrying out training. A full NPTC course and assesment would seem OTT. I think a few people who have some expereince could swap a few ideas about and learn from each other. If everyone finds they're lacking in the same area then it may be worth while thinking about more formal training.

[G'day Spruce]

Its in North East Wales. If there is interest we could sort something out for the Autumn.

 

Another one in NE Wales... Whereabouts are you?

[Ty Unnos]

About 6 miles out of Ruthin. You?

[G'day Spruce]

About 6 miles out of Ruthin. You?

 

About 10 miles from Mold...

[NI Tree]

I think that there is more coming into management. Much was planted and forgotten about - a lot of the big estates have fairly large hardwood stands and really struggle to get anyone with the experience to cut them sensitively. I'm going to speak to the chap that originally did my chainsaw certs (Chris White) for guidance on this. Got some interest from a forestry training social enterprise too.

 

true john

[Lyncombe-climber]

Could do it my woods. Down the land of cider. I'd be more than happy.