Ancient trees and farming

[Kveldssanger]

People will probably only begin to properly care about trees when they become a novelty - as in, there aren't many left, and those that are lack age and size. Unless, of course, the education system stops teaching kids how to pass exams and immerses them into reality.

[diervek]

Unless, of course, the education system stops teaching kids how to pass exams and immerses them into reality.

 

This.

 

Worth remembering, the teachers aren't to blame. It's the system.

 

Teachers are "only doing what's specified on the job sheet."

 

(I'm not insinuating you're having a pop at teachers, just adding to your point)

[Andyd1606]

An interesting view on teaching and one I fully agree with. I'd rather my kids learnt this way at school rather than the current system in the UK. https://www.facebook.com/londonplay.charity/videos/956499087796724/

[MattyF]

It's already out there Matty - Ancient and Other Veteran Trees: further guidance on management (http://ancienttreeforum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ATF_book.pdf) - to name just one example. I'm sure there are more....

 

 

Maybe they should spend some money and put articles in the farmers weekly ... That would be my first port of call ,I know for a fact they don't see a vet tree ...just a knackered one or a pita that's in the way on there fields for Machinary , most don't realise what they are custodians of..

[farmer rod]

I'm seeing more and more veteran trees getting felled up here , the tree officers seem to encourage it for safety ... Another tragedy is seeing ancient pasture getting ploughed for grazing , one estate seems to manage another Feild every year.

 

It is my understanding that it we are not permitted to plough up permanent pasture,

[pycoed]

Sheep trade is on it's arse, beef trade ditto, pigs have been for years, dairying is done for & all you lot are moaning about a bloke planting a cover crop around some trees!

There were probably more hedges grubbed out for industrial, commercial, transport & housing development than ever were for agriculture, yet no one moans about that?

I'm looking out of the window across the valley here, & the field boundaries are entirely unchanged from the 1873 OS map in front of me & that is true of vast swathes of the country, certainly on the western side. I suggest Suffolk & London(!!) is skewing your viewpoint.

[David Humphries]

That's nice for you pycoed

 

 

 

 

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[SteveA]

Sheep trade is on it's arse, beef trade ditto, pigs have been for years, dairying is done for & all you lot are moaning about a bloke planting a cover crop around some trees!

There were probably more hedges grubbed out for industrial, commercial, transport & housing development than ever were for agriculture, yet no one moans about that?

I'm looking out of the window across the valley here, & the field boundaries are entirely unchanged from the 1873 OS map in front of me & that is true of vast swathes of the country, certainly on the western side. I suggest Suffolk & London(!!) is skewing your viewpoint.

 

Need to include the gappy or ripped out hedges in Dorset (rural Dorset).

I agree about farming being on its arse and the history of decline in habitat/ biodiversity/ wildlife/ bees, etc, etc.

 

I moan about lack of care for ancient trees too.

 

Are you looking out of the window at an Organic certified landscape?

cheers, steve

[Kveldssanger]

Sheep trade is on it's arse, beef trade ditto, pigs have been for years, dairying is done for & all you lot are moaning about a bloke planting a cover crop around some trees!

There were probably more hedges grubbed out for industrial, commercial, transport & housing development than ever were for agriculture, yet no one moans about that?

I'm looking out of the window across the valley here, & the field boundaries are entirely unchanged from the 1873 OS map in front of me & that is true of vast swathes of the country, certainly on the western side. I suggest Suffolk & London(!!) is skewing your viewpoint.

 

My family owns land in Essex with unchanged hedgerows from around the Elizabethan times (so I am told), though the land was traditionally managed extensively with the grazing of cattle. Nowadays, it's meadow grass that is cut and collected once per year for fodder. In this time, the hedgerows have also been left to develop, and support a great thicket of blackthorn, hawthorn, rose, bramble, elder, and so on (they also support regeneration of oak, from the many healthy mature oaks we have). I cannot say that the same is evident in many other hedgerows around - scraggly, thin, waning hedgerows in marked decline, brought about by the aggressive management of the land.

 

The post-war era battered hedgerows. The promise of re-planting them was never fulfilled, and frankly by that point the damage had been done anyway. Centuries-old hedgerows ripped out cannot be replaced overnight - the complexity of the landscape will take many hundreds of years to even substantially recover, and as of yet that process hasn't begun - in fact, the reverse is evident.

 

Don't minimise the problem. A classic belittling tactic by those who look to project their own agenda onto others.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Sheep trade is on it's arse, beef trade ditto, pigs have been for years, dairying is done for & all you lot are moaning about a bloke planting a cover crop around some trees!

There were probably more hedges grubbed out for industrial, commercial, transport & housing development than ever were for agriculture, yet no one moans about that?

I'm looking out of the window across the valley here, & the field boundaries are entirely unchanged from the 1873 OS map in front of me & that is true of vast swathes of the country, certainly on the western side. I suggest Suffolk & London(!!) is skewing your viewpoint.

 

I think Swampy may take a different view.....