working with our volunteers too who are so committed and knowledgeable. I am also a fan of the changing seasons and the weather, but perhaps less so wind and rain!’ So, what’s next for our centuries old
• Open coppicing
the wood, and believes that the more people know and understand about the woodlands they enjoy, the better. Warwickshire County Council own
Ryton Woods, and it abuts Ryton Pools Country Park. However visitors do not seem to be aware that when they enter the forest from the park, they are passing from one specially designed human-friendly environment, with tarmac paths, a café and toilets, to a protected ancient nature reserve where humans are the guests, with all the rules that implies. Eddie explained that being an SSSI it is, on one hand, excellent for the woodland, but it can also lead to a conflict of interest: anywhere as peaceful and majestic as a forest is bound to attract visitors, which is good, as it raises awareness and encourages interest in the natural world, but those same visitors can wander off the designated pathways which leads to damage to low growing plants or young trees, or worse, un-informed or simply unaware dog owners letting their pets off the lead to ramble unattended through the woodland. ‘This can cause agitation and distress
to, say, hibernating animals that get awoken far too early in their yearly cycle, or, in the spring, disrupts wildlife that nest and breed amongst the ferns or leaf-litter. It’s not a deliberate act of sabotage, but it doesn’t help to have the undergrowth disturbed by a wet muzzle - after all, that undergrowth is home to many different species of insect, bird,
34 August 2011 • Woodland artwork
butterfly and animal,’ explained Eddie. It’s clearly a difficult balancing act. ‘Everyone is welcome in the wood, and we do encourage all visitors,’ continued Eddie, ‘but it is all about respecting the environment - which is of course why people are here in the first place.’ Talking of which, I asked Eddie why he likes his job and what attracted him to it. ‘I like the atmosphere of woodlands. I’m really interested in the interaction that people have with the environment in general and woodlands are such magical places for people to be in. I also try to be a person who enjoys the long haul and I’m seeing now really positive results of work that I did when I first started in this job in 2004. It is great
woodlands and forests? The cacophony of angry voices at their proposed selling earlier in the year focussed, for a short while, our attentions on these incredible resources that for humans, are a place of relaxation, discovery and education. But it’s not really about us, is it? We must remember that we’re the visitors in these precious places; for everything else it’s their home. And on that, Eddie has the last word: ‘I hope that the future holds forests that are viewed as a mixture of wildlife habitat, places of recreation, part of a quality of life and places where timber is grown. Intrinsic to this, management should be viewed as part of the process, and tree felling not viewed in a negative light. Management is vital to create good wildlife habitat and timber that has a value. The UK landscape is fantastic at growing its own trees but man now has to intervene with tools to create open areas, young growth and thin even aged blocks of wood. Lack of management is also a real worry for UK woodlands. Timber, processed and used for firewood or chipped to heat buildings is more sustainable than fossil fuels, as carbon dioxide created during burning are absorbed as trees regrow. With this expanding market, I hope more woodland can be brought into management and in a financially worth-while way. Wildlife will benefit too from this, providing it is done sensitively.’
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