Woodknowledge Wales

Woodknowledge Wales

Inspiring innovation through collaboration

Afforestation

Trees and Timber | WoodBUILD Podcast with Tom Barnes and Andrew Bronwin

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Trailer

Everyone has an agenda when it comes to trees and tree planting – in Wales this is one of the first areas of attention for the new administration. There’s broad agreement that we need to grow more trees, we have such a poor level of tree cover in the UK, but there’s less agreement on what we should plant and what we want our future woodlands to be for. The debate is often quite polarised. In this podcast Tom Barnes and Andrew Bronwin talk about the impact of the pandemic, climate change, productive woodlands, the role of government and policy, pests and disease, tree species and how we can add value to the timber our woodlands produce.

Guests

Tom Barnes
 Andrew Bronwin
Tom runs his family business Vastern Timber and recently featured in Wood For The Trees. You can find out more about his work at www.tombarnesblog.com and www.vastern.co.uk. Andrew is founder and director of Bronwin & Abbey, Chartered Foresters and Surveyors, located on the Wales / England border in Powys. https://bronwin.co.uk/

Full Podcast

 

Investing in Afforestation—Economic aspects of woodland creation for timber production | Briefing Papers

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The decision to invest in an afforestation project with the primary aim of producing timber may involve many personal and environmental factors alongside financial considerations. Adoption of a forestry enterprise within a farming unit represents a change in land use and a long-term investment of land, labour and resources. Financial evaluation provides a structured and objective means to inform the decision and allows comparison of afforestation with other economic uses of land.
Afforestation projects can take a number of forms, from planting steep areas or wet corners of a farm to integrating timber trees with agricultural production or establishing plantation woodlands. Some afforestation projects such as commercial plantation woodlands have the potential to produce quality timber products alongside diversifying farm incomes and providing other environmental benefits such as carbon sequestration and flood risk mitigation.
This series of guidance notes provides practical information for farmers and other landowners interested in investing in forestry. It is designed to help develop a first understanding of economic evaluation of afforestation projects. The six guidance notes of the series introduce the basic steps involved in the assessment of such projects to allow some preliminary due diligence when considering an investment in forestry. This does not replace a full assessment and advice by a chartered forest manager.
BRIEFING PAPERS →

Top five alternative conifer tree species review

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Forests and woodlands are as much part of the mix of solutions for the Biodiversity and Climate Emergency as they are themselves under threat from it.
The UK Climate Change Committee have set out strong recommendations for 30,000 hectares of new woodland per annum by 2050 (UKCCC, 2020), of which a significant portion will likely be commercial plantation woodlands. Expansion and sustainable management of this new woodland will act as a mechanism for meeting UN Sustainable Development Goal 15, combatting climate change, improving home-grown timber supply for the construction sector, and providing a wide range of valuable public goods.
Plantations, alongside other forms of woodland creation, have an important role in carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation, providing public amenity and recreational benefits and biodiversity conservation. The coniferous forest resource in Great Britain is increasingly expected to deliver a broad range of ecosystem services to society; this alongside the provision of timber and other forest products, through management for multiple objectives, often within a small geographical area.
Welsh Government commissioned Woodknowledge Wales to conduct a review to identify the top five alternative commercial tree species suitable to meet timber utilisation demands in light of increasing potential pest and disease pressures as a result of climate change.
Our approach to identifying the top five alternative tree species for GB has drawn on and collated the existing knowledge base through literature review and inputs from a broad range of stakeholders. It does not capture experience found on the ground which has not been published, yet. Results should be seen as a starting point for further investigation.
In this sense, we have set out on a journey of collaboration bringing together stakeholders to discuss potential ways forward. If you would like participate in our future stakeholder workshops, please get in touch.
Please note this an amended version of the report published on the 23rd June 2021 which now lists the top five ranked species in Table 3.6 in the correct order (Thuja plicata and Sequoiadendron giganteum were in the wrong order in previous versions).
English:
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Cymraeg:
Dadlwythwch grynodeb
lawrlwytho’r adroddiad llawn

5 Essential Strategies for an Emerging Forest Nation

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Wales is not a forest nation. Wales is a sheep, beef and dairy nation. Wales is a steel nation.
Like many nations, Wales is the economic country it is, not by political design but largely because of historical accident. And there has never been a better time or more reason to change. We have left the European Union and have also declared a Climate Emergency. A more purposeful approach is now required to achieve the net zero carbon goals set by Welsh Government
Therefore, we are proposing five integrated strategies for how Wales can achieve a just transition to become a new high-value forest nation. A transition that would create substantial employment and a transition for which Wales has many natural advantages.
Wales has suitable and available land for afforestation, fantastic climate for growing the kind of trees that industry needs, the land and workforce for new industries and proximity to almost limitless export markets for high-value timber products.
Wales must move towards more sustainable low-carbon industrial and land-use options that are geared to meeting the resource needs of the low-carbon society and that are economically viable.
Wales is starting from a long way back. This paper sets out how our slow start can be turned to our strategic advantage if Welsh Government decides to lead in the adoption of integrated economic policies outlined in this paper that are purposefully aligned across our construction, manufacturing and land-use sectors.
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The role of our own conifer forests for building a sustainable society in Wales

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Despite wide recognition of their value, plantation forests are critically misunderstood and undervalued in Wales. Plantation forests comprise around 7% of the planet’s forest area whilst sustainably supplying over 50% of industrial roundwood. This report looks at myths and tropes around home-grown timber and considers research results from wood science and socio-economic aspects across planting, forest management, timber grading and processing.
Modern British sustainable forest management techniques were established 150 years ago and are still appropriate for efficiently growing construction grade softwoods. Exemplar stands of high grade Douglas fir in north Wales grow some of the largest conifer trees existing in Europe. Older conifer stands across Wales have great potential to produce high grade joinery softwood. Sitka spruce forests are routinely denigrated, nevertheless over 95% of Welsh spruce sawlogs can be graded to strength class from C16 to C27 because of Sitka spruce’s high strength to weight ratio. Yet, quality is regularly used as a weasel word in order to reinforce negative views about Welsh homegrown softwoods.
The FAO reported in 2013 that current trends in European forest management could result in an over-supply of wood from broadleaved species, as well as a shortfall of coniferous timber. Planted forests are exposed to socio-economic risks due to governance failures. These risks comprise a weak or inadequate forest policy framework including insecure investment conditions.
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More and Better Home-Grown Timber—The financial case for existing landowners to plant woodland

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From the TV presenters of Countryfile to the ever-escalating claims of political parties in the last UK elections, it seems everyone wants to plant more trees. Reasons vary from carbon capture, amenity, and biodiversity to production of usable timber, as do levels of ambition.
Amongst the most widely quoted targets, The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) say that UK needs 30K Ha of new woodland a year to 2050 as part of a suite of land use changes to meet the UKs commitment to become Zero Carbon. This afforestation is predicted to account for the largest share of the forecast £39 Bn cost, the majority of that being spent on land acquisition. This presumes that either we expand the public estate or encourage land acquisition by external investors.
Experience from solar and wind farms suggests that this will be expensive, slow, and unpopular with some existing landowners, particularly farmers. Nonetheless there is considerable pressure on farmers from Brexit and existing financial challenges particularly of upland farming are severe in Wales.
Based upon the above, our approach is to solve two problems together. Woodland creation for a range of benefits, providing the means for farm transformation, while avoiding the expense and social disruption of land acquisition.
Promising lower costs of delivered woodland and a wide range of associated benefits, the approach has much to recommend it, subject to its financial viability.
This report reviews opportunities and challenges through the lens of financial viability.
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Home-Grown Homes Project—A study for improving the Timber Construction Supply Industry in Wales

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The purpose of the Home-Grown Homes project has been to identify and test out interventions that could have a transformative impact on the Welsh timber construction supply chain and on the delivery of low carbon social housing in Wales.
Housing, timber manufacturing and forestry are distinct areas of activity. This project is an exploration of how these three overlapping areas of our economy and society can be drawn into more purposeful alignment.
The project partners have worked closely with a network of organisations across the supply chain and house builders, including 12 Welsh housing associations. Specific actions to improve the business case for tree planting and management on farmland in Wales aimed to create options for re-deployment of farmland to improve productivity and to cope with inevitable reductions to farm incomes post Brexit.
This report identifies which supply chain interventions may be most effective and how they might be applied through regulation or other means.
In addition to the project report, other important outputs have been created that capture the learning from the project activities and support ongoing market driven development of the housing, timber manufacturing and forestry sectors in Wales.
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In addition to the project report, ▸▸ practical tools and guidance have been developed for social housing developers, architects and engineers, timber frame manufacturers and wood processors, forestry managers and land owners. A full list of project outputs can be accessed on the ▸▸ project background page.

WoodBUILD 2020 Autumn Series – Podcasts

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A series of four 60-minute conversations on some of the themes of the Home-Grown Homes Project – Forestry, Manufacturing, Housing and the Foundational Economy. Each podcast features two individuals with a passion for the subject matter and a willingness to share their thinking. David Hedges, Home-Grown Homes Project Manager introduces each podcast and asks the questions.

Our Future Forests

Two chartered foresters in conversation: Jo O’Hara, Managing Director at FutureArk Ltd in Edinburgh and John Healey, Professor of Forest Sciences in Bangor University’s School of Natural Sciences. They discuss our forests, what they look like now, how and why they have changed over time and what the future holds. Plus, forest use, growth and management, culture and history, land use policy, governance and forestry as a career.

Jo O’Hara John Healey

Jo is a member of the Institute of Chartered Forester’s Council – see details here / And you can follow Jo on Twitter @mrsjo

 John Healey refers to his work in Bangor. You can find out more about the University’s work in forestry here.

Future Homes and how we build (or make) them

Two timber housing manufacturers in conversation: Jasper Meade, Director of PYC Group in Welshpool and Neil Sutherland, Director of MAKAR in Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. They talk about natural materials, high performing homes, change and the barriers to it, specifications, legislation and regulations, energy and carbon, Passivhaus, collaboration, culture, behaviours and more.

Jasper Meade Neil Sutherland
Jasper is a board member of Woodknowledge Wales and for more information about Jasper’s company, PYC Group, see here. Neil’s company is MAKAR and their website is here.
You can follow Neil on Twitter @makarneil

Better Performing Homes

Two architects in conversation: Fionn Stevenson is Professor of Sustainable Design in Sheffield University’s School of Architecture and Rob Wheaton is Senior Associate Architect at Stride Treglown. They talk about how different the homes of the future will be from the homes we live in now, sustainability, standards, building performance, architecture education and more.

Fionn Stevenson Rob Wheaton
Fionn is the author of Housing Fit For Purpose: Performance, Feedback and Learning, published by RIBA Publishing in September 2019. You can read more about Fionn and her work here.
You can follow Fionn on Twitter at @fionnstevenson		 Rob is based in the Cardiff office of Stride Treglown which is a multi-disciplinary employee-owned practice working across the UK. He has recently been working with housing associations on schemes under the Welsh Government’s Innovative Housing Programme. See here.
You can follow Rob on Twitter at @robwheaton

The Foundational Economy

Two Housing Association people in conversation: Debbie Green, Chief Executive with Coastal Housing and Steve Cranston, Foundational Economy Lead at United Welsh. They talk about what the foundational economy is, the pandemic, risk aversion, communities of practice, decarbonisation, listening to people, paradigm shifts and a green recovery.

Debbie Green Steve Cranston
Amongst other things Debbie, who is based in Swansea, has been chairing the Ministerial Foundational Economy Steering Group. You can find out more about her and her career here and follow Debbie on Twitter at @debbiegcoastal Steve, who is based in Pontypridd, has been with United Welsh since 2009 heading up their community investment and in the last year, leading their FE work. He’s also had a period of secondment in the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner. You can find out more about Steve here.  and follow him on Twitter @stevecr