News of the Woods No 54 Summer 2018 Annual Report 2017/18 A registered charity founded in April 1989 by the Chiltern So- ciety and partners. We are based in the Chilterns Conservation Board’s offices in Chinnor. We work across the Chilterns Natural Area, which includes all of the Chilterns AONB and the towns. For more information please see our webpages at http://www.chilternsaonb.org/woodlands-project

The Chilterns AONB covers 324 square miles of country- side. It is one of 38 AONBs in and , which belong to the same family as National Parks. The Chilterns AONB is heavily wooded with over 21% woodland cover, 60% of these woods are ancient.

Ash dieback, Chalara, is now found in the Chil- terns, it is most noticeable on saplings. This fungal disease is likely to kill millions of ash across the AONB, with roadside and hedgerow trees harder to replace.

IN THIS ISSUE

Chairman’s remarks ...... 2 Our aims ...... 3 Summary of work ...... 3 Examples of work ...... 4 Case study…...... 5 Events ...... 6 Bluebells in the Chiltern Society’s Bottom Wood at Radnage, Buckingham- shire — an ancient woodland the Project has helped look after since 1983. Annual Report & Finances 7 Services …….………………… ..8

Registered charity No 1002512 Company limited by guarantee registered in England no 2357329 Annual Report 2017 -18

In the past year John gave advice and assistance volunteers per session) and a series of 12 chain- to 61 woodland owners spread across the Chil- saw training courses in partnership with Vale terns. 39 of these were ancient woodlands or Training. plantations on ancient woodland sites, three We also help Chiltern District Council manage were wooded commons, three had TPO’s and 16 ha of Angling Spring Wood with assistance five were SSSIs. He helped obtain felling licenc- from Prestwood Nature volunteers. es for 21 owners from the Forestry Commission Other work included six woodland training and helped find contractors to carry out a range events, including woodland archaeology, an- of practical work, including harvesting timber cient woodland flora, formative pruning and and firewood and replanting. Further applica- tree identification (two sessions for Chiltern So- tions for felling permission and other work con- ciety members in Bottom Wood) with over 78 tinues to be organised. participants, and gave 5 talks to groups and so- In total the area of trees and woodland visited in cieties and one guided walk. John also led a the past year to offer advice and assistance was training visit in September for 33 staff of Wood- over 556 ha or 1374 acres, so the average size of land Trust to see and discuss woodland archae- woodland was 9.1ha, however just 3 ownerships ology and PAWS restoration in Pigotts Wood. were over 30ha. John organised the Chilterns Woodland Confer- During the year we agreed a contract to help the ence in partnership with the Chiltern Society in Royal Forestry Society with the management of October, with 60 participants and included speakers from the Forestry Commission and 74ha of Hockeridge and Pancake Woods near RSPB. The afternoon session included a site vis- . We have organised regular volun- it to nearby Whiteleaf and Brush Hill to consid- teer workparties with the Chiltern Society (7 er tree health and species choice. sessions on Friday mornings averaging about 15

CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS—ANDREW INGRAM During the last year we continued our efforts to raise more income from fees for our woodland manage- ment services, from training sessions and events, and from other sources. We must thank the Chiltern Society for their successful woodland appeal, and to others for their grants and donations, which means that we managed to end the year with a small surplus to carry forward. We are grateful to all our partners for their continuing support, including Wycombe and Chiltern District Councils, Three Rivers, the Chiltern Society and Chilterns Conservation Board. We work with closely with the Chilterns Conservation Board on tree and woodland related matters in the AONB, in return for a space in their offices in Chinnor. These are uncertain times. Sadly the health of trees across the Chilterns continues to deteriorate. All ages of ash are now starting to suffer from fungal Dieback, (Chalara). Some mature oaks are affected by Acute Oak Decline, some pines, Horse chestnuts and elms also have disease problems. Browsing of natural re- generation or planted trees by increasing numbers of deer can be expensive to control, and the cumula- tive impact of bark stripping year after year on younger trees by grey squirrels on beech, oak, birch and others means it is difficult to establish the next generation of trees. These tree health problems and a changing climate mean it is becoming increasingly difficult to know what trees to plant. It is a real con- cern that we may be the last generation to walk through a fine stand of hardwoods. However, it may be that the trees outside woodlands, such as the many mature ash in hedges and along the lanes, that are at greatest risk of being lost. Should we now consider introducing other species of trees be they broadleaves or conifers?

2 Our aim is to achieve a cherished and thriving woodland resource across the Chilterns and surrounding areas. We promote effective and sympathetic woodland management, so protecting the landscape, conserving nature and promoting a sus- tainable woodland economy, which is also of value for recreation and tourism. Work is across five linked themes: A. Landscape: to protect and enhance the wooded landscape of the Chilterns. B. Biodiversity: to maintain and enhance nature in the Chilterns. C. Economy: to promote a sustainable woodland economy in the Chilterns; including the use of timber and wood fuel.

D. Historic Environment :– to raise awareness and interest in Thinning beech for firewood the history and archaeology of woods across the Chilterns E. Community: to increase awareness, understanding, and en- joyment of Chiltern woodland. The Chiltern Woodlands Project offers an advisory service to help bring woods into management, working in partnership with others including contractors and volunteer groups.

The main areas of work in the last year included: Glis glis - an invasive pest Woodland advisory & consultancy work in 2017/18

District Number of Area (ha) owners vis- ited Chiltern 22 337.1 Wycombe 18 121.1 South Bucks 1 9 South Oxon 9 35.7 Three Rivers 1 2.6 Dacorum 4 31 Aylesbury Vale 3 16 Central Beds 1 1.4 Other 1 0.2 75 year old ash in Bottom Wood Total 61 554.1

61 owners were visited to offer advice and assistance on the management of their trees and woods. The area covered was at least 544 ha, (1370 acres) . The average size of woodland visited last year was about 8.9 ha (22 acres), many were smaller than this.

Wild cherry blossom 3 Some examples in pictures of work organised Organised six Chiltern Society volunteer work parties on Friday by the Chiltern Woodlands Project mornings in the Royal Forestry Society’s Hockeridge Wood be- tween Berkhamsted &

Chiltern Rangers about to clear evergreen laurel in Walkwood Volunteers cleared young birch around specimen trees

Collecting birch firewood in Cockshoot Wood, Hughenden Prestwood Nature volunteers in Angling Spring Wood

Thinning deteriorating ash in Mousells Wood for firewood Winter damage to a wild cherry at Chesham Bois Common

4 Case Study— Felling conifers to restore ancient woodland at Monkton Wood

We obtained felling licences from the Forestry Commission for three new owners to fell 4 small areas of mature conifer plantations. These three ownerships total 5.3 ha (13 acres). Mackrory’s of Nettlebed Sawmills felled larch , western hem- lock and Norway spruce , plus poorer beech and other broadleaves for firewood from other areas of this fascinating ancient wood. Larger gaps were then replanted with broadleaves.

Loading conifer sawlogs on to lorry 5

Organised a programme of road side safety tree works, iden- tified in a report by Tilhill for RFS in Hockeridge & Pancake Woods, in the summer

Harvester cutting larch in a small ancient wood near Latimer

Events in 2017/18 We ran two fully booked tree identification work- shops, one autumn and one in winter (for the Chiltern Society), held at Radnage Village Hall with site visits to Bottom Wood. We held another well attended woodland archaeolo- gy workshop at Pigotts Wood in March. We also ran two workshops looking at ancient wood- land flora and PAWS restoration.

Formative pruning of broadleaves workshop

6 Bottom Wood Tree ID course VALE TRAINING GROUP, based near Aylesbury, carried We are on Twitter out a number of chainsaw courses over the autumn and winter months in RFS Hockeridge and Pancake Woods , @ChilternWoods with the trees selected and marked by John Morris.

Board of Directors / Trustees Andrew Ingram - Chairman Adrian Lepper - Company Secretary David Harris - Chiltern Society (Vice Chairman) Derek Ford - Finance Cherry Aston Richard Pushman - For County Council Bob Cartwright - Chiltern Society Heather Barrett-Mold - Chilterns Conservation Board Snow damage to Holm oaks in December, block- John Gladwin - Chiltern District Council ing path in Hockeridge Wood The AGM to approve the accounts and elect the Board for the coming year will be held in Chinnor in the autumn.

Financial Summary—

Income This year 2017 /18 Last year 2016/17 Total Income £65,658 £ 55,045

Chiltern Society RFS volunteers—coffee break! Expenditure Total Expenditure £57,270 £ 57,305

Surplus / Deficit £8,388 - £ 2,260 Note— both years figures show an “in kind” contribution from CCB for office of £5,500 in both income and expenditure. These accounts will be available from the office, 0n request. A funding raising appeal by the Chiltern Society and generous donations helped improve our financial po- sition giving us a surplus to carry forward.

Found sites and selected and marked trees for Staff Vale Training Group to hold chainsaw courses John Morris, Director

We are most grateful for the continuing support of the Chilterns Conservation Board, who provide the project with of- fice accommodation in Chinnor. Our thanks to officers from key partners including the Forestry Commission, Chilterns Conservation Board, Bucks County Council and Chiltern District Council who are members of the steering group and attend the Board meetings to offer advice and support.

7 CHILTERN WOODLANDS Snow in March in wood near Princes Risborough

PROJECT SERVICES

Woodland Management advice (free first visit) Woodland Management plans Tree and Woodland Surveys Woodland ecological and histor- ical assessments Woodland Grant applications Felling licence applications to the Forestry Commission Identifying and marking trees for felling Finding and supervising con- tractors Tree Health and Condition Surveys In October 2017 we organised the Chiltern Woodlands Conference in Training, Events, Conferences, partnership with the Chiltern Society, who helped with all the admin- Talks & Guided walks istration and bookings. It was held at Lacey Green village hall and in- cluded afternoon site visit to Whiteleaf and Brush Hill nearby which the Chiltern Society now manage.

One of the talks at the 2017 woodland conference

All photos copyright John Morris

A full village hall for the Chiltern Woodland Conference in 2017

Contact John Morris BSc CBiol MRSB, Director Chiltern Woodlands Project The Lodge 90 Station Road Chinnor, Oxon OX39 4HA Phone 01844 355503 email [email protected]

Registered charity No 1002512 Company limited by guarantee registered in England no 2357329 8