* Listen to the Tree Conference on BBC Somerset from 8:34 – 8.38 *
The Tree Conference’s Suzi Martineau fields questions from Claire Carter regarding the future of Exmoor National Park and the debate around the practice of swaling. This is when the moors are burnt in a controlled manor to preserve their character and health.
Tim Parish explaings how key swayling has been and why its important not to polarise the argument around 7.30.
Suzi was delighted to be able to highlight Exmoor National Park‘s pioneering Carbon Neutral Programme with a strategy to meet carbon neutral by 2025 which is co-authored by Wendy Stephenson. This report is effective because it includes carbon sequestration in it’s targets though promotes coppice, forestry and longer term broadleaf planting.
After this year’s Tree Conference, the talks from Isabella Tree, Dr Martin Bidartondo and Ayana Young, on the day it became clear that rewilding comes out a one of the most effective methods to support landscape regeneration, wildlife and increased tree cover. The establishment of soil health, significant benefits for the long term health of the trees, having excellent results for our critically endangered insect and bird species and low cost all count very highly in its favour.