In conversations with individuals through the Royal Forestry Society you discover that some of the most well kept woodland in the UK is in the hands of private landlords, handed down in large family estates.
It’s all to easy to assume this is a privilege that isn’t fair.
If we put that to one side for a moment and actually look at what has happened on these lands over generations we see that vast deciduous forests have been left, protected and cared for for the kind of time period that really works for trees.
It’s tough for people making a direct living from the land to indulge in such fancies and forests planted for timber have to balance the books, but owners such as Charles Burrell at Knepp Castle have created fabulous re-wilded zones where people can now go on UK based nature safaris.
Pioneering work to protect and re-discover how to work with meandering rivers, flood plans, wild herds and birds is now championed by George Monbiot and Re-wilding Britain. There are many examples of quiet, life-long commitment to trees and land.
By joining the Royal Forestry Society you will get the chance to visit some of these places via their regional monthly meet-ups. There is as much diversity of techniques and methods employed as there are humans doing it, but what is preserved is a national wealth and asset.
Be the first to comment