Just a foretaste of our 2022 calendar.
We have had lots of lovely images taken by walkers and volunteers. We also have a pictorial diary of some of the activities and the work we do up there.
We have just reinstated the main track. The track was over half a mile of severely eroded and water-damaged main access into the heart of the woodland.
It was a mammoth job for an unpaid volunteer group to take on, but we were assisted by Howard of Withers Building and Civils Ltd, with materials supplied by local firms, Trefil Quarry for the stone and Scott Parnell for the drainage pipe. Also, the road roller was supplied FOC (Free Of Charge) for a week by CBL from Bridgend, which was a hugely generous and unexpected offer.
Thanks to all of you for your support. It was much appreciated. All we have to do now is pay our contractor’s bill. Howard kept it as low as possible, but a man cannot work for bacon sandwiches, coffee, and homemade apple pie alone!
So any donations would be very gratefully received. Please email info@sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk if you would like to pledge some money to help us. We need to raise another £3000 to settle our bill.
Our volunteers have been very busy improving their skills. Eight have passed their city and guild brush cutting courses, four have passed their first city and guild cross cutting and maintenance and felling or smaller tree courses, and two have passed their city and guild tractor driving courses, and one is doing his advanced chainsaw course in December, so a busy year!!!
This training was all facilitated by Veronika from the Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen local partnership and by Chris Engels from the Blaenau Gwent Countryside management team. This was great stuff, and this training is already reaping rewards, helping us manage the grasslands, the orchard, the nutgrove and woodlands.
The calendars will be available from next week at £5 each, and we are starting to make our beautiful natural willow with holly wreath frames, ready for filling in mid December, as they are a perishable product. The birds love the mistletoe and holly berries!
We have lots of other things going on as well. Please message or email Susy if you have availability and are interested in volunteering with us at info@sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk.
We have lots of other things going on as well. Please message or email Susy if you have availability and are interested in volunteering with us at info@sirhowyhillwoodlands.co.uk.