Helping Hands

Thomas Baker and me in the alder wood that Thomas and other volunteers pruned last summer.

Last summer I ran an informal workshop on the farm on the subject of tending young woodlands. About twenty people turned up on the Saturday morning.  The deal was that in the morning I’d show people through the woods and offer what I have learned about tending the woods.  After lunch we would do some pruning of alder in the ‘new plantation’ by way of exchange and to get some ‘hands on’ experience.

It was great fun, but of course less than half the people stayed to help.  That didn’t matter, I was just glad so many people came.  One of the people who stayed on to help was Thomas Baker, a young man who was doing work experience/ voluntary work at that time on Dan and Becky Hillman’s small holding near Mohill.  Such a nice young man and he really seemed to enjoy the work.  We had a good conversation afterwards and off they all went.

Thomas Baker pruning some small alder trees in the 'new plantation' early last summer.

Since then, not much has happened in the new plantation, except of course the trees have grown.  It was planted in 2003, so it’s young yet. Niall Miller (Fuinseog Woodland Crafts) has gone in to the higher ground each year and cleared brambles where the oak and birch, scots pine and hazel needed help. I felt the time had come to go in and take out some of the faster grown trees here and there to give space to some of the slower oak and Scots pine.  I was kind of putting it off because the task of getting in there seemed too much. But of course when you put off a job like that, especially given the growth rate in the Cavan/Leitrim area where I live, it rapidly gets worse. And then as if by magic I got an email from Thomas Baker saying he and a friend would be staying in the area during the summer break and they’d love to come over and meet up and do some work in the woods for a day.

Thomas and Gerry who volunteered their work in the 'new plantation' recently.

When they arrived I was on my way to a funeral.  So I just showed Thomas and his friend Gerry into the area where I wanted to start and they set to work.  I was gone several hours and when I came back there was a beautiful new patch of sunlight pouring into the forest where Gerry and Thomas had worked and the way was clear into the rest of the forest.  They’re no slouches. They had done loads. It was just what was needed to get me back in there.

Thomas and Gerry standing in the new light after their work in the 'new plantation.'

The atmosphere was bright and cheerful where the two boys were working. Their arms were scratched from the brambles, they were sweaty from the hard work and they were simply happy to be thus engaged in the woods. Their clearing and pruning was of a high standard and they seemed as pleased with their work as I was. I was so grateful for their help, which came just at the right time.

We had some lunch up at the house and had a chance to catch up.  Thomas has had a fascinating and very educational time for the last eight months staying at Prickly Nut Wood in West Sussex with Ben Law.  He’s been learning the art of coppice management; making tools and rustic furniture from what comes out of the woods, and timber house building. He goes back now for another few months.  It was clear to me,through listening to Thomas, that the course offered is very practical and that it has not only taught him a plethora of new skills but also helped to nurture the interest that he had when I met him just over a year ago.

Thomas is pleased so far with his decision to leave out university study from his career choice. He felt that there is a lot of good learning to be had outside the university and that it was often broader in its scope, more practical and offered more work opportunities later in the ‘real’ world.  Gerry is new to woodland work, but is developing a keen interest in it.  He is very attracted to the idea of owning some forest and learning to live in it, manage it well and put to use the variety of materials that come from woodlands. They were both doing some work with Peter Cowman in Roosky learning the skill of cobb building. There’s so much good stuff available these days. Our conversation just never got around to the ‘doom and gloom’ subjects that have become so fashionable lately. Off they went with vows of keeping in touch and well wishing all round.

Since the visit from Thomas and Gerry I’ve been in the ‘new plantation’ (someday I’ll find a proper name for this 6 acre forest!) nearly every day.  Gabriel and I have cleared a little path along by the main drain/small canal for easy access and Gabriel is slowly clearing the four ponds of all the heavy grass and bramble that is growing over them.

Gabriel clearing out the grass and bramble from one of the ponds in the 'new plantation'.

I have marked some trees for felling near the ponds to let in more light.  We have done more pruning and I’m taking out some trees as I make my way along the rows. Often all it takes to get moving in a new area is a little interest from someone else, – well, a little sweat also helps. A helping hand is worth a thousand times more than good advice, is the old saying.

Cathy Fitzgerald visited here a couple of days after the work had been done so I couldn’t wait to bring her down and show her this section of our forest that she had never been in.  It’s a place I love being in now.  Plenty of light and I can see what I’m doing in there now. Thanks lads!

Cathy Fitzgerald and I admiring the healthy young trees in the 'new plantation' on my farm.

PHOTO OF ME AND CATHY IN WOODS

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Tags: Jan's Farm Forest