One of the last things I did before leaving home for the hospital was to write out a press release for the Pro Silva Forest Trip to County Wicklow. We had been planning this event for months and I had been so looking forward to it. But on Easter Monday I got just a few hours notice from the hospital that a bed was available, so I had to just drop all plans, pack and get there quick.
The Pro Silva Ireland committee (without their Chairman!!), along with the forest owners, did a fantastic job organizing every detail of both the evening lecture and the forest open day. You can read about it on the Pro Silva Website. The lecture by Prof. Jurij Diaci from Slovenia on the Friday night was well attended and the following day saw a big gathering of people at Cloragh Farm Forest in Wicklow.
- People who attended the Pro SIlva Ireland forest outing to Cloragh Farm Forest in April. (photo by Donal O’Hare)
The day also saw the launch of Pro Silva Ireland’s new Forest Policy Document, which I’d have loved to have been there for. (It’s on the website, so do take a read. It’s really good.)
PRO Cathy Fitzgerald kindly visited me in hospital the next day to show me the photos, pass on the greetings and tell me about the two events. It was just great to hear all about it. Everyone I’ve spoken to since remarked that not just was there such a good attendance (70 to 80 people), but that at each forest stop everyone gathered in quietly to listen carefully to the invaluable discussions and to learn as much as possible from our two guest ‘experts’ about this dynamic new (new to Ireland that is!) approach to forest menagement.
Prof. Dr. Jurgen Huss from Germany and Prof. Dr. Jurij Diaci from Slovenia. - PSI guest 'experts' on the day.
Everyone I spoke to also told me of the great weather conditions (even though there was such a crowd, a megaphone wasn’t needed because there was not a breath of wind so everyone could hear) AND about the wonderful hospitality shown by our hosts, Geoffrey and Lucy Tottenham. I missed that too!! 
There are great benefits from being part of a European federation of forests, as Pro Silva is. Not least, you get to meet the leading experts in close-to-nature/CCF forestry from all over Europe, and invite them over to help us to learn how to do it here. Plus, we get invited over to see their forests. (Check out the PSI website for details of the trip to Hungary next month. Still a few places available.)
There has been quite a lot of talk since about the Pro Silva day in Wicklow, and about Prof. Diaci’s lecture the evening before, and about the new Forest Policy Document that was launched on the day. It’s let me see that the interest in this exciting subject is growing, and when it comes to Irish forestry, many people really do seem to be adopting a change of view.
Related posts:
- A Change of View (Part one)
- Pro Silva Ireland Field Day Saturday October 4th
- Visitors View of the Irish Landscape
- Pro Silva at Baronscourt
- The Questions of our Ancestors
Tags: Close-to-nature, forest management, Pro Silva Forest Day, Pro Silva Ireland
