Chainsaw Massacre

Sadly, quite a few trees were harmed in the taking of these photos!


My polelathe turning and greenwood working has been held up partly by the weather, but also because at short notice I've spent most of the last 2 weeks teaching chainsaw and tree felling for a local college. This comprises organised chaos as 2 trainers try to teach upto a dozen young students safe use of a chainsaw, field maintenance and the finer points of felling and cutting up trees.





The site we've been working at is a large pine plantation on the Surrey borders (between Frensham and Hindhead). Counting the tree rings this Scots Pine was planted about 60 years ago when it was popular to create these dank dismal conifer woods in the belief that it would lead to an efficient intensive forestry industry rather like intensive agriculture. You may notice I am slightly biased in my view of how we manage our environment.


There is a popular myth that much of Englands woodlands disappeared during the first half of the 20th century as a result of timber needs during the wars. But figures show (Oliver Rackham, Woodlands, 2006) that despite the great felling woodland increased as grazing and cultivation ceased during the depression and the creation of the Forestry Commission led to mass planting of conifers.



Sadly much ancient woodland and rare habit was destroyed to further this mistaken belief in the creation of plantations with little or no concern for the environment, or our traditions of woodland management over the centuries. This site is gradually being returned to a mixture of lowland heath and more open natural woodland which will be more beneficial to the environment, for wildlife and, if managed well, for wood from native tree species. For those who don't associate Surrey with large pine plantations and lowland heaths here is a photo of the restored heathland.

Once I've recovered from the overdose of training it will be full speed ahead with green woodwork and also some much overdue landrover maintenance, with much to get done before Christmas arrives.