Woodland Wednesdays at Highbury 2016

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Alf Dimmock
BCC Parks and Nature Conservation 
Hall Green and Selly Oak Senior Ranger
12 February 2016
Woodland Wednesdays
Highbury Park, January-March 2016
Synopsis
9 meetings between January and March 2016-
Invitations - Members of the public, Highbury Park Friends, HOCCIC, Simon Needle (Conservation and Planning), Robert Osborne (Former BCC tree officer), Terry Quinn (Biological recorder), Anne Brookes (B&BCWT).
Aims; Consultation, information sharing 
Themes; woodland comparisons, plantations, woodland features, species identification, species recording, practical coppice management, dead wood habitats, standing dead wood, woodland flowers and other vegetation, when does a plantation become a woodland?, veteran trees, matutre oaks, scrub, measuring and ageing mature oaks, heritage, tools, health and well being, interacting with woodlands, poetry and literature.
Meeting 1. Introductions and walk around Highbury Park, South-east and west. Themes;- 
  • looking at buds for deciduous tree identification
  • discusion about benefits of ivy and ivy management practice
  • management of individual trees
Meeting 2. Walk around Highbury, West and North 
Themes;-
  • Hedgerow along Shutlock Lane
  • Pinetum
  • Use of keys (paper keys of limited value as not all trees present) 
  • Beech plantation (comparison of wooded stands within the park)
Meeting 3. Walk around Henburys
Themes;-
  • Big Garden Birdwatch
  • Identifying birds
  • Recording 
Meeting 4. Walk from Highbury to Holders Woods and Centenary Wood
Themes;-
  • Comparison of local woodland
  • Habitats and species (High forest, scrub, plantations, indicator species)
  • NIA work at Queen Mothers and Centenary Woodland
Meeting 5. In and outs of the coppiced woodland
Themes;-
  • Dead wood
  • Northish/southish orientation
  • Growing and natural generation
Meeting 6. Woodland products/produce 
Themes;-
  • Kipsy baskets (hesian, hammers, pins, saw, lopper, workmate/bench)
  • Wattled fencing
  • Walking sticks
  • Whistles
Meeting 7. Coppicing and tree planting
Themes;-
  • Principles of coppicing
  • Tree planting strategy
  • Species
  • Tools - (axes, billhooks, bowsaws, loppers)
Meeting 8. Measuring, ageing and mapping Oaks

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