Mobile Sawmill

This amazing contraption is a Wood Mizer mobile sawmill, designed to mill timber in situ. It is a very practical alternative to extracting large logs from awkward places. And it was a joy to watch it in action, in the hands of Will Wallace, founder of Woodlouse Industries, a small West Sussex supplier of local timber from the Weald. We cut down these three oaks in order to thin the canopy and improve woodland health in this coupe. But it is great to see local oak going to good use. And while we will never make a profit from Lag Wood, it has gone a little way towards subsidising our costs. And if anyone wants any magnificent oak floorboards, they’ll be seasoned and ready in a couple of years. See http://woodlouseindustries.co.uk/

South Downs National Park Volunteers

A very big thank you to Phillippa Morrison-Price and her band of volunteers for cutting back the south margin of Pheasant Field. Managing these dense thickets of bramble is fundamental to providing habitat for nesting birds and small mammals and at the same time preventing further encroachment on the grasses and wildflowers in the main meadow. The South Downs National Park has been of immense help to us in planning for habitat and biodiversity in Lag Wood and Pheasant Field. Without the enthusiasm, guidance and practical help of rangers like Phillippa, we would not have the project we have today. We had a great day working with the volunteers on Tuesday.