David says: “With this particular planting, we decided to learn from all our previous mistakes and really plan properly for what we wanted to achieve. We wanted a warm wood, well-populated with shrubs and undergrowth, that would be a haven for wildlife and that could grow good timber to also have firewood from thinnings.”
“We surrounded the wood with a hedge to add to the aesthetic appeal and to keep the wood warm. It is also a fantastic source of food & nesting for small birds – comprising hawthorn, guelder rose, rosa rugosa, privet and blackthorn. We left a strip in the centre unplanted to provide open space and sunlight, which makes the perfect conditions for native wildlife.”
The judges of the Small & Farm Woodland Award were impressed by how David has shared the benefits of their farm’s forestry with a wider audience, including giving evidence to a Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly and becoming a Farm Habitat demonstration farm to showcase what can be achieved through agri-environment schemes. Previously, David was the Purdey Gold Award Winner 2016 and the Northern Ireland Wildlife Farmer of the Year 2016.
David says: “We are delighted to win this award and to be acknowledged for the hard work that went into establishing this woodland on our farm. Being an RFS member for 15 years, the society has been a great source of information and advice, which has furthered my knowledge at every step and made this woodland possible.”
Impressively, David has created at home for resident barn owls to nest, an endangered species in Northern Ireland, and he credits this to his mixed species woodland which provides suitable habitat for diverse species and helps barn owls to thrive.
