Troserch Woods Annual Summary 2010-11
The east side of Troserch wood is green again, no longer the battlefield left by clearfelling in 2008-9. Most of the young trees then planted have survived and flourished after long winter frosts and drought in spring. They are out numbered by self-seeded birch, fir and rowan. Stark lines of brash are softened with grass and rushes, foxgloves, and brambles of course.
The main track from the bridge across the river has been extended by a loop of pathway higher up the bank, near the Goitre Wen boundary.
These and older paths are shown, along with other features, on the map in the carpark.
Since that map was made, we have added a roundhouse, made out of left-over logs and roofed with turf. There’s a hole in the middle of the roof which lets rain in, and smoke out. We’re wondering whether to cap that opening, and we trust people to be careful when they light fires in the fireplace (and take their litter home).
The roundhouse and the new paths are the work of volunteers on Saturday morning working parties. Other work over the past year included felling and clearing on the picnic site by the river and weeding round young Christmas trees near the carpark. Mountain bikers, on their own initiative, have opened up a network of cycleways (one or two of which may need re-routing.) None of our committee or volunteers are paid, committee meetings are open to all members and we welcome newcomers (first Wednesday each month, 7pm at Llangennech Community Centre)
We also welcome a gradual increase in the number of people visiting the woods, horseriders and cyclists as well as walkers. Mixed use has its hazards and we ask all visitors to take good care of themselves and other users, as well as wildlife and the wood itself.
We have run stalls at the Community Centre and the given trees to the village schools at Christmas. We hope the roundhouse and informal picnic sites will encourage organized groups to contact us with ideas for new activities. In conjunction with Tidy Towns Wales, we have arranged chainsaw training for two volunteers, and the Troserch Woodland Society has won an award from Keep Wales Tidy after working together to deal with litter and flytipping.
The TWS committee has hosted a meeting of Llys y Goedwig, bringing together community woodlanders from across Wales. Also a visit by the Royal Forestry Society which included a tour of the Pontrillas pallet works.
In the long term we would like the wood to pay its keep and contribute to the local economy. We are looking to more sustainable ways of harvesting and processing timber and other woodland products. It would also be good to link the Troserch Wood and its riverside paths with others up and down stream.
The committee is in the process of drawing up a plan for short, medium and long-term development. The aim: to get the best mix for people, trees and other wildlife, for local community and wider environment. Jan Glover, the secretary, has been emailing members with a monthly news update.
Meanwhile, as more light is let in by felling, kingfishers have been seen along the river. Goshawks have made their home in the wood and this may account for a reduction in squirrel damage to young trees Bluebells and anemonies, previously overshadowed by conifers, have come back into blossom. On the downside, the felling has let in wind as well as light, bringing down some firs and helping tip several old oaks into the river.
The clearfell of 2008-9 was a one off operation, to meet future running costs and make a start on restoring old mixed woodland. Future intervention, with your help and ideas, will be more gentle.
Greg Wilkinson
May 2011 |
