Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2008 | Page 65
COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING
from the woodland. This
involves big kit, tractors or
forwarding machines. They
are not only expensive to
buy and run, you need to be
experienced, and in many cases
qualified.
There is one other beneficiary
that need to be highlighted,
and that is wildlife. Woodland
work, coppicing and felling
have been practiced in our
country for over five thousand
years, and we have the
landscape of hedgerows and
woodlands and their associated
wildlife because of this
industry. The island is among
a handful of strongholds for
the endangered red squirrel
and dormouse and this is down
to the woodlands that we have.
So, what to look for when
buying logs? There are no
real rights and wrongs about
what you should burn, but
there are some ‘goods and…
not so goods!’ Fire wood
can come from many sources
tree surgeons waste, surplus
timber/pallets and managed
woodlands being the most
common.
You are the client so don’t
be frightened to ask questions
- where does the wood
come from? If you want to
burn it this winter ask for
seasoned wood. And always
insist on selected hardwoods*,
they give off more heat and
burn longer. State what size
log you would like and let them
know, if you have an open
fire or log burner. Buying by
weight is difficult to compare,
as different species have
different densities, seasoned
logs will always be lighter!
For the benefit of the islands
wildlife and countryside I
would recommend logs sourced
from locally managed and
sustainable sources – island
woodlands. Many of these
woods are being managed
under the guidance of the
Forestry Commission and
Natural England.
life
Top Tips:
Ash – best burning wood
providing both flame and
heat.
Field Maple/Birch/Hazel –
good coppice all-rounders.
Oak – make sure it is well
seasoned.
Elm – One large log at night,
can keep the fire in for the
morning.
Hawthorn/Blackthorn –
get it if you can!
Apple/Cherry/Pear –good
heat & pleasant scent
Yew – Burns slowly with a
fierce heat
Hornbeam/Beech – Good
and hot
Island suppliers
*Landscape Th