COP26 and Bel's Wood

The goals of creating Bel’s Wood have always been 3 fold

• Increase biodiversity on the land
• Increase carbon capture by the land
• Create open access to the land for future generations to enjoy in 21 years time

With COP26 now taking place I thought I would set out where the project has got to with these three aims as they align (in a very small way) to the COP26 goals 

https://ukcop26.org/cop26-goals/

Increasing Biodiversity

Biodiversity in the Cumbrian fells has been damaged for decades with subsidy for farming leading to grazing and the creation of monocultures of grass. Trees cannot regenerate even where there are mature trees available to do this or seed stock in the soil. Bel's Wood was a woodland once. The evidence is the presence of some beautiful mature trees and bluebells growing not only under trees but also in open areas which would once have been wooded. The oldest map I have found is from the first OS map in 1858 and there is no woodland then so this does date back many generations.

Through observation and recording over the last year I have noted the species of flora and fauna present on the site. The aim will be to widen this with native species and to protect what is there. My baseline is not comprehensive and I have found it challenging to record what is there on such a large area in a meaningful way. Within the 8ha there is a variety of terrain with boggy areas; steep rocky areas; areas with established trees creating a canopy; areas of dense gorse and dense bracken; and some grass areas which have had bracken removed for many years. The beck creates its own ecosystem and dead and living trees host a range of fungi and lichen. Bird life and invertebrates are seasonal. I probably have the best fix on the mammals (fox, badger, roe deer and red deer) but even here I had a glimpse of an animal that I cannot identify (polecat, mink or otter). 

I have observed a wider range of wild flowers outside the woodland than within which suggests that the grazing has limited some flowers from being established although I have also observed dock on site which I believe comes from cow dung. I had thought documenting variety of species would be enough but of course measuring volume of species will also be important too. I found 1 hare bell this summer and suspect over time these will thrive. The best advice I have received is to establish fixed points on site and to take photographs from each over time to record the changes. I have one point established at this stage and have practiced with a few others but realise I need to be precise not only with the location but also the height & direction of the camera so will work on that before the planting of new trees takes place.

I have selected the trees to plant. Some already thrive on site such as birch and rowan but need a hand to ensure the next generation comes through before the current mature trees fail. Then I am adding new species such as maple, aspen, elm and sweet chestnut which are native to Cumbria but not present. These have been chosen for their flowering & fruiting as well as scarcity. Some have been selected as they attract particular invertebrates. 

Decisions about clearing bracken and gorse has been taken carefully to promote a wider biodiversity which means allowing both of these species to remain although reduce their presence which is dominant and suppressing regeneration.

The planting density is being kept fairly low @1,100 trees per hectare and the open areas marked yellow below; are for butterfly rides & bogs.  

I am not planting oaks as I have sessile oaks which are native to Cumbria. If I bring in oaks from elsewhere these could bring in pedunculate or hybrid oaks which are present in Cumbria but not native. Since the oaks appear to be regenerating fairly well with a range of ages on site, excluding grazers may be enough to encourage them to regenerate from the current native stock in the future.

       

                                                         

I can feel a blog about these oak trees germinating - they are pretty special!

2. Increasing Carbon sequestration to offset human created carbon release

This is a highly complex area which I cannot fully calculate. I had hoped that an MSc student would do a project on this but that plan has sadly fallen through with the Professor involved securing a sabbatical next year. I have therefore had to fall back on what is available from reliable sources. The simplest formula I have found is in the Forestry Commission document for local authorities and businesses https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/892714/Responding_to_the_climate_emergency_with_new_trees_and_woodlands.pdf

The closest to my project is their examples are [bold to show the number I am using]:-

'10 hectares (net area) of new broadleaved woodland growing at YC4 and under a non-intervention regime with tree shelters and fencing to protect the trees when young, will have captured approximately 2,700 tonnes of carbon dioxide (tCO2) after 30 years, so 1 hectare will have captured 270 tCO2.'

My plan is to plant on 3.9ha which would give a yield of 1,050 tonnes of carbon captured over 30 years. If we take the average UK citizens carbon footprint a year is 12.7tonnes (here calculated by Pawprint https://www.pawprint.eco/eco-blog/average-carbon-footprint-uk). My planting will offset an average UK citizen's carbon footprint for 83 years. However there are reductions to make - removing the gorse from 2ha of the site means I perhaps should only calculate a net gain of 1.9ha which comes to 513 tonnes; this offsets 40 years of an average UK citizen. This is very crude and I find myself getting lost in the calculation. Of course trees will continue growing for 100 or more years; then there will be machinery used to remove the gorse which will add to the carbon cost. If I had wanted to go for maximum carbon capture I would have a different planting plan. A mixed coniferous wood managed to thin the wood for timber for furniture would lead to 1 hectare capturing 322 tCO2 but then the biodiversity and Cumbrian species promotion would not be part of this project and every piece of land would be planted on meaning the wood would be less of an amenity.

The calculation could be extended to include the benefit of reducing the carbon emissions from cattle and sheep and ceasing breeding and shooting pheasants. I may see if I can do a more rigorous review of the current carbon sequestration rate of the land and calculate the net gain but at the moment I believe I have struck a balance between the differing priorities. I shall offset either half or all of my lifetime carbon footprint and I need to continue to try and minimise this through continuing the behaviours I have adopted over the last years to reduce my carbon footprint which seem relevant to include here while thinking about COP26 goals:-

1. Vegan diet and lifestyle where possible and practical. Buy food from waste free shops.
2. Walking distances less than 2 miles (unless carrying people or heavy items); use public transport where possible; drive an electric vehicle run from renewable energy, offer lifts regularly.
3. Use a renewable energy provider for home supplemented by micro generation through solar panels (and when my efficient gas boiler is less efficient install an airsource heat pump); run the house at 18ºc when the heating is required; limit the use of hot water (short showers); use electricity at night in winter to charge the car (in summer the PV panels do this) and run household items at night when the grid is energy rich.
4. Limit flights - I have not committed to not flying as I have friends overseas and am at the moment allowing myself one long haul flight every 2-3 years.
5. Spend my money with local companies wherever possible; limit my purchases of new items as far as possible - mending items and buying good quality items that last. Donating no longer needed items to charity shops so they find new owners.
6. Ensure my investments are ethical.
7. Try and reduce the amount of items stored in the cloud but this needs work! Camera traps have increased the quantity of items stored significantly this year.

               

https://www.anotherweigh.uk

I have not completely ‘greened’ my life and will continue to aim to reduce my carbon footprint and I do not regard the carbon sequestration achieved through planting trees as a ‘free pass’. In fact it is sobering to realise that nearly 4 ha of new trees for 30 years is one UK citizen's lifetime carbon footprint (if we keep the calculation simple). Carbon sequestration is clearly not going to work on it's own and reduction of our own carbon footprints is critical.

3. Create access to the land for future generations

The land is not open access land although is in the Lake District National Park. It has no legal Rights of Way established.

This is the least developed area of the project. I need to, and want to, keep the land private while the work is done and the wood is established.  In time I want to allow access and am working on it's long term future with suitable charities to see if there is a match with one of these to take ownership of it either in 21 years or in my will. This is work in progress and happily there is no rush. I have planned the wood with this in mind with paths throughout and lookout points to be enjoyed dictating the different trees selected. It is a small plot in the scheme of things and I hope it will be enjoyed by local people and visitors without there being any negative impact on this peaceful valley.

Making it happen

The really positive news is that the Woodland Creation Grant is now more generous than the previous one was that I had expected when I purchased the land. While I will need to spend some of my own money preparing the site (planning permission for access; gorse clearance) from then onwards it appears that the grant will pay for the cost of items such as fencing, trees and spirals etc. and the work to be done (planting and ongoing care and maintenance). The application has not been submitted yet but the Forestry Commission has been helpful and are positive about the scheme. There are new lines in the grant for Nature Recovery and Water Quality.  I hope that other land owners in Cumbria will see that planting trees has business benefits as well as environmental ones. I will be paying contractors to do the work but other land owners will be farmers who work the land themselves who may find this grant to be a source of income which could help them diversify away from using land for grazing and shooting and so play their part in changing improving environment.

Information regarding the England Woodland Creation Offer that I am accessing can be found here:-

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1019929/EWCO_Grant_Manual_v2.0_.pdf

I will be marching in Glasgow on Saturday with Raging for Change (possibly dressed as a tree). There is a fabulous video on the front page (scroll down) on their website by my good friend Sandy - a real inspiration and I urge you to watch it and maybe sign up here https://ragingforchange.net