Firewood Festival this Sunday
Friday 11th November
Join us at Idle Valley this Sunday 13th November for a massive event - a fun-filled Firewood Festival!
This free event, at one of our beautiful flagship reserves, near Retford, will run between 11am and 3pm, showcasing the benefits of heating your home with wood.
Lots to Do...
With chainsaw wood-carving, heavy horse demonstrations, activities for families andrefreshments, as well as an opportunity to stock up on quality firewood for the winter ahead, this Festival should not be missed!
Why a Firewood Festival?
We currently manage large areas of our woodlands by coppicing, a traditional system which requires areas of trees to be cut down on a regular cycle. This improves the woodland’s value for wildlife by allowing in more light – benefitting wildflowers and insects. As native hardwood trees re-grow quickly, the regenerating woodland also provides a range of nesting habitat for a range of bird species. Many woodlands are left unmanaged, meaning that they become dark shady places dominated by large trees and with very few smaller trees or clearings. These dark woodlands with little variety in tree sizes are not able to support the best displays of flowers and therefore don’t encourage butterflies or other insects that in turn, can help support bird populations within the wood.
As a result, we sensitively manage our woodlands to make them less shady and more structurally diverse.
Buy your own...
This means that the Wildlife Trust and the skilled local contractors involved in carrying out the work have quality seasoned firewood available for sale to those lucky enough to have the facilities to burn it!
Firewood from well managed woodlands such as the Wildlife Trust’s Reserves, which all carry Forest Stewardship Accreditation, is a truly sustainable energy source. By purchasing it, customers are helping to fund vital conservation work in local woodlands.
"A lot of fun"...
Speaking about the event, our Communications Manager Erin McDaid said:
“More and more people are getting interested in heating their homes with wood and by sourcing firewood from well managed local woodland, people can help wildlife whilst limiting their impact on the environment.”
Visitors to the event will be able to learn everything they need to know about how to heat their home with wood. As well as Wildlife Trust representatives, a number of expert local suppliers will be on giving demonstrations and providing advice.
Mr McDaid continued: “ We’ve designed this event with the support of local experts and woodsmen to help demonstrate the benefits of wood heat but we also want to showcase the benefits to wildlife of sensitive woodland management. With the demonstrations and family friendly activities it should also be a lot of fun!”
Logs will be available for sale from two excellent local suppliers – Ray Lister and Charles Fenton – and in addition to selling logs, Ray Lister will be demonstrating hand splitting of logs and teaching about the finer points of burning wood including the importance of seasoning.
Harworth Heating of Blyth Road, Doncaster will be demonstrating log burning stoves and be available to give advice on all aspects of installing and using wood burners.
See you there!
