Local Power is running a one-day biomass conference in Inverness on the 7th of May. Entitled ‘Local Biomass Energy Solutions’, the conference will provide an overview of some of the key issues relating to the use of biomass as a heating source on a local scale, including funding sources, legal guidelines, and lessons learnt from past and ongoing projects.

The conference is free to attend, including lunch and refreshments, and will be of great use to any community group interested in local biomass and district heating schemes. For anyone unable to make it to Inverness on the day itself, we will also be offering a live webcast of the day’s presentations, streaming through the Highland Council website.

More detailed information, including a full schedule and details of speakers, will be available on the Local Power website over the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you’re interested in booking a place or watching the webcast, use this link to access the online booking form.

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

It's been a busy few months at the Highland Birchwoods office, and we thought we'd let you know what we've been up to - through the medium of our February newsletter.

If you'd like to get future Highland Birchwoods updates straight to your inbox, email us at info@highlandbirchwoods.co.uk and we'll add you to our mailing list.

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

We're delighted to announce that the Highland Birchwoods board has two new members: Doug Lamont, who brings decades of experience working with forestry in the Highlands to the role; and Archie Prentice, whose diverse background working in the environmental sector will also be a great asset to the board. We're looking forward to working closely with Archie and Doug as we steer Highland Birchwoods into its 21st year of operations, and beyond.

Doug Lamont, Wood Fibre Procurement Manager based in Inverness for the wood panel manufacturer Norbord from 1987 until his retirement in 2012, previously worked in various locations in Scotland and England, as a qualified forester for Tilhill Forestry and also as a forestry contractor. In addition he had a four year spell with the Forestry Commission. Prior to choosing a career in forestry Doug spent six years in marketing and marketing research. During his forestry career Doug was Chairman of the North East Forestry Training Action Group, a Director of Grampian Woodlands, Secretary of the United Kingdom Wood Processing Association, sat on the Cairngorms Working Party and advised on Highland Council's Indicative Forestry Strategies. He is a member of the Highland & Islands Forestry Cluster steering committee and sits on the Highland Timber Transport Group.

Archie Prentice runs successful environmental services businesses Practically Green and Carbon Diagnostics. These aim to help clients engage with practical environmental management activity and the emerging low carbon agenda. He has a growing portfolio of clients including national and regional Government funded agencies, UK Government funded and NGO international activity, the Carbon Trust and a range of regional private and community sector clients. He works with a growing number of clients on a retained basis. Prior to this Archie was employed in Highlands and Islands Enterprise for 13 years. Initially as the organisation’s lead economist Archie was involved in the appraisal of significant projects and provided input to large national research projects and studies. He was seconded to Scottish Natural Heritage, the Government’s natural heritage advisor between 2002 and 2005 to help the agency improve its capacity to engage with socio-economic issues. Returning to HIE after his secondment he was appointed the organisation’s first Sustainability and Environment Manager. Archie has an MSc from Aberdeen University and a MBA from the Open University. He is an Associate of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

The Mountain Woodland project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and managed by Highland Birchwoods, aims to conserve and expand Scotland's mountain woodland habitat.

With the help of land managers and volunteers the project aims to plant 500,000 trees on sites throughout Scotland over the next 5 years.

Through May and June the project is running a free weekend training course. This will introduce volunteers to specialist trees and plants that grow in montane environments, provide training on plant identification, and look at habitat management techniques.

The course is offered at the following locations:

Glenmore Lodge, Cairngorms National Park           17-19 May

Ben Lawers NNR                                                       31 May - 2 June

Dundreggan, close to Invermoriston, Great Glen    14-16 June

*Participants are expected to arrive on Friday evening and depart Sunday afternoon.

The course is free, accommodation and food are provided, and we will reimburse reasonable travel costs. Please note spaces are limited.

To register for one of the courses or to find out more please contact Ben Davies at Highland Birchwoods (ben.davies@highlandbirchwoods.co.uk)

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

THE scope for the Highlands to become a leading player in the European woodfuel sector was highlighted at a major gathering of industry figures in Strathspey.

Almost 50 delegates from across the sector met for the second gathering of the Highlands and Islands Woodfuel forum, in the Duke of Gordon Hotel in Kingussie, which is itself heated by a biomass boiler.

Among the topics under discussions were the Renewable Heat Incentive, a Government payback scheme to encourage people to install renewable heating systems, woodfuel supply and demand and excessive ‘red tape’, which many see as major factor hampering the growth of the industry.

A range of people, including foresters, estate managers, woodfuel suppliers and installation businesses took part in the seminar, organised by charity Highland Birchwoods with funding from the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA).

Participants were unanimously in favour of working more closely together to help build a dynamic and thriving woodfuel industry in the Highlands.

Event chair Ian Ross hailed the meeting ‘a great success’,  saying now it had been firmly established, the Highlands and Islands Woodfuel Group would provide a great platform for collaboration.

“This is a great example of people from the sector getting together to move things forward. It’s just the second meeting of the group and it’s heartening to see such a broad range of people from all sections of the industry coming along,” he said.

“I think this clearly shows the growing interest in woodfuel and demonstrates the high level of interest and increasing uptake of woodfuel across the Highlands.”

Will Boyd-Wallis, the CNPA’s land and conservation programme manager added: “This event underlines further the massive opportunities for woodfuel in the Cairngorms National Park.

“A strong, local woodfuel industry has the potential to fit with all four aims of the National Park and is in the interests of everyone in the area.

“In order for more people to switch to using wood to heat their homes and businesses we need to ensure the future supply of wood, so growing demand can be met. At the same time this can deliver all the many other environmental and economic benefits that forests bring.

“It’s been great having this event in a major hotel in the area that is heated by woodchips, and it was very interesting to be able to see that in action and hear how it works during a tour of the installation.”

Some of the speakers from the day are pictured above (from left to right): Will Boyd-Wallis, Land and Conservation Manager, CNPA; Mhairi McSween, Business Advisor, Energy Saving Scotland; Dan Gates, Biomass Manager, Sustainable Energy Ltd; Stuart Reid, Highland Wood Energy.

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

Last week we welcomed Dave Thompson MSP to our office in Munlochy where we spent an enjoyable couple of hours telling him about our work. He was particularly interested in our renewable energy activities, and especially the Local Power project which is working with community groups in the Highlands to help them establish their own woodfuel supply chains. This article about Dave's visit was printed in the Ross-shire Journal last week.

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

THE Cairngorms National Park is to host a groundbreaking gathering of players in one of the north’s fastest growing green industries.

The second meeting of the fledgeling Highlands and Islands Woodfuel Group takes place in the Duke of Gordon Hotel in Kingussie on Wednesday 22 August 2012.

At an inaugural gathering in February, more than 50 woodland managers, forestry contractors, researchers, stove and boiler installers and suppliers of pellets, woodchips and logs gave a resounding thumbs up to proposals for a new regional forum to represent the sector.

Now stakeholders are being invited to come and formally establish the new group.

“Woodfuel offers great scope for people to have a bigger stake in their own local energy supplies,” said event organiser Amanda Calvert of woodland charity Highland Birchwoods.

“We’re keen for all those involved in this dynamic and exciting sector to get involved in shaping productive and co-operative ways of working together. This will help ensure the industry thrives and grows, bringing jobs to the area and boosting the local economy.

“Among the topics on the agenda for the day are business development and financing installations and there will be an opportunity to see a working commercial woodfuel boiler in action at the venue, the Duke of Gordon Hotel.”

The meeting is being funded by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) which has played a pioneering role in supporting and developing the woodfuel industry in the Park.

Land and conservation programme manager Will Boyd-Wallis said: “The Cairngoms National Park Authority is delighted to support the blossoming Highlands and Islands Woodfuel Group by hosting its second meeting in Kingussie within the National Park.

“We hope the event will appeal to the many local woodfuel producers, users and others involved in the industry, as well as those from the wider Highlands. The meeting offers a valuable learning and networking opportunity on our door step, one not to be missed.’

For further information or to get involved in the group contact Amanda Calvert amanda.calvert@highlandbirchwoods.co.uk phone: 01463811606
 

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

Highland Birchwoods are seeking to expand the breadth and range of expertise on our Board - please visit our vacancies page for more information.

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

Through our HLF funded Mountain Woodland project, volunteers in conjunction with SNH, Glenmore Lodge and Glen Feshie estate spent two days planting 600 rare Scottish willows high in the Glen Feshie hills.  As well as planting rare willows, 167 cuttings were collected from the existing population, these will be grown on by SNH for future conservation work at Glen Feshie. Please visit Highland Birchwoods facebook page to see great photo's from the day.

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

Butterfly Conservation's survey, the Big Butterfly Count, runs from 14 July to 5 August - peak butterfly season.

President of Butterfly Conservation Sir David Attenborough has warned that butterfly numbers may suffer because of wet weather.

"[It] has made life hard for... butterflies and things could get worse unless conditions improve," he said.

The annual survey relies on public participation and is thought to be the biggest in the world.

Click here to read the full article on the bbc website.

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website