Julie from HB is the Project Officer for the Highland Rhododendron Project, and is calling on Landowners and Managers across the Highlands to help. Read all about it here.

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THE potential for planting and managing farm woods for domestic and commercial fuel is to be explored at a free event in Dingwall next week.  We would love to see you there.

Click here to find out more

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

 Our new Heritage Lottery Funded project has been given the go ahead, and along with our partners we are preparing to begin planting our first trees. If you want to experience Scotland’s hills and be part of planting 500,000 trees or get involved in plant surveying, email: info@mountainwoodlands.org

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

WITH spring in the air, thoughts of keeping cosy during the dark, cold winter months are receding from people’s minds. But now is a perfect time to explore heating options and stockpile wood for winter. Highland forests woods have great potential to provide householders and businesses with a cost-effective, renewable source of heating fuel.

A series of free events taking place at Abriachan Community Woodland on Friday 20 and Saturday April 21 will feature a host of dynamic activities highlighting the benefits of heating with wood.

Friday will see a comprehensive day of training for all those interested in getting involved in the woodfuel business, from land managers and small woodland owners to communities and contractors. In the evening there will be a seminar for business owners. This will look at the economics of installing a boiler and explore the details of Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive, a cash back scheme for heat similar to the feed in tariff for solar or wind.

On Saturday, Abriachan will play host to an exciting family Firewood Festival from 11am to 4:30pm, with an action-packed programme of talks, demonstrations and hand-on activities planned. Horse logging, a log stacking competition, charcoal production and fuel briquette-making will be among the activities on offer.

“From fun games for kids, wood chopping and demonstrations of machinery for larger wood fuel enterprises, there will be something for everyone,” said organiser Amanda Calvert of Munlochy-based charity Highland Birchwoods.  “Using wood to heat homes and businesses makes a great deal of sense. Oil prices are rising due to international factors beyond our control. Energy markets are volatile and it is inevitable that global demand for oil and gas is going to outstrip supplies available. As this happens prices will be driven ever upwards.
“To tackle climate change, it is vital that we move away from fossil fuels like coal and oil, which release lots of greenhouse gases when they are burned,” Ms Calvert added. “Wood is a low carbon fuel and managing our forests and woodlands to produce wood fuel can make other forestry operations more economical. And a thriving, local woodfuel sector creates local jobs and keeps revenue in the area.”

The training day will run from 10:30 - 15:30 at the Abriachan Forest Classroom, and will look at practical measures for assessing woodfuel resources. The seminar will run in the evening from 6pm to 8pm in the Abriachan Hall. Places for these events are limited and should be booked by phoning Amanda Calvert on 08000 285858 e-mail: Amanda.Calvert@highlandbirchwoods.co.uk

Jim Barr, Chairman of the Trustees of Abriachan Forest Trust said the Trust welcomed Abriachan Forest Trust welcomes the opportunity to host the event in conjunction with Highland Birchwoods.  “We recognise that wood fuel has significant potential in the Highlands to provide a local and renewable source of energy for home and small business use,” he added. “Locally grown, locally processed and locally used energy products are entirely feasible aspirations. We now need to convince users and suppliers that there is sufficient mutual benefit coupled with science and technology to make the necessary investments both cost effective and rewarding. In the current economic climate, we cannot expect individuals to chose renewable energy simply because it is a responsible option, it has to work financially as well.”

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 The National Trust for Scotland is hoping to revive the ancient art of charcoal making by offering one of Scotland's few charcoal making courses in 2012.

Those interested in learning the skill to create this sustainable fuel source can do so in the stunning surroundings of Ben Lomond, Scotland’s most Southerly Munro.

Click here to find out more

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

This project aimed to encourage greater use of Scots pine in higher value markets as a basis for supporting forestry related businesses. Main project objectives were to:

1. Improve peoples’ knowledge of Scots pine’s properties and its suitability to different uses
2. Encourage innovation and promote greater use of Scots Pine in construction
3. Develop new tools for forecasting forest production (in terms of timber volume and quality) and pricing mechanisms that better reflect variations in timber quality
4. Publish new guidance on growing good quality Scots pine supported by case studies from partner countries and a decision support tool for forest managers

To read the summary of the project and to access information published through the delivery, please click here

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

Highland Birchwoods have had some fantastic news and wanted to share it with you first !!!!!

Our new Mountain Woodland Project has been given permission to start by the Heritage Lottery Fund.  This is a five year project planting over 500,000 native woodland trees above the commercial treeline. We will be working with communities, local groups and experts, developing knowledge as well as providing skills and experience to assist in the sourcing, growing and planting.

More on the project will follow shortly.

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

 Highland Birchwoods are proud to be a member of HEN and will be speaking at the upcoming conference and AGM (24th March) - From Fuel Poverty to Green Gold. With the recently announced figure of 8m people in fuel poverty, this conference will be of massive interest to all. Please click here to find out more about the day.

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

 An updated list of renewable heat case studies is now available on the Usegreenheat website. The project is run by Highland Birchwoods thanks to funding from HIPP. If you are interested in log, pellet or chip boilers, solar, thermal and other sources then take a look as there is something to interest everyone. Case studies are a great way to really understand the ins and outs !!

Click here to access the case studies

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website

OPERATORS in the Highland woodfuel industry have given a resounding thumbs up to proposals for a new regional forum to represent the sector.

More than 50 representatives of businesses and organisations from across the sector gathered in Inverness on Thursday to lay the foundations of a new industry body.

Despite the extent of Highlands’ existing forest resource, the potential for bringing neglected woods into management for woodfuel and scope for new planting, the biomass industry is still in its infancy.

Estimates vary, but it is reckoned less than two percent of the area’s homes and businesses are heated using logs, woodchips or pellets, with the vast majority depending on increasingly expensive heating oil, gas or electricity.

Click here to read the full article on the Ross-shire Journal website.

This feed was drawn from the Highland Birchwoods website