I knew Richard through Umi and her inspiring and well organised Science Cafes. Now however I find he heads up the Blyth Cluster, which I’d encountered through Maddy, SWT. A relative new movement to link farmers and their land together, started by a government initiative which paid for linking land, and which has been developed recently by SWT.
What’s your DEFRA holding number? he asked reminding me to get one (only a year or two old). Natural England may help. Alan Barham contact.
Double ponds – he recognised, for he has a double and a treble. Described to him as retting ponds. Every farm had to supply the navy with rope. Each pond a different process of retting the hemp.
Meandering at Forest School, with Mell outlining the philosophy and action, he told the story of finding the rare Stone wort, not seen for 100 years or was it more?
Yes, he said ponds. Water is life. Yes, where there is clay. SWT get their funding from Highways England. Bramfield has an unusually high number of ponds in the UK.
Most dramatically his thought was to have only 25% trees, and have the rest as open land, including scrub. Plenty of trees around.
Rides, yes, access paths
Funding and advice from SWT and RSPB.
Rothemstead – over 100 years ago they fenced off an area of 10 acres and have not interferred with it. Once arable field of stubble, now an oak forest.
Dieter Helm, How to Stop Climate Change. Oxford Economist.
Do i need a small tractor and topper to cut rides? His advice was to contract out until see usage.
Kaliwood 