the daydream fund challenge thread

lostinrates

Itismehonest wrote: »

It's also a ruddy menace if there's a fire.:(
In other countries they have changed their views on "leaving it for the insects" because it just ends up as forest fire fodder.
I'm also not entirely convinced that some of the insect argument isn't just a way of saving work/money while maintaining a good front.

The powers that be around here used to leave the bracken "because of the butterflies" until it was pointed out that the butterflies actually needed wildflowers, too, & the flowers weren't growing because of the bracken. They then started to cut some of it back &, yes, wildflowers now grow in those places.

Tbf, not all other contries are as eco motivated....obviously some are more.

I don't buy the fire risk.....no more than dry grass, bracken etc. some rough is part of the eco system. As is, some destruction. Of course its ruthless, and doesn't suit us! Or many other animals,....clears the ground though.

bUt , so is some 'lawn' as you roghtly say. Brings us back tothe britain is more park than wildspace line of thinking...we need to manage all of it in someway, not least as we lose our natural ploughs, in wild pigs, anx natural predators and gain new wildlife.

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

I was thinking particularly of the New Forest and parts of the Forest of Dean where the management seemed good and there was quite a bit of human footfall, yet also clear places for wildlife to thrive at all levels, from insects up to birds and large mammals.

Over where i was on f of d, management of the hands on kind was minimal.

The reason i think ipt works on the natinal spaces is the grazing rights and animals..

Those pigs and goats in particular do good jobs many farms and estates have no percieved use for.

lostinrates

The geese came in! I think maybe they were less smug last night than i thought they seemed pleased to go inside anyway. Egg bit one of the dogs as he past her. Good goose.

alfie_1

hiya peeps........ ive been to heathrow, picked up my cousin..:)

it was a hard frost here this morning !! stepped out and reversed in..:o found gloves and scarf and went to feed all the animogs... mabel was very reluctant to emerge even tho she had a bucket consisting of...sow rolls,brown bread rolls,3 strawberry trifles,2 bananas, apricots,pasta and a chocolate muffin !!!!:D
and yes before you say it...she IS a spoilt pig !!:)

LIR.... is an oldish fashioned canoe any good for your DH ?? its one of those that looks a bit canadian lakes type. got wood trim round the top...its sat by my shed driving me mad !!

re woods... the woods around me have been left for yonks and they are lovely BUT they do need thinning/sorting as the rhodies are taking over. patches of the wood were cleared for the airforce who were here ready for D DAY [using the airstrip beside me] they had nissan huts etc .after theyde gone the area was all demolished and firs were planted instead of native woodland trees. there is still remnants of their being here left here and there. i want to get a good metal detector and go through the pine areas..:D the estate have now got a woodland grant to sort the woods out. i just hope the powers that be dont do what they did at a friends place nr ringwood tho they [either english nature or some such organisation] insisted that the "bog lands" were restored and set about this by destroying the land with tractors/diggers to get to the bog ! it has never recovered and just looks like a bomb has gone off there...:(

im cooking a stir fry for a friend and i tonite. she works hard and we have a good catch up/giggle evry now and then at hers or mine ..:)

Itismehonest

lostinrates wrote: »

Tbf, not all other contries are as eco motivated....obviously some are more.

I don't buy the fire risk.....no more than dry grass, bracken etc. some rough is part of the eco system. As is, some destruction. Of course its ruthless, and doesn't suit us! Or many other animals,....clears the ground though.

bUt , so is some 'lawn' as you roghtly say. Brings us back tothe britain is more park than wildspace line of thinking...we need to manage all of it in someway, not least as we lose our natural ploughs, in wild pigs, anx natural predators and gain new wildlife.

I buy it because we've had to watch a wildfire circle the cliffs around us & come up almost to the edge of our land. It was an experience I really wouldn't want to repeat.

In some areas the swayling is done properly but even then it can run away & end up with acres being scorched. Luckily we are usually well away from most of the fires.
As I've no doubt Dave can also vouch for, they happen fairly regularly around here. Some only cover an acre or two but a couple of properties near here have regularly had scorched fences & the beaters out to stop the fires getting to the buildings. They even have permanent racks holding beaters ready for use.

lostinrates

Itismehonest wrote: »

I buy it because we've had to watch a wildfire circle the cliffs around us & come up almost to the edge of our land. It was an experience I really wouldn't want to repeat.

In some areas the swayling is done properly but even then it can run away & end up with acres being scorched. Luckily we are usually well away from most of the fires.
As I've no doubt Dave can also vouch for, they happen fairly regularly around here. Some only cover an acre or two but a couple of properties near here have regularly had scorched fences & the beaters out to stop the fires getting to the buildings. They even have permanent racks holding beaters ready for use.

Apologies, by not buying, i don't mean i don't think they are fuel, plainly they are, but that the fire rish manangement goes far beyond that terrifying to have that so close.

We had a hay barn fire one, in a hot summer. It was devastating, but not as terriying as wild fire must be.

lostinrates

alfie_1 wrote: »

hiya peeps........ ive been to heathrow, picked up my cousin..:)

it was a hard frost here this morning !! stepped out and reversed in..:o found gloves and scarf and went to feed all the animogs... mabel was very reluctant to emerge even tho she had a bucket consisting of...sow rolls,brown bread rolls,3 strawberry trifles,2 bananas, apricots,pasta and a chocolate muffin !!!!:D
and yes before you say it...she IS a spoilt pig !!:)

LIR.... is an oldish fashioned canoe any good for your DH ?? its one of those that looks a bit canadian lakes type. got wood trim round the top...its sat by my shed driving me mad !!

re woods... the woods around me have been left for yonks and they are lovely BUT they do need thinning/sorting as the rhodies are taking over. patches of the wood were cleared for the airforce who were here ready for D DAY [using the airstrip beside me] they had nissan huts etc .after theyde gone the area was all demolished and firs were planted instead of native woodland trees. there is still remnants of their being here left here and there. i want to get a good metal detector and go through the pine areas..:D the estate have now got a woodland grant to sort the woods out. i just hope the powers that be dont do what they did at a friends place nr ringwood tho they [either english nature or some such organisation] insisted that the "bog lands" were restored and set about this by destroying the land with tractors/diggers to get to the bog ! it has never recovered and just looks like a bomb has gone off there...:(

im cooking a stir fry for a friend and i tonite. she works hard and we have a good catch up/giggle evry now and then at hers or mine ..:)

Firs etc are a whoosh in fire. I am never quite clear how planting so many non indigenous trees became good management, let alone granting for it!


If they are sorting out can you glean some free firewood?


I don't know about dh and a canoe. I have visions of him ending up upside down in it. He's a decent though not outstanding swimmer, and he punts, but thats it.....tbh, he can be rather the opposite of spacially aware...i think a round little corrical would be safer:D

alfie_1

Itismehonest wrote: »

I buy it because we've had to watch a wildfire circle the cliffs around us & come up almost to the edge of our land. It was an experience I really wouldn't want to repeat.

In some areas the swayling is done properly but even then it can run away & end up with acres being scorched. Luckily we are usually well away from most of the fires.
As I've no doubt Dave can also vouch for, they happen fairly regularly around here. Some only cover an acre or two but a couple of properties near here have regularly had scorched fences & the beaters out to stop the fires getting to the buildings. They even have permanent racks holding beaters ready for use.

we here in the NF have had some major big fires in my time.. BUT all on the heathland rather than in woods. it is the gorse,heather and fern that catches. the FC have cut through "roads" to try and stop the fires from just running wild. one fire at ringwood some years back jumped a duel carriage way !! the problem is PEOPLE !! fires rarely start by themselves so wherever careless/moronic people are theres a chance of fire.. our problem here was those DIY bbq trays. people just left them and dont "douse" them out.

bearing in mind too the FC here deliberatly burn the gorse here in rotation telling us its to keep the gorse bushes short and fresh [for horses]...BUT they ask us dog walkers/walkers to stay away from certain areas during the nesting season of certain birds......so WHY do they "burn" up to/inc march when birds are nesting ???? one of those "do as i say not as i do " moments... the FC are NOT always right and have created problems rather than solve them sometimes .....

Itismehonest

alfie_1 wrote: »

we here in the NF have had some major big fires in my time.. BUT all on the heathland rather than in woods. it is the gorse,heather and fern that catches. the FC have cut through "roads" to try and stop the fires from just running wild. one fire at ringwood some years back jumped a duel carriage way !! the problem is PEOPLE !! fires rarely start by themselves so wherever careless/moronic people are theres a chance of fire.. our problem here was those DIY bbq trays. people just left them and dont "douse" them out.

bearing in mind too the FC here deliberatly burn the gorse here in rotation telling us its to keep the gorse bushes short and fresh [for horses]...BUT they ask us dog walkers/walkers to stay away from certain areas during the nesting season of certain birds......so WHY do they "burn" up to/inc march when birds are nesting ???? one of those "do as i say not as i do " moments... the FC are NOT always right and have created problems rather than solve them sometimes .....

The problem here is that the moorland is interspersed with woods...... with no firebreaks.
Luckily during the big fire I spoke of, the flames didn't jump the narrow lane to where the bulk of the woods are (& which reach much closer to the buildings) but stayed on our side of the lane which has less trees but more gorse. That went up like torches.
The whole sky around us was red & full of smoke.
I can't remember exactly what time in the year it was but, living where we do, there are almost always walkers around. They'd never outrun a fire as was said in this article.

Interesting what you say about the gorse, alfie, we keep ours down but we never signed for the old ESA. Those that did aren't allowed such leeway with what they can do.

ukmaggie45

choille wrote: »

Dingies deflate!

Only if they're deflatable! Look at eg Mirror Dinghies! They don't.