You can watch this episode of Countryfile on the BBC iPlayer.  The High Weald is a stronghold for unimproved wildflower meadows; without appropriate management these meadows are disappearing.

If you think you have a wildflower meadow or would like advice on the management or creation of a wildflower meadow, please visit our wildflower grassland pages, or contact Dawn Brickwood from the Weald Meadows Initiative.

Formal consent, including an environmental statement, is usually only required for large schemes over twenty hectares.  The Forestry Commission will consult at the 'Opinion' stage with relevant organisations and can arrange a screening meeting if there are issues that need addressing. This is normally done as part of a new planting grant application.

Report title:
Woodlands and Carbon Storage in the High Weald AONB

Status and date:
Complete, July 2010

Research purpose:
The report forms part of a programme of activities to help us understand more about how important our landscape is to our social and economic well being.  The work contributes to targets within Objective G3 of the High Weald Management Plan, whilst adding to our knowledge of how woodlands could help mitigate the effects of climate change.

Research aim(s):

• To understand the role of High Weald woodlands in carbon storage.
• To inform the JAC's approach to support for the woodland industry in its ambition to improve the utilisation of local timber in buildings.

Research findings:
The research shows that trees growing naturally in High Weald woodlands 'lock up' equivalent to a fifth of the annual carbon emissions of each High Weald resident (in the UK the average carbon emissions per person are 10 tonnes of carbon per year).

AONB Unit comment:
Woodlands and woodland management have a vital role to play in our response to climate change, as growing trees absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it as carbon both above and below ground.

The preparation of a carbon account for woodlands is the first stage in providing advice to assist policy makers and land managers take decisions that reduce emissions and enhance the sequestration 'locking up', of carbon.

Commissioned by:
High Weald AONB Joint Advisory Committee (JAC)

Commissioned from:
Sandy Greig; Independent Consultant

Funded by:
High Weald AONB Joint Advisory Committee (JAC)

1. Canadian Waterweed or Pondweed (Elodea canadensis) (floating)
2. Parrot's Feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum or Myriophullym brasiliensis) (floating)
3. Japanse knotweed (bankside)
4. Himalayan Balsam (bankside)
   
5. Gaint Hogweed (bankside)

These plants are extremely invasive and they can take over ponds and exclude native species.  You can download free indentification guides to these and more non native plants from the Non Native Species Secretariat website.The Ponds Conservation Trust also have advice on invasive, non native plants to aviod in ponds on there website.

If you plan to use herbicides to control aquatic or bankside weeds you will need concent from the Environment Agency, or find an Environment Agency approved specialist contractor.

A series of factsheets have been produced which provide guidance on all the issues you should consider before creating a new wildlife pond.   The factsheets are free to download from the Ponds Convervation Trust website.

You can keep upto date with the progress of the chacoal burn at the Woodland Antics blog

The Forest will provide the setting for a week of traditional woodland craft workshops and demonstrations which are being organised by local forestry management consultancy, Esus Forestry. 

During the five days a number of training workshops will be running - basket making, hazel and sweet chestnut hurdle making, besom broom making and more. A limited number of places are available for people wishing to gain hands-on experience of doing a traditional charcoal earth burn. The Weald Forest Ridge Landscape Partnership Scheme is offering a a few heavily subsidised places available for people living and carrying out work in the Weald Forest Ridge area.

Come along and watch the demonstrations and see how charcoal has been made for thousands of years, or sign up for a course and learn how to do it!

For more information or to book your place on one of the courses contact Dave Rossney T: 01580 712417
E: esusforestry@btinternet.com

The project is being funded by the Weald Forest Ridge Landscape Partnership Scheme with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

This guidance is taken from  The Ponds Conservation website, which is the best source of information for creating and managing ponds.

• Dr Della Hook - ' Woodland Usage in Anglo-Saxon England as illustrated in contemporary documents and place names'
• Dr Mark Gardiner, Queens University, Belfast  - 'Hunting, farming and fuel: the transitory character of English woodlands'
• Dr Patrick Roper, Ecologist  - 'The flora and fauna of archaeological sites in woodlands'
• Dr Nicola Bannister - 'Understanding the history of wooded landscapes: Are we asking the right questions? Towards a new research agenda'

Woodland Landscapes Conference - Programme (1.39 MB)

The conference is being funded by the Weald Forest Ridge Landscape Partnership Scheme with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

One of the challenges for the owner is ensuring an even supply of timber annually, despite areas of woodland that are quite different being worked on a 5-year cycle and rotation lengths varying from 20 years to 120 years.

The woodlands are home to important populations of butterflies and the woodland management planned in the 20-year felling schedule is being seen as crucial by butterfly conservation experts to ensuring that the butterfly populations are able to flourish.

The Making of the High Weald Landscape Walk can be booked by local groups, subject to Unit staff having time available and to a minimum group number of 15. For information contact AONB Business Manager, Gerry Sherwin.