BTCV : CVNI : Tree Campaign

It's autumn, traditionally a time to focus on trees. Their ripe fruits and the leaves, before falling, are brightening up the days with their colours.

So, talking about trees, our tree nursery, which grows and sells Northern Ireland's native trees, is busy preparing for its busiest time of the year. The winter 2008-09 tree price list is available and a new online ordering system will be up and running in the next week or so.

We also have a couple of tree-related training courses in November.

From this newsletter onwards, we will feature one of Northern Ireland's habitats that is a focus for protection - known as a "priority habitat". This month is Mixed Ashwood - one of our most common native woodland types.

Mixed Ashwood
Mixed ashwood is one of the main woodland types in Northern Ireland. It grows on alkaline soil that tends to be fertile and naturally productive.

This helps to create a rich and varied ground flora that includes wood anemone, bluebell, primrose and ramsons (wild garlic). These often carpet the floor in the spring and, for many, there is no better sight than a mixed ashwood in May!

Mixed ashwoods are often unmanaged but used as areas for grazing and shelter by livestock. Almost 3,500 hectares exist in Northern Ireland.

Trees growing in a mixed ashwood (apart from ash!) include downy birch, hazel, rowan and goat willow. Non-native, invasive sycamore and beech may also be present.

Relatively little is known about the condition of mixed ashwoods in Northern Ireland. Sycamore and beech are a major threat, leading to a change in the composition of the woodland. Natural regeneration is prevented by grazing, browsing and bark stripping by farm animals. The habitat can also be damaged by the dumping of waste and rubble, and lost through deforestation for agricultural use and development.
Read more about Mixed Ashwood

Bridging the gap!
Conservation Volunteers, with the expert help of Ireland Offroad Experience, recently built a brand new bridge at Three Mile Water Conservation Park in Newtownabbey. The bridge will help open up part of the park to many of the walkers that enjoy the area.
Find out more

Places are available on the following courses during November

BIRDS OF SHORE AND FRESH WATER, Bangor, Co. Down - 4 November 2008

TREE IDENTIFICATION IN WINTER, Bangor, Co. Down - 11 November 2008

TREE PLANTING, Bangor, Co. Down - 18 November 2008

Book online or contact Linda on L.Wilson@btcv.org.uk or 028 9185 2817

Wild Week
Whether foraging for fungi, welcoming wildlife to your garden or building boxes for birds or bats, Wild Week provides the perfect opportunity to get involved with wildlife.

Co-organisers BTCV, The Wildlife Trusts and BBC Breathing Places are encouraging everyone to Do One Thing for nature between 25 October and 9 November. The focus of this year's Wild Week is wildlife gardening: encouraging everyone to create a wildlife-friendly habitat in their garden at home, at school or in a communal green space.
BBC Breathing Places website

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