Can you believe that the year has almost come and gone? We certainly can’t, but the last 12 months have been packed with the highs (and the lows) of the forestry world. Join us as we take a look back at some of our most memorable stories from 2021.
AFTER a year unlike any other, we kicked off 2021 with a bang. The spotlight was turned on timber buyer Laura Jermy, of TG Norman and DS Norman, who told us of her success in the male-dominated world of forestry and her belief that no woman should ever be dissuaded.
“I’m extremely keen to advocate more females within the industry,” she added. “It is a great industry to be in.”
READ MORE: TG Norman and DS Norman's Laura Jermy on why women shouldn't be put off forestry careers
We also got stuck into the subject of plant passports, asked if sweet chestnut could be next in the firing line for Phytophthra ramorum, reviewed the GB Titanium-XV harvester bar and spoke to Simon Skelton about his new venture making forest machinery art with a plasma cutter.
In February, attention turned to the new Powerhand exSeries, a grapple designed to get the most out of brushwood. Ben Miller of BM Excavations summed his impressions after using it for a few months, saying: “The main thing we like about it is the power.”
READ MORE: WATCH: See the eX Series grapple from Powerhand in action with BM Excavations
Forwood Forestry consultants were also featured and a mysterious walk in the woods was taken at Inchcailloch at Loch Lomond.
Brexit. It’s the topic that just won’t go away. In March, Forestry Journal took a closer look at the battles nurseries were facing around the transportation of tree and plant material to Northern Ireland. Another battle being faced was on the MOD training estate, where forces including KWR’s Alec Pearson were fighting to combat ash dieback. In 45 days, he said around 2,000 tonnes of log and biomass-grade chip were taken off the job.
March also saw the arrival of the Vimek Duo to the UK and Ireland market and we spoke to Oakleaf to learn more.
READ MORE: Ash dieback: Landmarc Support Services combats tree disease on the MOD Training Estate
We were on the road in April as we visited Abbey Timber, in Berwickshire, part of a series touring the sawmills of North England. Run by William Dobie, who had been milling on the estate for 40 years, it truly is a family affair, with his daughter, Ellinor, also working on the mill. We also spoke to Calum Duffy to learn more about Safe Forestry, an app he has been developing to help chainsaw operators and contractors prove their competence.
He said: “Our hope is that by the end it will be a widely used system within forestry.”
May saw the launch of our Voices of Forestry series, with Confor’s Stuart Goodall taking the inaugural spot, urging all across the industry to work together to make their voices heard. The series has quickly become one of the magazine’s most popular, generating a lot of feedback from readers. Field and Forestry was profiled in the same issue and we caught up with Sarah Yeamon of RY Timber, another forester proving you don’t have to be a man to be a dab hand with a chainsaw or a Tigercat.
READ MORE: Forestry Journal's Voices of Forestry: Stuart Goodall, Confor
Also in May, we followed up on a feature from the same time last year as we checked in on how forestry workers across multiple areas were adjusting to the impact of COVID-19 with the worst of the pandemic behind us. There were a number of encouraging stories, including from Jim Mailer and Prosser Timber Contractors.
Positivity in the face of adversity was a theme throughout the year. When the pandemic hit in 2020, for many it led to ruin. But for Adam Murray it proved to be an opportunity.
Forestry Journal met up with him for a chat in June as he explained how he set up his own firm, Thick and Thin Lumber Co. In the same issue, we spoke to Marcus Davies and Bob Forsyth about their very different approaches to training.
The Royal Highland Showcase took centre stage in our July issue. While 190,000 people would normally attend the event, the ongoing pandemic saw 2021’s showpiece take place behind closed doors. But that didn’t stop the very best of Scottish livestock and rural skills from showing off their talents. Elsewhere, Edward Daniels, head of forestry for John Clegg & Co, told of the need for fresh thinking when it comes to creating new woodlands and Hilary Burke got up close with the Enviro-Mounder from DJ Services Borders.
In August, we charted the community buyout of Gallow Hill and its woodlands in the Dumfriesshire town of Moffat, which in recent times had been a lifeline for local residents. But that wasn’t all. Throw in an extensive look at reports of beetle-ravaged trees in an Essex woodland, the latest on the ash dieback crisis, and, more positively, a look at the work of mobile sawmiller Keith Threadgall, and it was one of the busiest months of the year.
As devastating wildfires made headlines around the world, Alden Spencer, global product manager for ANSUL Vehicle Systems at Johnson Controls, discussed in our September magazine the fire risks inherent to forestry operations and how the latest fire suppression systems could help keep operations safe, sustainable and profitable. Meanwhile, we featured the story of carver Sam Bowsher, who was following in the footsteps of his dad Chainsaw Pete.
READ MORE: The life of a travelling sawmiller and Wood-Mizer agent Keith Threadgall
Our October issue was bursting with content. From an extensive report on the success of the UK Loggers Championship 2021, to an exclusive interview with Christopher Rhodes, a man whose forestry career took him across Africa, there was something for everyone, not least the latest entry charting the story of young forester Danny Graham, whose diverse adventures have been covered throughout the year.
The following month we featured the brilliant tale of Ian Williams, a former firefighter who swapped 30 years in the service for a new career bringing life back to trees that had been felled.
The Welshman transforms the trees into chainsaw sculptures, which vary from small owls to giant wizards.
Ian said at the time: “For the last 10 years I was in the fire service I was chainsaw carving as a hobby.”
When all is said and done, it has been another year where our industry has adapted and overcome the many challenges it has faced. That’s testament to you and everyone else who has a passion for forestry.
Here's to 2022!
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here