The National Forest Project.

The National Forest Project isn't a new area of investigation to me as it's something that I touch briefly on in my previous course looking at the area village I live in, here it's just as relevant because it gives me the chance to look at the development of a completely new forest. For anyone not familiar with the project the basic idea behind it is to provide a new form of income to many struggling farmers by leasing land from them over a long period of time (I think in some cases 100 year leases) and planting as many native species in these areas as possible creating in the process a completely new forest as the trees mature. So why is this a good thing even when in many major woodlands as they cut trees they replant as they go? To me it make use of land that would otherwise be left to run wild while providing new habitat for wildlife that is on the decline in this country but at the same time providing new green spaces for us to get out and explore and enjoy.

 Tech. Details

F-stops- f/14

Expo- 500secs

ISO- 640

Expo Bias- 0 steps

Focal Length- 18mm

 Tech. Details

F-stops- f/14

Expo- 500secs

ISO- 640

Expo Bias- 0 steps

Focal Length- 22mm

 Tech. Details

F-stops- f/13

Expo- 500secs

ISO- 640

Expo Bias- 0 steps

Focal Length- 18mm

 Tech. Details

F-stops- f/13

Expo- 400secs

ISO- 640

Expo Bias- 0 steps

Focal Length- 18mm

With these first few images I wanted to try and find a good view which help to show the scale of the project in a newly planted area. I always find it interesting the way patterns form within the landscape when they start planting in large areas like this. Right now it really doesn't look much but give it ten years and it'll be a completely different scene as it takes hold and the wildlife moves in.

 Tech. Details

F-stops- f/8

Expo- 640secs

ISO- 640

Expo Bias- 0 steps

Focal Length- 255mm

 Tech. Details

F-stops- f/9

Expo- 800secs

ISO- 640

Expo Bias- 0 steps

Focal Length- 200mm

Nest box are beginning to string up all over my local patch of the national forest, great idea which is sure to bring in some of the larger birds that are finding life more and more difficult because of changing climates and loss of good nesting areas. For example Barn Owls have near completely disappear around here because most barns where they'd normal nest have gone along with the attached farms thus we have free farmland to be planted for the forest, in away it kind of makes sense to have these because of the cause and effect that the forest is having on there way of life.

 Tech. Details

F-stops- f/9

Expo- 250secs

ISO- 400

Expo Bias- 0 steps

Focal Length- 24mm

Tech. Details

F-stops- f/13

Expo- 400secs

ISO- 500

Expo Bias- 0 steps

Focal Length- 18mm

An older shot above from a previous project but very relevant in this case as it shows that even though the forest isn't fully matured yet already species are beginning to move in and make themselves at home.

Tech. Details
F-stops- f/10
Expo- 320secs
ISO- 400
Expo Bias- 0 steps
Focal Length- 18mm

Tech. Details
F-stops- f/5.6
Expo- 1000secs
ISO- 400
Expo Bias- 0 steps
Focal Length- 18mm

One good thing that is happening is that right now it isn't being over managed and is begin aloud to find its feet as naturally  as possible, take this dead tree above it could easily have been cut up and cleared but instead its been left as it would be in a larger forest to rot down slowly giving a home to no end of species how will either feed or live in or around it.

Tech. Details
F-stops- f/10
Expo- 250secs
ISO- 250
Expo Bias- 0 steps
Focal Length- 28mm

Tech. Details
F-stops- f/10
Expo- 200secs
ISO- 400
Expo Bias- 0 steps
Focal Length- 25mm

 Tech. Details
F-stops- f/10
Expo- 160secs
ISO- 2000
Expo Bias- 0 steps
Focal Length- 100mm

With a new forest people aren't afraid to try slightly different management approaches, for example at the minute there's alot of grassland surrounding the trees that you would have to cut normally with a tractor of some sort but here the owners have place a small number of cattle to graze the area in a controlled manner. Its a clever approach I suppose because first you get alot of natural fertilizer for free and with the numbers being kept relatively small the impact on the environment is great either. Its a win win situation that appears to be working but there's also the hope that many wild flowers might return as the cattle should effect the amount of weeds that normal would take hold and restrict the flower populations.

  

 Tech. Details
F-stops- f/8
Expo- 1250secs
ISO- 2000
Expo Bias- 0 steps
Focal Length- 100mm

Woodlands are becoming more and more important to our struggling bee populations because of the amount of plants that can be found here for them to feed off, along with our gardens this is where we can hopefully start to help there recovery.

 Tech. Details
F-stops- f/2.8
Expo- 125secs
ISO- 2000
Expo Bias- 0 steps
Focal Length- 100mm

Another example like with the fallen tree image of how the woodland is being left as much as possible to itself, in some place its starting to really feel like a proper wild wood with the brambles forming impenetrable walls of thorns giving good refuse to smaller creatures from there natural hunters and from people like myself who'd like nothing else then to capture a quick photo of them.

 Tech. Details
F-stops- f/13
Expo- 2500secs
ISO- 2000
Expo Bias- 0 steps
Focal Length- 100mm

Tech. Details
F-stops- f/13
Expo- 3200secs
ISO- 2000
Expo Bias- 0 steps
Focal Length- 100mm

Wild meadows within the woodland also give alot of opportunity for life to take hold in all its forms while being hidden away within the growing forest. 

All in all there's more then one reason to like what land owners and the forestry commission are doing with the national forest scheme but it does have its critics with the fact that we have a growing population that needs more food produced to support it but at the same time we taking away precious farm land to plant more trees on, I like to look at it from the point that towns and cities are growing rapidly expanding onto green belt land meaning we're losing more more of the green spaces that we need  to relax in as part of a health lifestyle. With woodland like this it means its protected from this kind of development for 100 years to come hopefully so it'll be around for us to enjoy for the foreseeable future.

UPDATE- The other day this article appeared in the local paper covering the National Forest and the future plans, interested in there ideas for connecting small pockets of woodland together to encourage species migration. Have a read by following the link National Forest Article.