National Beanpole Week - Green Wood Centre, near Ironbridge, Sat 19th April

[Speranza]

I'm going along to National Beanpole Week's grand launch - a free Beanpole Festival at the Green Wood Centre [charity] near Ironbridge in Shropshire - Welcome to the Green Wood Centre on Saturday 19th April 2008 (11am-4pm), and am hoping to pick up a bunch of hazel beanpoles.

It's an event that's well worth supporting!!! And as well as coppicewood demonstrations and stands, there'll be live music, a hog roast, coracle making, walks through coppiced woodlands, children's activities, etc., according to the website.

Apparently garden clubs, charities, etc., are holding special beanpole events right across the country - more details are available on the Green Wood Centre's Website.

The whole point of National Beanpole Week is to encourage us to use more products made from British coppiced wood, supporting our coppiced woodlands. Unfortunately 90% of our coppiced woodland has been lost over the last 100 years because we've stopped using the wood they produce (e.g. hazel beanpoles have been displaced largely by imported bamboo).

Coppiced woodlands are really important because they provide valuable habitats for plants (e.g. primroses), animals (e.g. dormice) as well as birds (e.g. nightingales). They also supply us with eco-friendly, sustainable timber, keep jobs in the countryside and support the rural economy.

Regards,

Speranza

[Lucretian]

A great cause! How crazy that most of us are concerned about the destruction of the tropical rainforests, but we can't even get it right in our own backyard by doing simple things, like using beanpoles made from coppiced wood.

Little wonder we've lost so many birds in the countryside when we're losing so much valuable wildlife habitat like these coppiced woodlands.

Well done to the Greenwood Centre for fighting the good fight! See you in Ironbridge on the 19th!