Exploring and Harvesting Bark

Holt Wood Working Day on Exploring and Harvesting Bark

Holt Wood is a project where we are finding ways to cultivate and harvest medicinal and other trees and shrubs. The site has been developed with permaculture design principles, and was planted up in 2005 following clearfelling of a sitka spruce plantation. Co-founded by Kay Piercy and Anne Stobart, the project is now increasingly well-established with a range of native and introduced trees and shrubs, some providing herbal medicines for use by Anne, a consultant medical herbalist. We hold regular working wood days, when visitors can join us to see progress and contribute to ongoing management. Our next planned day on Sat 31st March 2012 will focus on bark and medicine. We aim to be harvesting cramp bark, willow bark and witch hazel and completing initial processing for its journey to becoming herbal medicine. There will also be opportunities to photograph bark, draw bark, investigate bark creatures, make things with bark and more. You are welcome to join us – bring sturdy boots and outdoor weather clothes. Email info@holtwoodherbs.org.uk to let us know you are coming and receive directions.

Joining the Permaculture LAND Network

This month we are so pleased to hear that Holt Wood has been accepted as part of the Permaculture LAND Network of Learning Centres. This is a network of projects which can show volunteers and visitors how permaculture works.

Permaculture is really all about integrated working with the land to provide for a range of needs in ways that are healthy and efficient. When we were planning Holt Wood as a project to develop sustainable production of medicinal and other supplies our sketch plans incorporated permaculture design principles. These included taking into account our purpose, zoning the area for different activities, using resources available well, maximising the woodland edges, conserving nutrients and water, as well as improving the soil and wildlife.

The Permaculture Learning And Network Demonstration (LAND) Project is a four year, England-wide project to create a permaculture learning and demonstration network supported by online services and information. Building on twenty-five years of work by local practitioners, the demonstration projects include permaculture designed home gardens, community gardens, public spaces, allotments, smallholdings and farms. The Project is supported by Big Lottery funds. As well as Holt Wood the other projects in this network are listed at
http://www.permaculture.org.uk/land

We will be running some more Working Days and other events in 2012 to help develop awareness of our particular project, and there will be added emphasis on permaculture design ideas to reflect our membership of the Network. Our picture this month shows a new stone-built dam along a ditch which will help to store water for use in drier times as well as provide an environment conducive to water-loving medicinal herbs.