Pro Silva Ireland is delighted to announce three upcoming events in 2019. Please note the dates in your diaries.
- Pro Silva Ireland Spring Field Day: Early Stage Transformation to Continuous Cover Forestry Management, Saturday 27 April, Ballycullen Farm Forest, Co. Wicklow
- Pro Silva Ireland Members Overseas Joint Study Tour with CCFG UK members: 6-9 June, Piedmont and Aosta Valley Region in North West Italy
- Pro Silva Ireland Autumn Field Day: Developed Continuous Cover Forestry Managed Woodlands, Saturday 28th September, Baronscourt, Co. Tyrone, with guest forester Phil Morgan.
Details of these events are below:
Pro Silva Ireland Spring Field Day: Saturday 27 April, Ballycullen Farm Forest, Co. Wicklow
Early Stages of Transformation to Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) in Farm Forest conifer plantations
Hosts: Sandra and Lasse Jorgensen
Expert Assistance: Ted Wilson (Teagasc Walsh Fellow and Silviculturalist) and Pavel Bednar (Pro Silva Bohemica and Silviculturalist)
This is the location of a thinning experiment started under the Low Impact Silvicultural Systems (LISS) Project and continued under the TranSSFor Project looking at the most effective ways of initiating transformation from even aged spruce plantations to CCF.
The site has had 2 thinnings and a 3rd thinning has been marked and will shortly be undertaken.
We will also see a Douglas fir site prepared for 2nd thinning, a 1st thinning in a mixed conifer stand and an early intervention in a poor quality mixed hardwood plot.
More details of this event will be circulated in April.
2019 Study Tour to Piedmont and Aosta Valley Region in North West Italy
Dates: June 6th to 9th 2019
Theme: Silviculture on Steep Terrain
Hosts: Pro Silva Italy
This is a joint trip being organised between the Continuous Cover Forestry Group (CCFG) in the UK and Pro Silva Ireland. We will be based in Turin. Sites and topics included will be Mountain Conifer Forest Management, Forest Management in Natura 2000 Protected Areas, Management of Protection Forests, Wildlife Management, Forest Mechanization and Timber Markets.
The cost of the trip will be €300 – excluding flights (which are to be booked and paid for by individuals attending), transfers to Turin and 2 evening meals.
Places are limited! To secure a place please send a deposit of €50 to Pro Silva Ireland to Manus Crowley, Treasurer, Pro Silva Ireland, 18 Marian Place, Bennettsbridge, Co. Kilkenny.
Recommended Flights are as follows:
Please note: members pay for their own flights and may arrange alternative routes to Turin but everyone has to be ready to join the group early Friday morning.
Prices listed below may have since changed.
Thursday 6th June
| From | To | Flight No. | Depart Time | Arrive Time | Current Price |
| Dublin | London Gatwick | EI232 (Aer Lingus) | 8.40 | 10.15 | €51.74 |
| From | To | Flight No. | Depart Time | Arrive Time | Current Price |
| London Gatwick | Turin | BA2576 (British Airways) | 13.25 | 16.20 | £40 STG |
Sunday 8th June
| From | To | Flight No. | Depart Time | Arrive Time | Current Price |
| Turin | London Gatwick | BA2578 (British Airways) | 16.40 | 19.25 | £35 STG |
| From | To | Flight No. | Depart Time | Arrive Time | Current Price |
| London Gatwick | Dublin | EI249 (Aer Lingus) | 22.40 | 23.55 | €29.99 |
Pro Silva Ireland Autumn Field Day 2019:
Developed Continuous Cover Forestry Managed Woodlands, Saturday 28th September
Baronscourt Woodlands, Co. Tyrone, with guest UK CCFG forester Phil Morgan.
In September 2001, Baronscourt Estate started a management conversion of its forest to “Continuous Cover Forestry” (CCF) adopting graduated density thinning and target diameter regimes. The aim of this conversion is to enhance the stability within the forest structure from wind, soil erosion, and climate mitigation. Also that a multi-age (uneven) and multi-species forest structure has significant economic, environmental, and social benefits in comparison to standard plantation forestry. Natural Regeneration is becoming well established although the resident herd of Japanese Sika deer continue to browse some favoured species such as oak and Douglas fir.
In 2003 the Estate was awarded the prestigious Royal Forestry Society’s ‘Duke of Cornwall’s Award’ for their efforts toward forestry and conservation management
