Principles: a code of conduct for the woodland and the hutting site
The North Cloich Woodland Site Principles have been drafted and cover values, behaviour and responsibilities, including:
Woodland; good practice, biosecurity, species selection and provenance, tree protection, monitoring, timely maintenance...
Environmental; good maintenance, approved compost containment, general tidiness, no disturbance, no hunting or fishing, control of dogs, taking all waste home, no biocides, protecting the biosecurity of North Cloich Woodland, dark skies...
Fire; use of approved stoves, internal & external extinguishing equipment, no fireworks or sky lanterns...
Social; neighbourliness, no loud noise or anti-social behaviour, securing site access gate, resolving disagreements...
Legal; recreational use, not residential, no hut rentals, upkeep and liabilities...
Hutters Association; membership, decision-making, maintenance of shared site assets, footpaths, tracks, main gate...
Abiding by the site principles is a condition of membership of the hutters association, and membership of the association is a condition of woodland parcel ownership. The site principles will therefore form the basis of an enforceable code of conduct for hutters.
Woodland; good practice, biosecurity, species selection and provenance, tree protection, monitoring, timely maintenance...
Environmental; good maintenance, approved compost containment, general tidiness, no disturbance, no hunting or fishing, control of dogs, taking all waste home, no biocides, protecting the biosecurity of North Cloich Woodland, dark skies...
Fire; use of approved stoves, internal & external extinguishing equipment, no fireworks or sky lanterns...
Social; neighbourliness, no loud noise or anti-social behaviour, securing site access gate, resolving disagreements...
Legal; recreational use, not residential, no hut rentals, upkeep and liabilities...
Hutters Association; membership, decision-making, maintenance of shared site assets, footpaths, tracks, main gate...
Abiding by the site principles is a condition of membership of the hutters association, and membership of the association is a condition of woodland parcel ownership. The site principles will therefore form the basis of an enforceable code of conduct for hutters.
Vision Statement
The Vision Statement is the guiding document for the woodland as a whole (including the hutting site), and will ensure that decisions made by the hutters association are aligned with the ethos of the project.
North Cloich Woodland Vision Statement 2021
Vision
North Cloich Woodland will develop as a continuous-cover species-rich native broadleaf woodland, incorporating recreational spaces for people and for sustainable cooperative food production. A haven of biodiversity, where wildlife is prioritised, where carbon is embodied in healthy trees and soil, and where people can peacefully develop woodland skills in a supportive community among the trees.
Context
The regeneration of North Cloich Woodland addresses the negative consequences of anthropocentric activities, including the destruction of post-glacial wildwood, biodiversity losses through habitat depletion, land use homogenisation, soil degradation, over-reliance on convenient fossil fuels, fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides, financial pressure for over-exploitation of land, the aspirational over-consumption of ‘resources’, unwelcome climate change, and the denial of collective and personal responsibility for behavioural reform.
Objectives
To promote the development of North Cloich Woodland as a biodiverse native woodland:
• by increasing the quantity of trees and other organisms on and in the soil
• by increasing tree species diversity and the diversity of other native plants, lichens, and fungi
• by increasing the resources available for the woodland’s regeneration and continuing care
• by bringing together a community of hutters as resourceful and motivated woodland stewards, investing time, energy, skills and knowledge, planting and caring for trees
• by preserving and increasing soil carbon through sensitive woodland management, avoiding soil compaction and contributing to the natural long-term processes of soil development
To limit carbon emissions from woodland management and from the hut site:
• by the provision of timber-built huts of low life-cycle embodied energy, affording overnight accommodation, so reducing the frequency and increasing the productivity of travel to and from North Cloich Woodland
• by encouraging shared and active travel to and from North Cloich
• by working with hand tools rather than power tools whenever practical, with secure tool storage in the woodland huts
• by consuming less energy and using renewable energy sources
To grow better trees in a more complex diverse woodland:
• by strong biosecurity measure and control of invasive species
• by reference to North Cloich Woodland guidance on the management of the woodland parcels
• by maintaining multi-species tree cover continuously, with layered planting, interplanting, coppicing, selectively felling single trees or harvesting timber from small groups of trees
• by increasing the carbon capture of the woodland by planting and managing long-lived trees to produce high quality durable timber
• by allowing selected trees to remain standing longer than their natural lifespan without being felled
• by consideration of beneficial interactions between adjoining woodland parcels
To realise some economic return from the woodland:
• by adding value to products of the woodland through practical onsite activities
• by consuming edibles from the woodland in place of purchased alternatives
• by sustainably harvesting non-timber forest products
• by growing some fuelwood to warm the huts
• by eventually harvesting some saleable hardwood timber
To provide opportunities for people:
• by creating a beautiful, peaceful environment in which individuals can immerse and de-stress
• by correcting the negative effects on mental well being of the separation of people from nature
• by learning from experiences close to nature, observing and listening to natural processes
• by preserving North Cloich Woodland’s dark skies for stargazing and reinforcing natural day/night rhythms
• by co-operation between hutters sharing knowledge and working together growing edible plants and non-timber forest products within the hut site’s ‘forest garden’
• by creating a mutually supportive community of individuals with positive interactions and a Hutters Association functioning by agreement through consent (a sociocratic decision process)
• by enabling wider inclusive engagement in the woodland with one hut and one parking space reserved for local charities
• by respecting local residents who have devised successful ways to live and work in the North Cloich area today and in the past
North Cloich Woodland Vision Statement 2021
Vision
North Cloich Woodland will develop as a continuous-cover species-rich native broadleaf woodland, incorporating recreational spaces for people and for sustainable cooperative food production. A haven of biodiversity, where wildlife is prioritised, where carbon is embodied in healthy trees and soil, and where people can peacefully develop woodland skills in a supportive community among the trees.
Context
The regeneration of North Cloich Woodland addresses the negative consequences of anthropocentric activities, including the destruction of post-glacial wildwood, biodiversity losses through habitat depletion, land use homogenisation, soil degradation, over-reliance on convenient fossil fuels, fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides, financial pressure for over-exploitation of land, the aspirational over-consumption of ‘resources’, unwelcome climate change, and the denial of collective and personal responsibility for behavioural reform.
Objectives
To promote the development of North Cloich Woodland as a biodiverse native woodland:
• by increasing the quantity of trees and other organisms on and in the soil
• by increasing tree species diversity and the diversity of other native plants, lichens, and fungi
• by increasing the resources available for the woodland’s regeneration and continuing care
• by bringing together a community of hutters as resourceful and motivated woodland stewards, investing time, energy, skills and knowledge, planting and caring for trees
• by preserving and increasing soil carbon through sensitive woodland management, avoiding soil compaction and contributing to the natural long-term processes of soil development
To limit carbon emissions from woodland management and from the hut site:
• by the provision of timber-built huts of low life-cycle embodied energy, affording overnight accommodation, so reducing the frequency and increasing the productivity of travel to and from North Cloich Woodland
• by encouraging shared and active travel to and from North Cloich
• by working with hand tools rather than power tools whenever practical, with secure tool storage in the woodland huts
• by consuming less energy and using renewable energy sources
To grow better trees in a more complex diverse woodland:
• by strong biosecurity measure and control of invasive species
• by reference to North Cloich Woodland guidance on the management of the woodland parcels
• by maintaining multi-species tree cover continuously, with layered planting, interplanting, coppicing, selectively felling single trees or harvesting timber from small groups of trees
• by increasing the carbon capture of the woodland by planting and managing long-lived trees to produce high quality durable timber
• by allowing selected trees to remain standing longer than their natural lifespan without being felled
• by consideration of beneficial interactions between adjoining woodland parcels
To realise some economic return from the woodland:
• by adding value to products of the woodland through practical onsite activities
• by consuming edibles from the woodland in place of purchased alternatives
• by sustainably harvesting non-timber forest products
• by growing some fuelwood to warm the huts
• by eventually harvesting some saleable hardwood timber
To provide opportunities for people:
• by creating a beautiful, peaceful environment in which individuals can immerse and de-stress
• by correcting the negative effects on mental well being of the separation of people from nature
• by learning from experiences close to nature, observing and listening to natural processes
• by preserving North Cloich Woodland’s dark skies for stargazing and reinforcing natural day/night rhythms
• by co-operation between hutters sharing knowledge and working together growing edible plants and non-timber forest products within the hut site’s ‘forest garden’
• by creating a mutually supportive community of individuals with positive interactions and a Hutters Association functioning by agreement through consent (a sociocratic decision process)
• by enabling wider inclusive engagement in the woodland with one hut and one parking space reserved for local charities
• by respecting local residents who have devised successful ways to live and work in the North Cloich area today and in the past
Next: Sustainable Travel
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