Increase the biodiversity of your property.

In the upcoming Master TreeGrower course you will learn many things, including how to improve the biodiversity value of your property. You will visit revegetation projects on private land where landowners have planted trees and shrubs to enhance biodiversity.

You will also gain insights into many reasons landowners use trees and shrubs in the landscape, including shade, shelter, forage, timber and bush foods. 

The course focuses on real examples on small and large properties, and will give you new skills and contacts. It’s not your usual course and it costs just $200 for 8-days spread over 2 months. Try it – Day 1 is FREE!

• What: 8-day course for landowners using trees for conservation and profit.
• When: Day 1 Friday 28 July.  Continues Fri every fortnight.  9am - 4pm.
• Where: Northam (venue to be confirmed)
• Cost:   $200 (ex GST) - a contribution to food & materials
• Food:  Lunches and morning/afternoon teas provided.
• Gear:  Paid-up participants receive a MTG hat, MTG gate sign, tree measuring tape, course notes, certificate and more.

Contact Richard Moore, [email protected] or 0429 926 731 www.swagroforestrynetwork.com.au/

Fri 28 July
Introduction, multi-purpose tree growing, visit to a 'life-style' block and a broad-acre farm on which trees are used

Sat 29 July
Markets for tree products, environmental services from trees, brushwood for fencing, wandoo restoration

Fri 11 August
Measuring tree growth, importance of provenance, forage systems, feral animal fence

Sat 12 August
Preparing sites for trees, how trees grow, tree management, riparian and wandoo regeneration

Fri 25 August
Sandalwood - establishment, management, biodiversity values, matching species and soil type

Sat 26 August
SW Agroforestry Network field day, managing native bush, seed orchard and community nursery

Fri 8 September
Integrating trees into rural landscapes, trees for bio-energy, carbon storage aesthetics

Sat 9 September
Economic aspects of tree growing, partners in trees and revegetation

More information on the Master TreeGrower Program....

​On Saturday 6th May, almost 40 people gathered at the eastern end of Tanah Marah Rd, Margaret River to discuss options for blue gums after harvesting and a range of other topics.

​Notes on SWAN Field Day – Saturday 6 May 2017
Options after blue gums and more
by Gary Brennan
 
Site 1 Jeff and Stella Ibbott’s property 

The first stop was at Jeff and Stella Ibbott’s who have approximately 76 ha with 60 ha planted to blue gums, which has now been harvested.  In the next 5 years they want to clean-up their property by removing the blue gum stumps and develop a mixture of agricultural activities, including a 10 ha blue gum pulpwood plantation.  The remainder of the farm will be for grazing and growing sawlog trees.

​Cleaning-up the farm after harvesting 60 ha of blue gums has been a challenge for Jeff and Stella.  They considered ripping and grinding out the stumps, but thought it would be too expensive and decided to first kill the re-sprouting coppice, and then make an overall plan for the property.  For environmental reasons, Jeff decided to minimise the chemical usage and sprayed directly onto the individual shoots, using a backpack sprayer plus a spray unit mounted on a quad bike.  Approximately 30 ha of tree trash were windrowed to allow the quad bike safe access to the re-sprouting stumps.  

He had reasonable success spraying when the coppice was at least 1 m tall and had a greater leaf area to absorb the chemical.  Other issues faced were obtaining clean (clay free) water and working around strong wind conditions.

Jeff and Stella plan to continue spraying the coppice, but may use a commercial blanket spray treatment instead of individually spraying each coppice shoot.

They plan to burn windrows and areas of trash, and then seed the ash bed areas with a low cost mix of rye/clover.  

You can watch the video from this site on YouTube
 
A group discussion followed Jeff’s outline and experience.  The option of raking up the debris and allowing it to rot was suggested as a cheap option to remove the trash and return nutrients and organic matter to the soil, conserve soil moisture and reduce erosion.  A downside to this is the trash may also cause access problems and present a fire hazard.  Another option is to poison the stumps, wait until they decay, then remove them with a loader.

Davin Gibellini (WAPRES) summarised the returns from blue gum pulpwood crops.  Currently returns are less than $200/ha, down from a few years ago where prices were $600/ha.  Overall the markets are good with strong demand from both Japan and China, which should continue for the next 5 years.  WAPRES is contracting their operations to the high rainfall areas, which give higher yields. 
​
Davin said professional advice was required if you are considering growing blue gum, as the returns vary due to many factors. 

​Site 2 “Three Sheds Farm” - John and Kylie Everard’s property

This property is about 42 ha, after the sub-division of the Dempster Tree Farm.

John and Kylie want to convert most of their blue gum plantations to pasture for grazing cattle and sheep.  Harvesting occurred in late 2016 with site rehabilitation commencing soon afterwards.  This involved:

• Pushing up trash with a loader and burning it
• Mulching stumps with an E-mulcher
• Erecting paddock fences
• Levelling tree rows with a tractor towing a railway line
• Picking up and removing logs and sticks
• Disk harrowing across the tree rows, i.e. at right angles to the tree rows, and then ploughing between tree rows
• Liming, fertilising and seeding the paddocks
• Future work at ‘Three Sheds Farm’
• Manage coppice in a blue gum windbreak
• Establish other trees and shrubs in the windbreak to act as a visual screen.

John thought the E-mulcher for mulching stumps and trash didn’t work as the volume of trash was too much for the mulcher to handle.  It was better to push the trash into windrows then burn it.  He also found that the stumps in the burnt windrows were harder than those outside the windrows, making them harder the mulch.  After a mild trash burn there were still some large pieces of trash which needed to be removed in another operation.

The video of the presentation can be seen on YouTube.

Removing stumps can be costly, and can be carried out later.  It was mentioned that retaining stumps can be a problem when cutting hay as the stumps can damage machinery.  

Greg Hodgson suggested retaining trash, particularly in drier areas as this retains moisture in the soil. Brad Barr (WESPINE) suggested that leaving slash in the rows increased growth by 85 per cent, due to retaining moisture, nutrients and carbon in the soil, although this was a short term benefit.  He suggested it was cheaper to punch holes in the slash, than remove it, although this is only an option when re-planting to trees.

In the karri forest, stump-pulling machines were used in the mid-90’s to pull out re-growth karri trees and their stumps to help control the root rotting fungi Armillaria spp.  This machine was effective on a trial basis, but not used on a commercial scale.

Site 3.  David and Anitra Woodcock’s property 

This property was originally planted with blue gums and they would like to retain about a third as blue gums for timber and possibly eucalyptus oil production. Another third will have the coppice sprayed and returned to pasture.  They want to re-vegetate a wetland area and develop a wildlife corridor.  In the ‘north-east home paddock’ they want to plant ornamental deciduous trees and oaks inoculated with truffles.  Other parts of the farm will be planted to trees, including spotted gum, jarrah, karri, sheoak and other eucalypts.   

Following harvesting in winter 2016, David sprayed the resulting coppice with Glyphosate without dilution, immediately after cutting with a chainsaw.  This produced an effective kill.  

Bob Hingston suggested that ‘Round-up’ at a 10 per cent concentration is effective when applied to freshly cut coppice stumps.  Adding a wetting agent, e.g. ‘Pulse’, gives a better up-take of chemical into the leaves.  The best time for spraying is either side of winter when the weather conditions are favourable for coppice growth. 

The video of the presentation can be seen on YouTube.
​

​Site 4.  Wirring Ridge - Lesley Bremner’s farm

Following harvesting, Lesley was faced with a large amount of debris containing many large branches. Lesley’s aim is to return the land to good quality pasture with no stumps.  Stumps would be unsuitable for running horses.  While she didn’t want to burn the trash and lose nutrients, she decided burning was necessary.  The operations carried out by Lesley were:

• Burning the litter in-situ
• Pulling out the stumps
• Windrowing
• Piling into suitable-sized heaps for burning
• Using a finer stick-rake to push up for further burning
• Ploughing
• Harrowing
• Drill-seeding and fertilizing

 
Lesley made the following points about removing her blue gums:

• Blue-gums are very flammable - both green and dry.
• Well-grown, healthy trees are an advantage to the grower but a disadvantage in the clean-up stage.
• In certain areas it was found that pulling up the stumps also pulled up clay.
• However rough handling of the stumps removed more soil and clay than anticipated.
• Windrowing allowed the machine to roughly fill in the stump holes as it went.
• Size of heaps for burning and manageability became important.
• At the second push-up stage the use of a smaller machine (such as a Positrack) with a stick-rake left a cleaner finish as it had more manoeuvrability and could collect the remaining small wood. 
• Ploughing to mix the already-damaged soil.
• Choice of seed to provide feed as well as deliver organic matter to the soil.
• It is expected that fertilizer types will be an on-going factor to rebuild the soil over time.
• Good operators make a major difference and cannot be under-estimated.

The video of the presentation can be seen on YouTube.

Australia has a number of high density timbers that provide an inherent natural bushfire resistance Seven of these are defined by AS 3959–2009 as bushfire-resisting timbers (BRTs). They are solid, dense hardwoods that performed well in extensive fire testing.

The timber species have been tested and found to meet the required parameters without having to be subjected to fire retardant treatment. There are 7 hardwoods recommended by the building commission for bushfire prone areas

1. Spotted Gum
2. Red Ironbark
3. Blackbutt
4. Turpentine
5. Merbau
6. River Red Gum
7. Silvertop Ash

Jarrah has bushfire resistance properties (BAL 12.5 and 10 per all AS3959 applications; BAL 29 when used in conjunction with non-combustible wall cladding and enclosed subfloor. Exova Warrington have issued a fire Certificate of Assessment - BAL‒29 assessment of tested jarrah and karri decking used on a deck with an enclosed subfloor adjacent to non-combustible wall cladding in accordance with AS1530.8.1-2007 as appropriate for decks. 

This site gives a nice summary of decking timbers.

The gate signs have arrived, so register your trees and support your network.

SWAN is co-ordinating a register of trees on private land to link growers with any opportunities for saw logs, woodchips or biomass.  The register also covers native vegetation.

If you are paid up a financial member of AFG, this is included in your member benefits, but to ensure it becomes a viable initiative we have extended the register to include any timber growers for a small annual fee.  

This is the link to fill in details of your trees and plantings e.g. area, species, purpose, date planted, thinned, pruned height etc.  

Registration:
Free for AFG members -  just enter your planting details.
$50 incl GST for non-members - please pay online here

Other benefits - access to SWAN services including:

• The Peer Group Mentoring Program (i.e. support for landowners who want to use trees but aren't too sure how to start)
• Master TreeGrower courses
• Discount for field days
• Gate sign with SWAN logo

​Don't forget to like the SWAN Facebook page for regular updates on forestry and timber topics. We include a selection of the more popular stories in each newsletter.

SKYSCRAPERS MADE FROM WOOD

"..The age of timber has officially begun, and it’s set to transform the way our cities look and feel. I’ve always believed that every great movement in architecture has been born on the back of a structural innovation,” says Michael Green, a Vancouver architect who recently finished T3, a seven-story building in Minneapolis that is currently the tallest wooden structure in the US.  Read more...

STUDY ON SHEEP COMFORT AND BEHAVIOUR IN SILVOPASTURES
"...lambs in silvopastures actively followed and utilized shade from the trees. In addition, lambs in silvopastures spent more time lying down, while lambs in open pastures stood up more than two hours longer each day than lambs in the silvopastures.  More time spent standing indicates greater energy expenditure and greater discomfort experienced by lambs without shade. Lambs in the silvopastures grazed more frequently and more evenly throughout the midday hours compared to the lambs in the open pastures..." Read more...

SPIRAL GRAIN IN TREES
"The wood cells in trees growing in a windy area or on an unusually uneven substrate can begin to grow in a spiral pattern to give the tree and branches more strength. A spiral pattern can also develop to strengthen tree trunks tasked with supporting an unusually heavy or uneven canopy.
​
Spiral grain is more able to twist, rock and roll with the wind than straight-grained branches so that a branch is less likely to break. It also allows branches to more easily bend and move when burdened with heavy snow, to better slough the load.

A spiral grain also efficiently delivers sap and food throughout the tree when a straight grain isn’t sufficient. In a model tree (straight grain, living in ideal conditions), sap and food travel up and down a tree as if on a highway, delivering sustenance to branches and roots located in their straight line of travel..."   Read more...

Illegal sandalwood distilling plant uncovered in regional WA​
Authorities have uncovered a sophisticated illegal sandalwood processing plant at a property in Western Australia. The Department of Parks and Wildlife worked with WA Police to pounce on the clandestine sandalwood oil distillery last week.

Authorities remain tight lipped about where the illegal set-up was found, except to say it was east of Perth.  The operation led to the seizure of distilling equipment and more than 6 tonnes of allegedly illegally harvested sandalwood, worth about $260,000.  Read more...

MANAGING A COPPICED EUCALYPT FOREST

"..I like to describe pruning as being like steering traffic — you’re just directing energy flows, choosing what to keep and favour.

"..In my travels to Morocco, I have seen quite clearly the value of coppicing, where there are eucalyptus trees coppiced about every five years for firewood, simple structures and formwork props for construction.  In my childhood my father cut and distilled eucalyptus oil in a four year coppice rotation — the same as his father and his father did, so you can see how perpetual this system is, maintaining the structure and services of a forest while having a continuous harvest of varying products, instead of one harvest every 30+ years and clear-felling the lot, only to replant.

There is an argument that coppiced trees are of a lesser quality, due to the un-proportioned root mass, making the tree grow too fast and having less density in the wood.  Read more...

Paper and Print Is Highly Valued

"..Survey results showed that 88 to 91% of respondents agreed that, when responsibly produced, used and recycled, print and paper can be a sustainable way to communicate. Likewise, 85 to 89% agreed that when forests are responsibly managed it is environmentally acceptable to use trees to produce products such as wood for construction and paper for printing.

In general, people recognize the positive environmental attributes of paper, with 94 to 97% agreeing that recyclability is an important characteristic of environmentally responsible products. 61 to 76% agreed that paper is based on a renewable resource, and 86 to 94% agreed that new forest plantations are necessary to counteract global warming. Read more...

Plantation timber waste, a new source of renewable energy

"..unless Australian power generators begin using biopower, all of the material will be shipped to Europe or Asia, where the pellets are considered to be a useful source of renewable energy. Altus Renewables shipped 27,000 tonnes of bioenergy pellets to Denmark in October last year because of the lack of a local market. Read more...

Another three people have joined the SWAN PGM network since May with one of them already ordering trees for planting this year.  

Five mentees have already committed to planting trees this winter with the planting pushed back to at least the end of July after the dry start to winter.

More information about the Peer Group Mentoring Program on the website.

I​n addition to their 'Establishing Shelterbelts on land' fact sheet, The Australian Tax Office has released a new handout explaining the income tax consequences of engaging in forestry operations, including your entitlements to claim income tax deductions for the costs of acquiring, establishing or maintaining forest plantations often referred to as 'tree farming'.

This fact sheet applies to farmers who may also be engaged in other primary production activities on their land, such as dairy farming.  CLICK HERE to view 'Income and expenses from tree farming/forestry operations'.

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has released a fact sheet to explain your entitlement to claim an income tax deduction for the cost of establishing shelterbelts on land used for a primary production business.  

The one page fact sheet is hosted at http://www.basalttobay.org.au/publications

The ATO, in conjunction with the host, is monitoring the number times this information is accessed.

WAPRES has diversified their woodfibre business and is now exporting biomass from the Bunbury Port.  An agreement has been negotiated wth Tsuruga Green Power in Japan to export 136,000 tonnes of biomass in 2017.  

​This biomass has been procured from a number of different sources and are looking for more resource for this market and request growers contact the Bunbury office for more information.

​In the Winter 2017 Blueprint newsletter, WA Plantation Resources (WAPRES) chief executive officer Ian Telfer has stated that there is a "rapidly growing interest in woody biomass as part of the push for renewable energy.  Internationally this is becoming a significant industry sector."

He went on to state that "In WA there is a significant volume of un-utilised wood fibre that is currently burnt or left behind after logging operations.  This is because there has been no secure market for mixed species eucalypts residue. 

With the support of Marubeni we are now able to provide a market for all residues.  The benefits include economic returns to growers, improved forest management - through thinning, and fuel reduction lowering fire risks.  

Earlier this year, ABC reported that Mr Telfer has said creating new markets for biomass energy production would help the industry cut down on waste. He said operators always aim to use "as much of the tree as possible".

But Mr Telfer said small trees and fine woodchips, known as the tree residue, were difficult to make use of, particularly from Jarrah forests.

"In the Karri forest we have the opportunity to use [residue] for woodchips to make paper," he said.

"But in the Jarrah forests, a lot of the residue is left behind."

Mr Telfer said Jarrah residue has a lot of potential as a biomass product.

He said there was an increasing global demand for timber residue for energy production.

"In Europe and in Asia, there's increasing focus on looking to use wood waste and wood residues as a fuel source," Mr Telfer said.

"Particularly as opposed to nuclear, coal and gas energy."

Mr Telfer said Japan would be a potentially significant market as it attempted to reduce its reliance on nuclear power.

As part of the Master TreeGrower course, which starts in Northam at the end of July, you will learn about using perennial shrubs for forage. You will visit local examples of forage shrubs being used to help overcome the shortage of feed in autumn and to make better use of changing rainfall patterns.

You will also get to see and learn about the many reasons landowners have for using perennial vegetation, including for shade, shelter, wildlife, timber and bush foods.

The course focuses on learning from real examples on both small and large properties, and on gaining new skills and contacts. Contact Richard Moore on 0429 926 731 or [email protected] Try it – Day 1 is FREE!

​

The next ​SWAN field day will be held in the Toodyay district on Saturday 26 August.  

This will be combined with Day 6 of the Northam MTG course, so a great opportunity to network with the next cohort of Master TreeGrowers.  

The Program still to be finalized but likely to include wandoo woodland and role of fire in its management, and the Toodyay community seed orchard and nursery. 

As part of the development of the Forests For Life Farm Forestry and Landcare Program, the WA Forestry Alliance is seeking input into the terms of reference for an upcoming assessment into the financial considerations of the program. 

1.    Background
The WA Forest Alliance’s campaign Forests For Life sets out a plan for growing 40 000 hectares of trees for sawlogs in the South West and Great Southern. The trees will be grown in association with food production using established farm forestry methodology. An outline is attached. The plan has attracted widespread support and the next step is to set out the financial considerations and a business case for the program.
 
We will seek expressions of interest to carry out the research and reporting once the terms of reference have been developed in consultation with people and groups involved with farm forestry, landcare, timber and carbon markets and others who have expressed an interest in assisting with the development of this exciting initiative. 

2.    Draft Terms of Reference 
Prepare a report examining the financial aspects of the Forests For Life Farm Forestry and Landcare proposal. The report should reference case studies and include but not necessarily be limited to the following:
 
1)   Estimated establishment and maintenance costs of program
2)   Likely financial returns from sawlogs and thinnings
3)   Carbon value and potential for carbon credits
4)   Potential investment scenarios and grants
5)   Possible financial arrangements with land holders
6)   Potential markets for sawlogs and thinnings. Include consideration of existing barriers to sale of plantation grown hardwood and recommendations for improving market position.
7)   Recommendations 

Please provide any feedback to [email protected] by the 31st of July.

The video from the Manjimup Forests For Life farm forestry forum is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKKXIgHGgw8

In Zambia, the indiscriminate cutting down of trees for charcoal production is common raising fears of depleting forests. Most of Kitwe’s forests have been encroached upon by settlers, who are cutting down trees for charcoal production. Milika Mpandawire of Kakolo settlement said charcoal burners need to develop a culture of planting trees to replace what they are harvesting.

“The problem is that we only know how to cut down trees. We must also learn how to plant trees,” Ms Mpandawire said.

And Forestry Department acting district forest officer John Yowela attributed the practice to the increasing number of people that have settled in the forests.

“In the 1990s, we saw a number of companies being privatised and this led to job losses. That was the period when we also saw a number of people coming to settle in our forests,” he said.

To curb deforestation and protect biodiversity, Government enacted the Forest Act No 4 of 2015 in an attempt to manage forests countrywide with the full participation of community members.In addition, the Forestry Department is expected to train people living near the forests in bee-keeping to dissuade them from charcoal burning. Read more

Zambia's Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation will secure 50,000 hectares of land in each of the 10 provinces for the establishment of plantantions to transform Zambia into a major timber exporter.

Minister of National Development Planning Lucky Mulusa says the forestry industry can significantly contribute to employment and wealth creation if well harnessed.

“According to estimates made by ZAFFICO management, land clearing, preparations and planting of 40,000 hectares of land would provide direct employment opportunities to 40,000 seasonal employees,” Mr Mulusa said.

He said Government will also promote investments in the sector through public-private partnerships in environmental, forestry and other natural resources.

Mr Mulusa said the Patriotic Front (PF) administration remains committed to supporting value addition to wood and non-wood forest products in line with its economic diversification programme through industrialisation. Read more..

A new children's forestry play app has just been released in Stockholm. Developed for ages 3-9 years, Grow Forest is a city builder game and a mini game collection, in which children develop a wonderful, healthy forest community and learn about environmental topics in a simple and entertaining way.

Kids have to plant and chop down trees to create wood that you can use to build houses, roads and renovate buildings.  The forest provides a wealth of things to do and produce.

The main purpose of the game is to entertain, but also to pique the player's curiosity of the forest and the part it plays in creating a sustainable society for us all. There are no stressful moments in the game, and children can play at their own pace, never risking getting stuck at any point. Grow Forest is a fun place for kids to learn about sustainable forestry and environmental topics in a simple and entertaining way.  Read more...

Vertical forests are spreading to China.  Nanjing, Guizhou, Liuzhou, Shijiazhuang, and Chongqing are the Chinese locations where a horde of “Vertical Forests” will soon bloom. These buildings are based on two famous towers in Milan (116 and 85 meters tall) which host 700 trees and more than 20,000 plants. 

Two towers will be built in Nanjing: one will become a hotel with 247 rooms (108 meters tall), the other an office building (200 meters tall). They will feature 600 tall trees and 500 medium-sized trees. Once construction finishes in 2018, the vertical forest will absorb 25 tons of carbon dioxide per year, producing 60 kg of oxygen each day.

Liuzhou’s project is even bigger, an entire neighborhood with buildings amounting to 966,000 square meters of space, located in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. All of the plants are local and come equipped with a hydration system that recycles water. The buildings’ structures are fueled by solar and wind energy—enough to make them self-sufficient. In Shijiazhuang and Chongqing (the latter of which is the most populated municipality in China), the projects are still undergoing the process of approval.  Read more..

People living in proximity to forests and tree-based landscapes have better diets than their compatriots, regardless of poverty says Terry Sunderland of Centre of Interational Forestry Research.  The crucial links between forestry, food security and nutrition are examined in a new report, Sustainable Forestry and Food Security and Nutrition, commissioned by the Committee on World Food Security

Across four chapters, the report looks at issues including the types of forest systems; the specific contributions of forest landscapes to food security and nutrition, including influence on agriculture, water systems, fuel supply, and medicine; challenges, threats, and trade-offs for forestry systems as they relate to nutrition; and how governance can support the role of forests in food security and nutrition.

A major goal of this study is to increase cross-sector collaboration in order to address this issue, seeing members of the forestry, conservation, and nutrition communities work together to share and harmonize knowledge and promote good governance. Read more..

Drones to help with reforestation/afforestation.  Australian scientist Dr. Susan Graham has developed a pair of drones that have the ability to plant trees in areas otherwise impossible. The drones developed by Dr. Susan Graham work in tandem. The first one scans an area of land searching for suitable conditions for planting. The drone then maps the area and employs specific algorithms to locate optimal planting areas. These areas are identified as places with high soil content, with low obstacles such as water bodies or rocky areas.

The second drone is then sent on a specific flight path informed by the mapping drone with its seed payload. The drone can carry up to 150 seedpods to deliver in a single flight. The drones are being brought to market by Oxford-based company BioCarbon Engineering. 

The drones will be used in areas that make planting by hand or ground-based machines impossible. The drones will be able to be used for rehabilitation as well as forestry planting applications.  

These aren’t the only drones dropping seeds. U.S based company DroneSeed is working to develop a similar technology to allow mass seeding of forests. Currently, the company provides herbicide and pesticide spraying in difficult to access areas.  Read more...