Cystadleuaeth y Sioe Frenhinol yn chwilio am y coetir gorau yng Nghanolbarth Cymru
Through its annual woodlands competition the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society has helped to reinvigorate interest in a cherished feature of the landscape of Wales. By encouraging better woodland management and incentivising farmers and landowners to plant, conserve and care for their woods not only for commercial timber production but also for environmental purposes, the society has focused on some of the ecological, social and economic benefits that woodlands bring to the countryside.
The competition is held in a different area of Wales each year. In 2010 it is the turn of the Mid Wales region which includes the counties of Brecon, Cardigan and Radnorshire, to compete for the leading awards among them the Royal Forestry Society’s coveted gold medal for the best of all the entries.
The competition embraces all kinds of woodland in Mid Wales from small areas of a hectare to extensive forests of up to 1000 hectares. Classes are scheduled for broadleaved, conifer and mixed woodlands or stands of trees of varying age and stages of growth and the judges will take into account silvicultural management and pay particular attention to improved management of woods over the past 10 years.
The classes include one for an area of woodland of five hectares or more where the system of management has been directed towards multi-benefit forestry including demonstrable environmental and social benefits. (The provision of public access, screening, landscaping, sporting and recreation are examples of this).
One section for farm woodlands covers the provision of shelter – including effective shelter belts from 10 to 40 metres wide – and the judges will also look at the maximisation of suitable land for woodland as well as farm timber production or commercial potential and biodiversity projects. Another class in this section, for community woodlands, invites local people who have created new or managed local existing woodlands for the benefit and interest of the community, to participate in the competition.
Next year the competition will cover woodlands in South Wales and in 2012 North Wales woodland owners will take part. The event will culminate in 2013 when all the winners of the previous three years will compete in a special All-Wales national contest.
Entries for this year’s woodlands competition close on March 12. Click here to download the Woodlands Competition Schedule
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