Forests, mountains, sunshine, and a sprinkling of snow…
NERM 2019 is off to a dazzling start. Bangor Forestry Student Association (BFSA) have organised an amazing array of field trips and events in the heart of Snowdonia, a national park in the north of Wales. It’s currently day two of a six-day programme so the fun has only just begun, but we’ve already absorbed lots of knowledge and stunning landscapes.
Tackling Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales was a nice gentle start to the week. The clear crisp weather gave incredible vistas of the surrounding open hills, sloping down to emerald fields dotted with livestock and intermixed with a few woodlands and sparkling lakes. However, being prepared more for rain than shine, we had some quality sunburn by the end of the day.
After stretching our legs, we then stretched our minds on day two, going for a site visit to a forest managed by Tilhill, a private forestry management company that is a generous sponsor of NERM. The forest was highly varied, reflecting the owner’s objectives of making a profit, creating a good place for recreation, and improving biodiversity. There were areas of commercial plantations of non-native conifers, but the tour focused on the ancient native woodland on the site. To protect this rare ecosystem invasive species are being controlled (particularly Rhododendron ponticum), surrounding areas are being replanted with native trees, and they are looking at ways of regenerating the forest and diversifying its age structure.
We still have so much to look forward to - community woodlands, coastal woodlands, commercial forests, learning Welsh dances, international evening, games, activities, and adventures!!! NERM is off to a fantastic start, and I highly recommend you visit Wales one day! In the meantime, check out our website.
