On the last Sunday in August, the woods management group held an ‘open day’. In the morning, the Tolmen Centre hosted a series of displays about mining history, wildlife, and how the woods are increasingly used for educational purposes by the primary school, and especially the preschool, which organises regular Forest Schooling sessions in the woods. The museum was open for the morning, for anyone with a more in-depth interest in the mining and quarrying history of the woods. There were opportunites for boggart making for children, and a set of fine photographic studies of the woods by Terry Swainsbury on show.
The anchor point of the event was a talk by Nick Jarvis of Working Woodlands Cornwall, looking at the recent evolution of the woods, the kinds of changes that will inevitably happen over coming decades, with the impacts of climate change, ash dieback and other tree diseases, and the intrusion of non-native species. A key part of the talk focused on the options for future management, bearing in mind the woods’ central role as a community asset.
In the afternoon Francis Gendall led a historical tour of the woods, passing on much fascinating information and many personal stories. Both morning and afternoon sessions were very well attended, and there has been much positive comment about the event, with Francis Gendall’s tour and Nick Jarvis’s talk being especially appreciated.
Over the coming months, the woods management group will be working with Nick Jarvis and Working Woodlands Cornwall to develop a Forestry Commission-approved Woodland Management Plan for the woods.
