Woodlands - old and new

including

POSTER EXHIBITION and CONVERSAZIONE

to be held at

St George Hotel, Harrogate on

Saturday March 20^th 2010

“Trees and woodlands are important to all of us in so many ways. They help shape our landscape, clean our air, provide havens for wildlife and places to relax and have fun. They also provide us with a valuable timber resource and are vitally important in underpinning the future sustainable development of our region.” Felicity Everiss (Regional Director, Government Office, for Yorkshire and Humber) in ‘the value of trees in our changing region’ (July 2006).

The theme of this conference, an examination of one our major landscape types, is timely and follows appropriately upon the recent publication of the Yorkshire Region Biodiversity Strategy. How can our natural history field- work and research support woodlands? How old are many of our woods? What plants and animals are found in woodland and what natural mechanisms do they support in the growing and decaying process? Do the woods of north Yorkshire differ from those of south and west Yorkshire? The subject is vast and in the day the speakers will only be able to cover certain aspects of woodland ecology. Many members are undertaking studies in woodlands. Albert Henderson has collected a considerable amount of data on orchard lichens, but has anybody looked at orchards for birds? What is the role of scrub in the early woodland process? Should we plant up former colliery waste or leave acid woodland to develop naturally? North Yorkshire County Council recently requested field naturalists to collect data on veteran trees across the County. Again this is an area in which the YNU has been active, conducting several parkland surveys in recent years. One member, Hugh Kemp, has been engaged in practical wok on the development of woodland for nature conservation near Hawes, which now has Red Squirrel (F.T. Weekend Magazine; September 5^th, 2009: 35-37.)

Such studies will be among the variety of subjects treated in the poster exhibition.

 

The Conference

is to be held at the St George Hotel, Harrogate, on Saturday, March 20^th 2010, from 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. The exhibition rooms are available from 9.00 a.m. The hotel is about 10 minutes walk from the Harrogate rail and bus stations. There is a Northern train service from York and Leeds. The number 36 bus from Leeds to Ripon passes the door. Accommodation can be arranged by telephoning 01423 707601 between 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m, Monday to Friday. Please note: there is a substantial discount if booking bed, breakfast and evening meal.

Provisional Programme

10.30 a.m. Welcome and notices.

Morning session:

Dr Keith Kirby, Natural England. 'Ancient wood and veteran trees – what have we learnt in the last 35 years?' [Keynote address]

Professor Melvyn Jones, University of Sheffield. 'Woodland origins in a South Yorkshire parish'.

Dr Derek Yalden. 'What sort of woodland bird fauna SHOULD we have?'

Dr Colin Howes. 'Changes in Yorkshire's woodland mammal fauna over the past 400 years'

Afternoon session:

Crispin Thorn, Regional Director, Forestry Commission. 'The future for Yorkshire woodlands: a Forestry Commission perspective.'

Rufus Sage or Roger Draycott, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust. 'The impact of pheasant releasing on woodlands'.

Dr Peter Mayhew, University of York. 'Ichneumonid wasps in woods near York'.

Ann Bowers, Mid-Yorkshire Fungus Group. ' Woodland fungi'

 

Exhibition

Field naturalists are invited to prepare a poster display for exhibition at the conference on any aspect of the general theme: “Woodlands –old and new.” Contributors are asked to submit a note in advance of the conference, descriptive of the poster and suitable for later publication in a Conference Proceedings. Exhibitors are advised to mount their poster (portrait style) on A1 (or multiple thereof) sized card, available from most art shops. Posters should present a scientific account of some recording or monitoring, conservation or biodiversity aspect or issue. The organisers’ particularly welcome posters from students and others who are undertaking research. Corporate and society displays are welcome.

In order to plan the exhibition space, we ask that members and guests who wish to exhibit a display at the conference give us preliminary notice as soon as possible, but not later than March 9th, 2010.

Programme Co-ordinator: Dr Margaret Atherden, 22 Mulberry Court, Huntington,

York, YO32 9TU. Tel: 01904 766291. Email: M.atherden@yorksj.ac.uk

Conference Administrator and Exhibition Co-ordinator:

Mr J. A. Newbould,

Stonecroft, 3 Brookmead Close, Sutton Poyntz, Weymouth,

Dorset, DT3 6RS. Telephone: 01305 837384

Email: john_newbould@btinternet.com

Booking Form:

The fee for the conference will be £22 (YNU members will be entitled to a £3 discount for bookings received by March 10th, 2010). This includes lunch, tea and coffee, etc. Admission by pre-booked ticket only limited to 120, as part of the exhibition will be in the main conference room.

 

Please print out and return this section to J Newbould (address above):

I/we wish to attend the YNU Conference on Saturday March 20^th 2010

Contact Name ……………………………………No. of persons…………………………

Address........................................................................…………………………

......................................................................................................................................

Post Code..............…… Telephone No …..…………………

• I/we wish to sell books on behalf of ……………………………………..

• I wish to provide a poster exhibit measuring………………… or a table display measuring………………………

• Title……………………………………………………………………….

• I will provide my own exhibition stand Yes/No 

Please invoice my organisation. Our official order no ……….. is enclosed.

LUNCH - The following menu is available. Indicate your choice(s).

 

Do you require the use of a loop hearing system?……………………….

There is access for wheelchairs, please advise: …………………………

I enclose a cheque for £……. payable to the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union.