News & Media

Here is an update from Rob Coltman, Senior Forestry Consultant, about a recent Forestry trip.
“Maydencroft sponsored the first Institute of Chartered Foresters International Study Tour in June of this year. The tour was led by Head Forester Cora Pfarre and was based in her hometown of Dresden, Germany.
The visit provided valuable insights into the forward-thinking forestry practices undertaken in the state of Saxony and a rich experience of the region's history and culture.
On the first day, the group visited Tharandt and received a tour from Dr. Ulrich Pietzarka of Sächsisches Landesarboretum – the Saxony State Arboretum.
The arboretum boasts a superb collection of trees arranged in woodland stands representative of their region of origin. Dr. Pietzarka provided the group with a historical overview of the site and explained how the arboretum contributes insights into future climate-resilient species and mixtures.
The second day was spent in the woodlands around Tharandt with representatives from the Forestry Commission of Saxony. The group observed restocking and stand management across various sites and noted stark differences between the forestry practices in Saxony and those in Britain. Notably, the state's largest clear-fell permitted by law is 0.2 hectares. The group also discussed the impact of Ips typographus, which has significantly affected the historically spruce monoculture-dominated forests.
A big thank you to Maydencroft for sponsoring this excellent event and providing the opportunity to participate. Keep an eye out for a more in-depth post about the trip, which will be published shortly.”
Picture 1 : Group shot
Picture 2: The trees:
Underplanting of silver fir within a Norway spruce stand to begin developing the next crop.
Picture 3: The bugs:
Ips typographus - the eight toothed spruce bark beetle – captured in pheromone traps to monitor population levels.