In the third episode of the new BBC Documentary series, The Forest, will be on TV tonight Monday 22 January on BBC One Scotland, 7.30-8.00pm. This weeks episode showcases the life and work of people around Galloway Forest, the focus is on challenges from diverse directions.
Forestry Commission Recreation boss Archie McNeillie has a task for his team. A bothy that lies on Forestry Commission land, up a hill and off the beaten track is being renovated by a team of Mountain Bothy volunteer enthusiasts. They need to get building materials and a new wood-burning stove up the hill and have asked for Archie’s help.
The Forestry Commission’s Head of Planning Bill Fisher needs a bird’s eye view to check out a threat to the forests cash crop – spruce. A disease that’s killing the larch population could potentially mutate to affect the spruce, which makes up 70% of the forest. With the forest being 116,000 hectares, a helicopter trip is the best way to survey the landscape. The mission sees Bill find new pockets of larch disease in remote, inaccessible areas.
Says Bill Fisher: “When we first saw it, it was horrific…we thought…this could be the end of forestry as we know it.”
Down on the ground, on the front line of the disease the Forestry Commission are felling the infected trees and making great headway.
Chef Ed Pook moved to Galloway forest from Surrey two years ago to live in a yurt on the grounds of his sister Karen’s farmhouse. This episode sees the siblings plan to open a restaurant in Castle Douglas in an old bank using local produce in the menu. With a professional forager at his side, Ed picks some fruits of Galloway forest including Chanterelle mushrooms and wood sorrel, in preparation for a trial run of his menu at his sister’s farmhouse, inviting their architect, accountant and builders.
Deep in the forest in a specially designated area of conservation, environment forester Gareth Ventress is turning back the clock. He’s hired some traditional Horse-loggers to carry out a method called horse-rolling in an area of dense bracken. Crushing the bracken using a horse is less damaging to the soil and allows light and space for oak saplings and native herbs and flowers to flourish.
Says Gareth: “We are going to try to suppress the bracken a little bit so we can get some native tree regeneration.”
Catch up on the first two episodes of The Forest HERE
