Forest Machine Magazine - January 2024 - Issue 44 by forestmachinemagazine

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WELCOME RAB EASTON Editor

ell winter has certainly arrived with a bang; our first snowfall and freezing temperatures have arrived here in the central belt. I don my cap to the timber haulers out there. It’s bad enough getting in and out of the forest in a four-wheel drive but manoeuvring a 44-tonne timber truck successfully down a narrow mountainous forest road in slippery conditions takes guts. I have come to the conclusion that overseas travelling is becoming more of a hassle than a pleasure. We had a quick jaunt to Germany to see a tree shear demo and it was not a particularly enjoyable trip. As soon as we had cleared security, we were notified that the plane to Frankfurt was delayed, and we took off about an hour later than planned. Landing and clearing passport control was without problems but we were then late for the hire car and ours had gone. I didn’t want to wait for another so I paid extra for one that was available so we could get straight on our way. Not that I was eager to drive in the dark, on the wrong side of the road,and in the snow.

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Flying home Wendy was not best pleased as her case was flagged up, Last time that happened she was told she was in possession of a lethal weapon, which turned out to be her hairbrush! This time the mean looking cop carrying a machine gun was summoned over. Her case was checked for explosives, tipped out and dirty washing pulled out of her boots. The offending item, her camera tripod which has always travelled before without hindrance. After repacking the case, which is not easy at Frankfurt security as there are no places to repack it - we made it to the departure lounge. This flight was also delayed! Arriving back at Edinburgh we got in the car to head for home. I had prepaid for the airport parking but on getting to the exit they wanted another £65. This was the final straw, I got the parking guy on the intercom, and after arguing my case, he eventually gave in and opened the barrier for me. You can be rest assured that I don’t want to travel overseas anytime soon lol.

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I hope you all have a great Christmas and a prosperous new year. January 2024

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January 2024

CONTENTS NEWS 18

New Grants Available: The latest round of Seed Sourcing Grants and Tree Production Capital Grants open.

World Wide Wood: We look at the latest issues from across the globe that impacts on all our timber markets.

FEATURES 26

Sunnier Climes: Komatsu Forest’s harvester and forwarder arrive in Tenerife to help reduce the risk of further forest fires.

Readers Gallery: Another great selection of photos from our social media followers.

Jingle Bells: We look at the history of why people decorated their houses at Christmas time.

Smartcharger Station Opens: Einride paves the way for electric road freight with new Smartcharger station.

Shaping Up: Duncan Gillies Jnr shares how his idea for Forestry fit came to fruition.

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NEWS

NEW HUSQVARNA 562 XP® MARK II

usqvarna, a name synonymous with professional excellence, announces the advancement of their legendary product line-up with the launch of the 562 XP® Mark II. This unveiling marks a new era in chainsaw innovation, leveraging Husqvarna’s expertise in tree care and engineering to design a product that dominates in even the most challenging work environments. The result is a new generation of Husqvarna chainsaws that is easy to handle and tough to beat. The 562 XP® Mark II features a new and improved engine design plus AutoTune™ 3.0 technology for easier starting. It boasts an enhanced power-toweight ratio and an ergonomic body design for unbeatable handling and manoeuvrability. Moreover, it delivers an extended runtime, with up to 8% less fuel consumption when compared to the previous generation. “The 562 has been a trusted member of Husqvarna’s

professional chainsaw lineup for years,” said Keith Coultrap, senior director, professional brand with Husqvarna Group. “With the 562 XP® Mark II, we have taken dependability to a new level. We are confident that tree care professionals will appreciate how this saw helps maximize their output and productivity.” The 562 XP® Mark II is more than just an upgrade; it is a testament to relentless improvement. Nearly every

facet of its design has been fine-tuned to increase durability, improve cutting capacity, reduce weight, and enhance cooling. The result? Unparalleled productivity and uncompromising reliability. The 562 XP® Mark II is now available at your local Husqvarna dealer. Learn more about the 562 XP® Mark II, and Husqvarna’s entire roster of innovative tree professional solutions, by visiting Husqvarna.com

PONSSE PREPARES FOR PRODUCTION ADAPTATIONS

BY INITIATING COOPERATION NEGOTIATIONS

onsse Plc has invited its production employees in Vieremä to cooperation negotiations in accordance with the Co-operation Act to discuss measures to adapt to the weakened market situation. The company’s order books

have continued to decrease during the last two quarters. As a result, production adaptations need to be planned through possible layoffs. If the plans were to materialise, layoffs of at most 90 days per person would be required in production

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in Vieremä during 2024. The negotiations concern Ponsse Plc’s production personnel (395 people) except for the production personnel of the technology company Epec Oy and Ponsse Plc’s white-collar workers. January 2024

There is a new KID IN TOWN WANNA PLAY? bluetrack duro NEW version

For more information visit: www.pewag.com or email us: UK@pewagforestry.com pewag Forestry UK Ltd. Registered Office: 1 Tatton Court, Kingsland Grange, Warrington, Cheshire, England, WA1 4RR Registered in England Company No: 14625326

NEWS

GIANT GLASSHOUSE TO GROW TREES FOR FUTURE FORESTS

new glasshouse that’s almost as big as two football pitches and capable of producing up to 19 million trees a year for planting out into the forests of the future, will soon be built at a nursery in Scotland.

low energy use technologies have been incorporated into the building design, while solar panels will supplement electricity use.

The stock produced - mostly conifer species such as Lodge Pole Pine, Scots Pine, Sitka Forestry & Land Scotland’s (FLS) and Norway Spruce – is the Newton Nursery is set for a backbone of Scotland’s forestry major modernisation in 2024 industry which adds £1 billion to that will see the nursery provide the economy every year. These more trees to support Scotland’s trees will be planted out into ambitious tree planting targets existing forests all over Scotland while also providing FLS with as older trees are felled and to greater self-sufficiency. create new forests of the future. The new 1200m² glasshouse The resulting wood products will near Elgin is a central part of help the UK reduce its reliance the redevelopment that also on imported timber, reducing includes new offices, a new pressure on vulnerable forests distribution and operations around the world. centre. Once the redevelopment is Growing trees from seed complete, Newton could have inside the glasshouse that are up to 25 million trees in any one currently grown outdoors in year, growing on site. Some will fields, will allow FLS to have be newly planted and others much better control over will be more than a year old and the growing environment, ready to send to forests around meaning the seedlings are less Scotland. vulnerable to damage from extreme weather events and Speaking about the nursery’s competition from weeds. Trials expansion and the anniversary, indicate germination rates Alan Duncan, FLS’s Head of could be improved by 60%, Plant & Seed Supply, said: “This demonstrating a much more modernisation will allow us efficient use of valuable seeds. to continue developing new techniques for growing, planting Energy and resource efficiency and harvesting trees for forests is core to the redevelopment: now and in the future, to boreholes will supply water to increase woodland cover and irrigate the seedlings so there to help mitigate the impacts of will no new demand on the climate change. Innovation and mains water system, and experimentation are part and Page 8

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parcel of the nursery’s planning for the forests of the future: we already invest significantly in research including work on vertical farming of tree seedlings; Silvibio, an organic seed coating which saves 50 litres of water per seed planted and Plant Tape which allows us plant up to one million tree seedlings in a single day.” Last year Newton Nursery marked its 90th anniversary and this year FLS announced it would double in size, boosting overall capacity within Scotland’s tree nursery sector which is essential to delivering Scotland’s Climate Emergency response. The redevelopment and modernisation – made possible with financial support from Scottish Government – represents the biggest, single infrastructure investment ever by FLS. It should be complete by early 2025. Morgan Sindall have been confirmed as the principal contractor to deliver the scheme, heading an integrated design team including Edinburgh based Oberlanders Architects. FLS are also supported by Currie & Brown for project management and AtkinsRéalis for cost management services. The redevelopment will break ground in spring 2024, the first batch of seeds should be planted in early 2025. www.forestryandland.gov.scot January 2024

FORESTRY GRANT RATES INCREASE TO HELP TACKLE INFLATION

cottish Forestry is increasing the level of forestry grant support by around 20% to help counter recent inflationary pressures, particularly for smaller woodland creation projects. The announcement comes in advance of the Woodland Creation Summit which is being chaired by Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon. The summit is bringing together leaders from across the forestry, land-use, environmental and community sectors to work on further actions to boost woodland creation rates in Scotland.

The increase in grant rates will include a number of new measures across the Forestry Grant Scheme. Some key new changes include: •

•

An extra £750 per ha for the first 40 ha of woodland creation in most parts of Scotland: Extending the high cost deer fencing option throughout Scotland – increasing this by £2.30 per metre to £9.90 per metre; Reducing the minimum specification for the small or farm woods option to make it more accessible to farmers and crofters wanting to plant woodlands of up to 10ha; Sheep and Trees schemes, which combines funding for woodland creation with forestry & farm road accesses, will now be allowed in the Central Scotland Green Network area: and Tripling the grant for manual or mechanical bracken control from £225 to £720 per ha.

Ms Gougeon said: “As I set out in June when the national planting targets were published, I’m keen to provide more support to help address inflation costs as that is having a direct impact for many on their ability to start growing trees. With a large percentage of new woodlands being created by farmers and crofters it is important that we support them as best we can.

•

“This increase in grant support should help alleviate some of the rising costs for materials which has been a barrier for some. I’m looking forward to chairing the upcoming summit as it will provide an important platform in finding other practical ways to make a step change in increasing our future woodland creation levels.”

Amongst the new measures to the Forestry Grant Scheme, is a doubling of the payment for expanding native woodland through natural regeneration. This new increased grant rate covers the whole of Scotland and now stands at £600 per hectare. This action will stimulate further woodland growth and help in the yearly

January 2024

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•

native woodland targets set out in the Bute House Agreement The grants boost has been made as part of the delivery action plan announced in June which is aimed at ramping up tree planting levels. Brendan Callaghan, Director of Operational Delivery at Scottish Forestry added: “The Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS) is a key driver in boosting tree planting and natural regeneration projects across the country. “We have listened carefully to the responses in the recent forestry grant consultation and during our regular meetings with stakeholders. As a direct result, we have embarked on the most significant changes to the FGS since it was established in 2015 and plan to keep developing the scheme to support the growth of woodlands in Scotland.” Scotland has ambitious woodland creation targets which are increasing each year, rising to 18,000 ha by 2024/5. This year so far, over 11,200 ha of forestry schemes have been approved for planting in 2023, exceeding last year’s total. The Woodland Creation Summit is being held at Battleby in Perthshire on 12 December. For technical details of the various grant changes, log on to the Scottish Forestry website. Page 9

ESTABLISHMENT

STUMPED IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

WITH KINGWELL HOLDINGS LIMITED

e need more trees!

In March 2023, less than half the UK’s annual tree planting target was met. Just 12,960 ha of new woodlands were created from the 30,000ha target. The Government has zero chance of meeting its future tree planting targets thus putting net zero ambitions at risk.

UK’s economy and environment and it’s a proven fact trees have a positive impact on climate change. The figures prove that we require more home-grown commercial forests to alleviate our imports so why are we not hitting our targets?

The UK currently imports 81% of the timber we require at a cost of more than £11 billion - makes you wonder why we constantly have such large roadside stocks on harvesting sites, but that’s an argument for another day. Timber insecurity is bad for the

In the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, the Forestry Commission had a massive planting program which supplies the timber we harvest today. We appear though to have gone backwards since hitting this tree planting peak and it makes you wonder why the Government decided this wasn’t important. Creating new forests and woodlands are essential, but re-stocking sites

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which have been clear felled are equally as important for our timber reserves. Successful replanting of a clearfelled site begins at the ground preparation stage. Kingwell Holdings, a specialist ground care company, have vast experience in preparing ground for replanting. The Essex-based company have developed a range of machinery and techniques to handle every type of de-stumping project. Kingwell Holdings bought the assets from RGL Plant (Moffat) Ltd. in 2018, which now operate under RGL Forestry Ltd., but Bob and Justin remain very good January 2024

friends and RGL Forestry continues to operate with close cooperation of Bob Little who founded the original company in the early 1970’s. All the current machinery on the RGL Forestry fleet has been designed and built by Bob and his team at the Burnfoot Yard in Moffat and the transformation of the original “Bogmaster” mulcher into the stump auger was also carried out there. Bob and his team are old-school engineers who understand exactly the rigorous demands that are required of the equipment they design and manufacture. They have a “never be beat” mentality where they can implement practical solutions for any challenges that may occur. We were invited to see the latest Stump Grinder first hand as it was working at Rosal forest in central Sutherland. Rosal was once a thriving community of crofters who raised crops, animals and children. They were subjected to the Highland Clearances from 1750 to 1860 once the landowners realised that they could make money by offering the land for grazing sheep. Some were voluntary, but the majority by force and included burning their cottages so they couldn’t return. Many of the Highlanders left to start a new life in Canada, America, Australia, and New Zealand. Some settled on their own farms or found work on sheep farms or cattle ranches. Some lived as hunters or worked in the timber trade. Others worked in construction, built railways, tried gold mining, or started their own businesses. Many January 2024

people today, living in countries like Canada and America, have Scottish ancestors who were crofters. There are still remnants of over seventy ruined buildings on the hillside overlooking Ben Loyal. Sutherland is a beautiful part of the country to visit with spectacular scenery around every bend in the road. The roads are quiet and in good condition, sheep and red deer wander along the singletrack road are undisturbed by vehicles, I know now why it takes so long to get to your destination. The weather couldn’t have been any better when we arrived at Rosal forest, there had been an early frost which had cleared to leave a beautiful sunny winters day. Justin Kingwell had travelled up to meet us with his operations manager, Samantha Thompson, and we were joined on site by

estate forester Phil Di-Duca and machine operator Michael Quirie. Justin started out in ground care over four decades ago and is an enterprising innovator who is continually looking to progress. He has a vast knowledge in ground preparation and is always looking at ways to increase the success rate of establishing young trees in restock sites without using chemicals. Conifer trees are at risk to pine weevils. The large Hylobius abietis is the scourge of foresters and has a preference for feeding on the bark of young trees. Conifers such as Scots pine, Sitka spruce, Douglas Fir and Western hemlock are susceptible, as weevils feeding girdles the stems. The remaining stumps on harvested sites are the idyllic habitat for weevils and a large weevil population can kill thousands of young trees on newly restocked sites. Justin decided to adopt a similar procedure as they did years ago

↑ Hylobius abietis can kill thousands of young trees on newly restocked sites. www.forestmachinemagazine.com

Page 11

ESTABLISHMENT with the Highland clearances where if you remove the weevils’ homes they will go away. Designing and manufacturing the correct machinery for the job was not an easy task, many factors were taken into consideration. The stump grinder would primarily work on clear fells, and some of the remaining stumps were the remnants of mature trees with a large surface area. These would need a powerful motor to drive the grinding auger. Another concern was ground conditions, Sitka spruce thrives on wet boggy ground, when you consider a Sitka requires on average one gallon of water for every inch of trunk diameter, it is not surprising that the ground becomes wetter from the time of felling to replanting. This machine is unrecognisable, it started life as a Daewoo Excavator, but almost every component within it has been transformed so it is now a 27ton bespoke tracked platform with over 400hp and a ground pressure of just 3psi, even with the 1.1m pads that it was sat on at Rosal. It was initially built to work as a 400hp mulcher with an RGL-manufactured mulching head, capable of removing trees in extremely quick cycle times and, I have yet to see any footage of an excavator-based mulcher working faster. During the wind energy boom of the last two decades, it cleared huge areas of commercial plantations, as well as numerous peat or wetland restoration sites and worked as part of a threemachine unit that for many years, was one of the best kept Page 12

↑ Ground pressure is an impressive 3psi, even with the 1.1m pads.

↑ The 3psi ground pressure can be further reduced on wet sites with wider tracks. mulching secrets in Scotland. Bob, his son Graeme, their engineer Wul and the RGL operators, were at the very forefront of mulching technology and dealt with some of the most challenging clearances in the North. With large-scale mulching on wind-energy sites largely replaced with fibre extraction and with SEPA concerns over leachate from mulching www.forestmachinemagazine.com

operations, it was time to wind down the mulching and in 2018, the company entered the next phase of its history when it was purchased by Justin. So, in 2019 after it had completed the last mulching contract, it was decided that it would make an ideal base machine for carrying the auger and begin removing stumps. On my arrival the Daewoo was at the roadside. After meeting January 2024

everyone, Justin took the opportunity to take me around the machine to show and explain the changes that had been made. One important fact he likes pointed out is that every modification that has been carried out was done with safety in mind, as lone-working and ease of maintenance were primary objectives in the new design. The auger drive provides vast amounts of torque to the cutting head and the entire front end from hitch to main boom base has been heavily strengthened and modified to take the extreme forces exerted on the machine from the auger. Despite this, there are still some further strengthening works planned as the forces involved can clearly be seen as the boom and dipper deform during the cutting operation. I think that a standard excavator would not last long with this attachment mounted on it. With the Rosal terrain making up a mixture of steep slopes, wet holes, and deep peat, all sprinkled with granite bounders and solid outcrops below the surface, a durable track base was another key design requirement and in current form, the machine operates at a very respectable footprint of just 3psi, for extremely wet areas this can be further reduced with wider tracks, if required. The standard undercarriage did not survive the first six months of operation and in a recent update, Forest Machine Services from Northumberland fitted extra track skis, and made other modifications to reduce track wear and lessen the risk of track derailment. These are designed January 2024

to keep the tracks running straight when travelling over rough ground and obstacles. The machine is a powerhouse and utilises a Mercedes V8 engine with 420hp, so is easily capable of shredding large surface area tree stumps in both soft and hardwoods. It is currently clearing areas of all sizes and species with an average cycle time of just 40 seconds per stump. The cab and upper body are almost unrecognisable from the original Daewoo. Next to the cabin on the front of the excavator is a full-sized door with a short walkway which gives access to all the inner workings and engine bay. Once inside I realised just how much thought had gone into the design and layout, with all the original electrics and hydraulics replaced. The hydraulics were laid out so that every hose and fitting was easily accessible, and the electrical system was at

head height so that if the machine did get bogged the expensive electrical components were at the highest possible point to prevent any water damage. Two hydraulic tanks and extra cooling have been installed so that the hydraulics run at just 60° no matter what the weather or how hard it is working. With all round access to the engine, hydraulic and drive pumps, servicing is a breeze. There is even a storage area for waterproof clothing, tools, spare parts and hoses. The fire system has been designed so that all areas are protected should a disaster occur. Looking underneath the excavator I saw that even the chassis had been thought of, it resembled the hull of a boat and would easily slide over any obstacles when travelling. I took the opportunity to speak to the operator, Michael Quirie.

↑ The stump auger will still manage half a hectare per day on challenging conditions. www.forestmachinemagazine.com

Page 13

ESTABLISHMENT Before joining Kingwell Holdings, he had spent many years as an LGV driver and mobile chipper operator. “I love operating the Stump Auger,” said Michael as he pointed to an area he had just completed. “Seeing the amount of ground I cover each day and the end result gives me an immense feeling of satisfaction, accomplishment and pride.” Although the area is remote, he has his caravan nearby with mains electricity, so Michael is quite happy in his home from home. There is a ranger on site most days and the phone works in some areas of the forest. A lone working procedure is in place and a satellite phone is on hand for any emergencies - although many areas of Scotland are in a remote location, Rosal forest is just an hour and a half’s drive to Wick General Hospital for A&E services and the air ambulance is stationed at Aberdeen which is just a short flight away.

Page 14

You can see how effective this machine is as soon as it is working. It works just like a big drill by planning 30mm thick shavings from the stump as it eats its way through. The boom has been significantly strengthened from tip to base as there is immense torque from this auger. It doesn’t look that fast when rotating but it is incredible how quickly it completes the task. Despite the powerful rotation there is no flying damaging debris. The auger bit itself is of a robust construction as it works on rocky ground conditions. Rocks can become embedded into tree stumps, so it was designed with this in mind and made so that it was able to withstand harsh treatment. The auger has well in excess of 100,000 stumps destroyed, with very little wear apparent. Blades are changed as ground conditions dictate.

still manage half a hectare per day on challenging conditions.

This was the perfect site as most of tree stumps were under the 1.2m width of the auger so they were planed in one pass. It was averaging about 40 seconds per stump, steep and soft ground can slow its progress, but it will

Phil Di-Duca is the forester for Kelpie Woodlands and manages Rosal Forest on behalf of Mackay forestry and farming. The Mackay family are one of the old Clans from the far north of Scotland. Their prestigious

www.forestmachinemagazine.com

January 2024

I watched it working for almost two hours and was in awe of the quality of the work it was doing. There are so many positives to using this stump auger: • Reducing the forests establishment costs • Removing weevil habitats without the use of chemicals. • Adding nutrients to the soil from composting stump plannings • Breaking up the soils hard pan which improves drainage and prevents topsoil erosion. • Root growth improves and the trees are much healthier due to improved soil health. • If scarifying or mounding is required, it increases productivity thus reducing costs.

SITE CLEARANCE, BIOMASS, STUMPS,

MULCHING & SHREDDING www.kingwell-holdings.co.uk

enquiries@kingwell-holdings.co.uk | 01376 550989

ESTABLISHMENT roots date back to the times of Robert the Bruce, who they once supported during the wars of Scottish independence. Their territory consisted of Farr, Tongue, Durness and Eddrachillis in the northwest county of Sutherland and they had roots in the old Kingdom of Moray.

planted with a mix of Lodgepole Pine and hardwoods in wet areas making up the remainder.

The family were delighted when they purchased Rosal Forest from the Forestry Commission seven years ago. The forest has a 10-year restructuring plan as much of the existing trees suffered from recent storm damage. A felling programme of 100ha per year keeps two harvesters in full time work and all the profits from the sale of harvested timber are reinvested. Sitka Spruce accounts for 65% of the new trees

It was well worth the long drive to see the Stump Auger working, the more you look the more you realise just how well thought out and built this machine is. It is an absolute credit to Justin, Bob Little, and all the Kingwell and RGL staff involved for the thought and engineering that has made this stump auger the reliable, effective, and productive machine it is today.

Phil is a big supporter of the stump auger and as Justin has been working in Rosal forest for just under a year, he can testify to the benefits it has had on his upcoming crop.

What of the future, with this machine now firmly established with Kelpie Woodlands? Justin answered that with a smile on his face. “We have the next RGL machine about to get an auger and that one isn’t going to mess about with 530hp on tap. After that, we have a 625hp Cummins engine and components in the shed, so stand by!”. It would be good if the industry supported projects like this that bring so many benefits to the table, as no grant money or investment cash has been put into the machine concept. It has been entirely funded by Justin. If this is of interest call Justin on 01683 248220 www.kingwell-holdings.co.uk www.rglforestry.co.uk

SÖDRAS TEST RUN OF NEW PLANTING MACHINE SHOWS PROMISING RESULTS

ödra’s venture in a new advanced technique for better seedling survival was recently field tested with promising results. Södra’s ambition with the in-house developed BraSatt 01 planting machine is to accelerate technical advances in forest regeneration, which could potentially lead to considerable improvements for forestry. Södra’s mission is to help refine and renew the value of family forestry. Improved seedling survival will create conditions for higher profitability for family

Page 16

www.forestmachinemagazine.com

January 2024

forestry, while also contributing to more sustainable forestry. “There haven’t been any major technical breakthroughs in forest regeneration since the planting tube. With Södra’s venture, we are giving the forest regeneration method a real boost and using a technique that is unusual in forestry. I hope this will have a ripple effect, so that forest owners can continue to benefit from more new techniques as we move forward,” said Anna Wallner, project manager. Södra has been running a project called BraSatt since 2020, which is based on the development of a new method for scarification and planting seedlings to ensure the survival of the seedlings. Seedling survival is a problem for all forest companies today. Södra’s current rate of seedling survival is 70–75 percent, which means that only three of four seedlings survive longer than three years. “In the project, we have created a concept and field-tested a new scarification method and a self-propelled planting machine. BraSatt has covered the whole chain – from planning to planting the seedling in the soil,” said Anna Wallner.

industries to find new solutions. The participating companies are Axelent Engineering, Bit Addict, Boid, Chalmers, CIT, DB MakerLab, Ebeaver, LUE Engineering and the Forestry Research Institute of Sweden. “In the project, we used a proven technique as far as possible and adapted it step by step in order to get closer to tomorrow’s planting machine. We’ve used a lot of techniques that are unusual for forestry, such as industrial robots, which are more likely to be found indoors on a concrete floor. In the BraSatt 01 machine, the seedlings are handled automatically by a robot. We are therefore making a new technique available to forestry, and to forest regeneration specifically,” said Anna Wallner.

part of the surface compared with the current method. Another important part of the development process was to account for the human-machine interaction and factor in the operator’s role in creating a positive work environment. The operator’s new role will be to work together with the machine, to provide support when it asks for help, plan the work on the clearing and to work with plant care. Now that field testing has ended, documentation and analysis will follow to find a possible way forward.

The project also developed a new method of scarification that is optimal for the seedling and energy-efficient, while also leaving a relatively even clearing behind. This method affects a considerably smaller

“Even though the test results are promising, the machine is not ready for use. What we want to show with this development is that this is possible to achieve. In the next step, we need to decide what parts of the development that we need to prioritise and run ourselves here at Södra, where we can find partners and where there are technical advances happening that we don’t need to push,” said Anna Wallner.

www.forestmachinemagazine.com

Page 17

The autonomous planting was developed from the BraSatt 01 prototype. The aim is that the proposed machine will follow an overall route, find an accessible path through the terrain, select good planting spots, feed the seedlings through the system, scarify the soil and then plant successfully. Södra has collaborated with companies with experience from various January 2024

ESTABLISHMENT

GRANTS FOR DOMESTIC TREE PRODUCTION RE-OPEN

rofessional foresters, landowners, nurseries and seed suppliers are being encouraged to come forward for the latest round of Seed Sourcing Grant and Tree Production Capital Grants, which opened on Tuesday 5 December. The Tree Production Capital Grant supports efforts to build nursery capacity and grow trees and seeds supply chains for the long-term. Funding will increase domestic production of trees and seeds, supporting investments in expansion, automation and mechanisation of facilities and equipment. It has been designed to complement the Tree Production Innovation Fund, which provides support for research projects that enhance tree production methods in England. The Seed Sourcing Grant helps boost domestic tree seed production and support green jobs, helping meet the increased demand for trees and achieve our ambitious tree planting targets. Due to shortages of seed globally, it is vital that we improve not only the quantity but also the quality, diversity, and biosecurity of our seed supply.

• •

collectors Desk studies and field studies to identify and bring additional Seed Stands onto the National Register of Basic Material Planning and planting of new Seed Stands Planning and planting of new Seed Orchards

Examples of eligible projects for the Tree Production Capital Grant may include: • Intelligent transplanting systems; • Polytunnel infrastructure and equipment; • Seed processing and storage equipment; • Biosecurity investments such as water treatment and refrigeration equipment. AJ Paul, Director, Cutlers Wood Ltd, said: “Like many other agricultural businesses, we were looking to diversify. However, the capital outlay required to reach a commercial scale of tree production would not have been possible without the support of the Tree Production Capital Grant. The initial funding will help the nursery reach a positive cashflow earlier and so allow further investment to improve quality and quantity of production”.

Eligible activities for the Seed Sourcing Grant include: • Management of existing Seed Stands, to ensure they are productive for seed

AJ, Director of Cutlers Wood Ltd in Ipswich, applied for Tree Production Capital Funding in 2022. Over the last year, with support from the grant, the nursery purchased several

Page 18

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pieces of equipment to increase productivity significantly whilst also improving the quality of the trees grown and ultimately their success rate. Clive Ellis, Land Manager, Oxley Wood, said: “I’d already been thinking about how important lime was in terms of a national resource. When the Seed Sourcing Grant funding became available, I decided to apply to help bring more British homegrown seed to the market, as well as improve the ecological vision of Oxley Wood. I encourage all eligible applicants to come forward so we can continue to build capacity in the sector, to support increased tree cover and make our treescapes more resilient.” Clive, a woodland manager working with ancient woodlands across Essex and Suffolk, successfully applied for the Seed Sourcing Grant in 2022 and secured funding to help improve lime-dense woodland in Oxley Wood, Essex. The third round of the Tree Production Capital Grant is now open until 30 January 2024 and will provide up to £2.5 million of funding during 2024/25, subject to successful bids. The Seed Sourcing Grant aims to attract a broad range of applicants, including both organisations already involved in these activities and those who have not previously considered seed production. The grant is now open until February 2024. and will provide up to £260,000 of funding during 2024/25, subject to successful bids. January 2024

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EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

DC EQUIPMENT ARE SEEKING TO PARTNER WITH REPUTABLE DISTRIBUTORS TO FILL UK DEMAND Timber harvesting on steep terrain has always been, and will remain, a challenge in terms of economic viability, safety and environmental performance. For almost a century motor-manual felling coupled with Skylining has been the most used harvesting system, but new technologies and innovations have led to machines and systems being developed that are modernising

the way we operate on steep terrain. Specifically, they provide the opportunity for the mechanisation of operations with proven improvements in both safety and costeffectiveness. The additional development of cable-assist machines is potentially making a real step-change by expanding the operating range onto very steep slopes.

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A DISTRIBUTOR FOR THE UK CONTACT HAYDEN@DCE.CO.NZ | WWW.DCEQUIPMENT.COM

A MISSION TO CHANGE THE LOGGING INDUSTRY FOR THE BETTER

harvesting companies, Moutere Logging, Dale and Christine witnessed first-hand the dangers of commercial logging operations and recognised the need for change. Driven by the desire to keep their own logging crew safe, they began developing a mechanised grapple carriage. After an extensive design and trial process, DC Equipment began commercially producing the remote operated Falcon Claw Grapple Carriage. Over millions of operational hours, the Falcon Claw has dramatically reduced accident and serious harm rates in crews operating the equipment.

Over the last decade in the small town of Brightwater, New Zealand a story of innovation has been unfolding at DC Equipment. From a logging equipment repairs service based in a small shed to a leader in mechanised steep-slope and cable logging equipment, DC Equipment’s journey is a testament to persistence of technological advancement and constant improvement. HUMBLE BEGINNINGS It all started when DC Equipment was founded in 2010 by Dale and Christine Ewers. As owners of one of New Zealand’s largest independent steep-slope

In addition to that saw the need for traction assisted solutions for wheeled and tracked machines on steep slopes to eliminate unsafe manual tree falling and other high-risk roles on the slopes.

Logging

EXPANDING HORIZONS DC Equipment quickly outgrew its initial market, reaching customers in Chile, Canada and the United States. Their commitment to quality, innovation and simplicity turned curious contractors with ‘jobs to be done’ into lifelong customers and partners through delivering solutions such as the Falcon Winch Assist and Falcon Claw motorised grapple carriage. Since then, the Falcon Forestry Equipment range has grown to include HD camera systems, slash attachments for grapples and complimentary solutions such as the Falcon Tandem Carriage. It’s these innovations and practical solution-based thinking which is now transitioning the equipment brand as a global player in the field of mechanised forestry equipment with their suite of forestry equipment changing the lives of logging crews all over the world. We currently partner with distributors across New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Chile, United States and Canada. Living For

da lle

After using the Falcon, I feel a lot more comfortable on these steeper hillsides. I wouldn’t do another one without a Winch Assist… And having the confidence in it, that it’s going to get me where I need to go safely.

gi n sh g – Wa ington

“

Stangle – Ryan Ha

U.K DEMAND AND APPETITE FROM BRITISH LOGGING CONTRACTORS With interest and enquiries gaining momentum from U.K based contractors the steep slope operations, DC Equipment are now investigating the best method to cater for the demand. One of their main considerations is having the right fit distributor in terms of both location and also business. As the industry would know, having quality support is paramount to maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction and a critical part to successful harvest operations. If you’re interested in distributing and supporting Falcon Forestry Equipment, please contact hayden@dce.co.nz for more information. If you’re a contractor and would like to find out more information on their equipment range, please visit www.falconforestryequipment.com

Hayden Campbell – Business Development Manager, DC Equipment aid “The Falcon brand has been developed with logging contractors in mind. We [DC Equipment] have a history of logging, so understand the practicality of our solutions. The Falcon product range was built on 3 foundational pillars; to be safe, efficient and effective. The key difference with the Falcon Winch Assist is that it’s designed built with durability practicality and versatility in mind. Some of the alternatives may have a lifespan of 3,5 or 7 years whereas we believe in investing in one machine with longevity, giving operators not only certainty for ensuring the machine is

up to the task but also the owners, that their investment will last the duration they’re in business. When partnering with DC Equipment to distribute our Falcon Forestry Equipment, we focus on support and service. Not just for the distributor, but for the contractors too. They’re the ones who utilise our machines day in, day out and having support is critical to a successful operation. The benefits of becoming a distributor for Falcon Forestry Equipment are not only around offering a suite of solutions to improve contractors’ safety and productivity. We also ensure we seek out distributors that align with our values and putting the customer first. In exchange, distributors become part of a Falcon family which can offer exclusive products, are able to growth their business through cross sales and supportive revenue streams, and add value to their existing offerings”.

Channel

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS The future for the Falcon Forestry Equipment looks exciting with new solutions well underway which will be available to selected markets. Although not too much can be given away, up and coming solutions included a remote-operated excavator, an excavator-based hydraulic yarder and how the industry can adopt lower-emission technology.

Falcon Youtube

“

The benefit with Falcon is if you’re not using it as a Winch Assist for 6-8 months of the year you can do other jobs with it like digging deadmen, for your yarder, building roads… Advice for someone starting out in a [Falcon] Winch Assist, trust in them. The more I got comfortable, it makes it a whole lot easier being on the hillside where you’re not worried about sliding down the hill, trust in it, it will pull anything you need it to pull. Over the last few years it has become increasingly difficult to find employees for operating yarders and for hand cutting so having the winch assist where you are having one operator makes it much simpler than compared to having multiple people on the ground to achieve the same results. Ryan Stangle – Hadaller Logging – Washington

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n our effort to constantly develop our products it is now time to present our newest member in the SG-series. The RR-series is specifically developed to fulfil the demands for a heavily reinforced brushwood grapple. The base of the RR-series of grapples is the well-known SuperGrip-S series, which is know for its strength and durability in the most demanding operations. The RR-series comes with the same strong connection to the rotator as the S-series which means that you have the choice of both Ø173mm M16 or Ø203mm M20 bolt pattern. What makes the RR stand out?: • Grapple arms with optimized in characteristics and for long-lasting durability. • Heavy duty bearings. • Mechanical stoppers for the grapple arms. The Supergrip RR is available right now. Contact our Sales department for more information and lead time. www.hultdins.se

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January 2024

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HARVESTING

TIMBER

HARVESTING IN TENERIFE

he island of Tenerife is commonly associated with vacationing, sun, sand, and sea. However, in recent years, this idyllic getaway has often been threatened by wildfires. Now, a Komatsu 931XC harvester and a Komatsu 845 forwarder are helping to minimize the fire risk on the largest of the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa. These two machines are the first Komatsu forest machines in Tenerife and are equipped with the digital MaxiFleet service to enable smart nature conservation and silviculture. More than forty percent of Tenerife’s land area is protected by law. Some 19,000 hectares comprise Parque Nacional del Teide, the fifth largest national park in Spain named for the volcano Pico del Teide, which stands 3,715 meters tall. The risk of wildfires on the island is great, with about 3,000 hectares of forest destroyed in wildfires last year alone.

uncontrollably in a very short time in the event of a wildfire. If, on the other hand, too many trees are removed, there is a risk of land erosion due to the brittle lava rock. MAXIFLEET PROVIDES SUPPORT

To help keep the risk of wildfires as low as possible, a smart fire management system has been put in place. Accordingly, when deciding which trees to remove, the focus is on conservation rather than economic considerations. If the trees are too close, fire can spread

The head park ranger decides on a case-by-case basis how many trees are to be removed. MaxiFleet, one of Komatsu’s tried-and-tested digital tools, enables work orders to be created centrally and sent to a suitable machine. When the operator selects one of these areas in the machine’s control system, the necessary map information, such as roads, is immediately visible to them via the MaxiVision GIS service. Information on the locations of

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the trees to be harvested can be imported to the harvester and forwarder before or after the work is begun. When the harvester starts locating the trees to be removed, the GIS maps in the machine help the operator assess the terrain in advance, as the many steep slopes and loose rocks can be extremely challenging to navigate. MINIMIZES THE RISK OF WILDFIRES

Before the forwarder starts loading the assortment, the operator is provided with an overview of the area to be cleared. This helps keep the number of trips across the brittle lava soil as low as possible by always ensuring

January 2024

optimal use of the forwarder’s capacity. The GPS coordinates of the log pile, as well as the harvested quantities, are then automatically transferred to MaxiFleet. The park ranger can retrieve detailed information about how the work is

progressing as well as machine performance evaluations. The information from the machines is fed into the national park’s management system almost in real time. This way, together with the

sophisticated MaxiFleet software, the machines can help minimize the risk of wildfires while keeping both the park ranger’s workload and the impact on the forest floor as low as possible. www.komatsuforest.com

HARVEST

DRONE

irForestry’s harvest drone consists of a high-capacity drone and a harvesting tool. The highcapacity drone is 6.2 meters in diameter. With it, AirForestry are building the forestry of the future. With the drone, trees can be thinned from the air and then transported to the nearest road. AirForestry design according to a development process that includes traceability. It has a specially designed structure in carbon fibre and angled rotors, to achieve the precision flying necessary to carry the tool and tree. PROTOTYPES

The first prototype was 1 meter in diameter and was built it in just a couple of days. Not only did the rotor design work well, the drone impressed both customers and investors. The second prototype is 2.5 meters in diameter, designed with machine-milled parts and carbon fibre pipes and is based on standard quality components and control systems for drones. January 2024

The first test flight with cargo showed both good capacity and manoeuvrability. THE HARVESTING TOOL

The 60 kilo light harvesting tool is carried by the drone to the selected tree. Once in place, the tool grabs the top of the tree, hugs it, prunes off the branches on the way down and then www.forestmachinemagazine.com

saws off the trunk. Thereafter, the tool secures the tree so that the drone can carry it all the way to the nearest road. This is a completely new way of thinning forests. Thinning with less impact on the forest would contribute to more gentle forestry and promote biodiversity. Page 27

HARVESTING

ROMANIAN FORESTRY: A SUBJECTIVE OVERVIEW

o gain a deeper understanding of the Romanian Forestry sector we must look back a few decades. On December 22, 1989, Romania marked the end of the communist regime through a major revolution.

production of goods, trade, etc. - were controlled by the state.

From the period following World War II until the 1989 Revolution, Romania had effectively eliminated the concept of private ownership. Factories, plants, production workshops of all kinds had been nationalized. Similarly, agricultural lands and forests were also under state ownership. Everything belonged to the state. All economic activities - resource exploitation,

1990 was the year when the first private companies appeared in Romania. After the Revolution, the state began, in stages, a series of restitutions of properties that had been privately owned before the Soviet occupation and communism. The process of restitution is not entirely complete, and there are still claims and property returns happening today. Currently, approximately half of the country’s forest area is owned and managed by the state, while the other half is under private ownership – individuals, joint

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ownerships, churches, municipalities. Romania is covered by forests, accounting for 27% of its total land area, which amounts to approximately 6.3 million hectares. The forestry sector was not exempt from the transition of the Romanian economy and society. The Romanian state has adopted a total of 1,454 national legislative documents related to the forestry sector between 1990 and 2021, with 382 of them issued by the Parliament and the Government together. This means an average of 12 legislative acts per year. In this ever-evolving legislative January 2024

landscape – which continues to evolve – it is challenging to develop and, most importantly, to have predictability. Since 2007, Romania has been a member of the European Union, and public policies in the forestry sector have gradually aligned with EU directives. From a historical perspective, these timeframes (1990-2007 and 2007-present) may not seem long, but in terms of economic and social transformation, they represent periods of profound change, leading to imbalances, confusion, and hesitations. Managing change at the national level has been extremely complex and challenging because, in addition to legislative changes, it required social acceptance of a capitalist reality and the construction of democratic institutions, all at the same time. THE ROMANIAN FORESTERS ASSOCIATION – ASFOR IS ONE SUCH DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION.

ASFOR was founded in 1994. It is a professional and employer association that represents the forestry and primary wood processing sector. The Romanian government, following a model common to developed European countries, has entrusted ASFOR with the right to issue and, respectively, withdraw licenses that allow companies to engage in forestry activities.

in the forestry sector. The association brings together over 2,000 firms in Romania and supports the modernization of the Romanian forestry sector. The President of ASFOR is also a member of the EOS board.

international players in the forestry machinery market, such as John Deere, Komatsu, and Logset, are present in the Romanian market as well. CLOSE MONITORING

There are small forestry companies that still use draft animals to work in the forest. Many small and medium-sized firms use old articulated forestry tractors. A former forestry machinery factory, IRUM in the city of Reghin, has successfully privatized and produces forestry machinery at affordable prices. IRUM has a stable partnership with the company Ponsse. However, there are also companies that have automated their operations. Major

After the Revolution, timber exploitation in Romania resembled the Wild West due to vague legislation and newly forming regulatory institutions. Some entrepreneurs took advantage of this situation and mercilessly cut down forests. Logs were being exported, which is now prohibited. This phenomenon generated strong public dissatisfaction, leading to the decision at the state level to establish multiple forms of control. Today, there are not only institutions and NGOs keeping an eye on the forestry sector but also an information system for tracking timber masses. Each timber load is photographed and logged into this system with data related to the company, route, and quantity. Anyone on the street can check whether a transport is legal or not. Nowadays, things have calmed down, and illegal logging is at a minimum. However, surveillance still exists. The forestry sector does not enjoy widespread public appreciation, given its past image. Lack of knowledge about forestry and misinformation from unreliable sources also

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Other significant figures: the forestry and primary wood processing sector annually contributes to 3.5-4% of Romania’s GDP, and there are around 150,000 employees in the sector. In Romania, over 3 million households rely on firewood or wood-derived products for heating. So, there is a need for wood both in construction and in the furniture industry, as well as for heating. In this context, the machinery used in the Romanian forestry sector is highly diverse.

From this perspective, ASFOR has been and continues to be a steadfast advocate for forests and the companies operating January 2024

HARVESTING weigh heavily. MODERNIZATION IS NEEDED.

Returning to ASFOR, we can say that their efforts have borne fruit. For the first time in the past 33 years, financing is available for the forestry sector. Through the National Strategic Program (PNS), a support scheme of 89 million euros has been created for the purchase of modern and environmentally friendly forestry machinery, which will come into effect next year.

constructing skyscrapers and wooden neighbourhoods. Romania is considered a model of best practices in forestry within the European Union, thanks to its ancient forests and biodiversity. However, foresters advocate for a just balance between the three roles of the forest: environmental, social, and economic. The contribution of Romania’s forestry sector to the national economy and the

fight against climate change through the utilization of this renewable resource, wood, can be greater. On the other hand, there is a need to reduce the gap between Romanian companies and those in developed countries, all of which compete in the same European or global market. Gina Artenie www.forestmania.ro

The number of innovation programs has also increased. Romania has excellent forestry schools. As evidence, there are Romanians on the staff of major foreign companies or institutions in the industry, such as Stora Enso or EFI. But there’s more: PRO WOOD, the Regional Timber Cluster in Sfântu Gheorghe, Covasna County, is one of the promoters of innovation and modernization in the forestry sector. Established in 2010, it aims to create a broad partnership to support enterprises in the timber exploitation, semifinished wood products, and furniture industries in central Romania.

↑ Wood processing, Covasna county. Forestry tractor produced un Romania (TAF). ↓

The PRO WOOD Cluster manages or partners in numerous European projects. One such project is Bio Wood Net, a European project worth 4 million euros (65% of which is European funding). Another PRO WOOD project focuses on internationalizing products from Romanian timber industry firms. State-of-the-art countries are Page 30

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January 2024

EXHIBITIONS

FORESTRY SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD

he past few years, and especially since Covid, I haven’t been to as many shows as I used to, and it got me questioning why this is. When we first started publishing the magazine, I attended lots of Forestry shows in the UK, Europe and even as far afield as Northern Maine in the USA. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to see the latest equipment and developments in forestry and speaking to manufacturers, designers and other like-minded people who are passionate about the industry. In recent years I have seen a big change, as less manufacturers are exhibiting, and visitor numbers are decreasing. I hear a lot of people blaming Covid, but in my opinion, this started prior to this and Covid just accelerated the problem. Before the internet took over our lives, we would head off to exhibitions to drool over the latest hi-tech equipment that would make us our first million! It was a great place to catch up with friends and colleagues that you hadn’t seen since the last show. New equipment was premièred under a massive fanfare and people liked to second guess what they were about to see. This doesn’t really happen anymore as everyone has a camera phone and a social media account. It is almost impossible for manufacturers to Page 32

keep their latest offerings under wraps. I attended a press event a few years back at Ponsse, to see a selection of their latest harvesting equipment. We were told there was a media blackout until a specific date, but halfway through the trip that changed as a member of the press rushed to publish it on his social media account just to be the first to report it. Forestry publications were another good source of information and contained all the latest equipment, latest news, used equipment and was an invaluable source of finding jobs and workers. Social media and the internet has taken over and everything is instant. Manufacturers no longer wait for an exhibition and machines and equipment are premièred from the production line straight onto the internet. Numerous videos of them working are available instantly for all to see with customers and operators offering good honest feedback. Health and safety is believed to be another factor for dwindling show numbers. Many shows now offer no live demos or any that do take place you often need binoculars to see them as they are fenced off and too far away. www.forestmachinemagazine.com

I don’t think this is the case so much with some shows, as at the last UK Forestry Expo live demos were held in a real forest environment with over 3000 m³ of trees cut each day. Attendance, in my opinion, was low as just over 3,000 people attended the two days. John Deere, Komatsu, Ponsse and Tigercat had impressive displays with over £40 million’s worth of equipment working. Although busy spells, it should have been much busier. Although a good show to many, I found the last APF a bit of a disappointment. The woodland area was out of bounds and the exhibitors moved into the demo field or tiny woodland area at the rear of the show. There were gaps throughout the event where exhibitors had decided not to attend. My biggest disappointment was that I hardly saw anyone I recognized besides exhibitors. At one time it was a struggle getting around. It was mostly forestry people that visited the show, and you ended up spending most of your time chatting away to colleagues. I think having it at the same venue each year isn’t good. The APF used to move around the country and was usually within a forest setting. Exhibiting is getting to be horrendously expensive, stall January 2024

prices are ever increasing, and you are having to pay extra for electricity and wi-fi, the cost of moving equipment, accommodation, staff and fuel costs, insurance and having to arrange a large overdraft to buy a burger! Don’t get me wrong, I am not having a pop at the APF as it is a brilliant day out for families and might even help to get youngsters interested to the point where they might consider a career in forestry, but for the out and out forestry professionals it has lost its appeal.

get up close and hands on with equipment they are interested in, and they are free to attend with food and drink often laid on by the host. The internet, social media and emails are great tools to promote these events. Letting people know what will be on display targets the correct audience. Every open day I attended was brilliant and I came away grinning from ear to ear as it was such an enjoyable day catching up with some of the great characters you find in forestry.

This year I attended the Swedish Forestry Expo, the large machine manufacturers pulled away from Elmia and hosted their own Expo, Royal Highland Show, Royal Welsh Show and the Confor Woodland Show and in all honesty, there is not one of them I would think about going back to again as they were all a bit of a disappointment. Next year is the KWF Tagung in Germany, the last one I attended was the best exhibition I had ever visited and one I hope lives up to expectations.

www.forestmachinemagazine.com

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Last year there was no forwarder competition, it will however be back next year, and unfortunately the pole climbing doesn’t create much interest from those not associated with arboriculture. The Royal Welsh, the Royal Highland, Great Yorkshire show, and numerous other events all have pole climbing and axe men displays, so having them centre stage at the APF just doesn’t work. The organizers are duty bound to create interesting and exciting events that will attract forest professionals so that exhibitors have potential customers to target and sell their wares to. More and more manufacturers and distributors are hosting their own open days or demos on their own premises, and I am finding these far superior events. Companies don’t have the cost of transporting their equipment from one end of the country to the other, they are not having to try and cram as many items as possible into an allocated space, customers can January 2024

PHOTO GALLERY

FRONT COVER PHOTO COMPETITION Winning photo features on our front cover and wins a £100 Amazon voucher. Send your photo in by the 15th January 2024

E: forestmachinemagazine@mail.com | Whatsapp: 07582 055 748 Please mark photos with the heading comp.

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RUNNER UP

Dougie Wheelan Page 34

Davy Wilson www.forestmachinemagazine.com

January 2024

Richard Doherty

Steve Burrell

Brandon Murphy

Phil Cole

Thibault Neyrat

Jose Torres Lazo

Joel Gordon January 2024

Ruairidh Johnstone www.forestmachinemagazine.com

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COMP WINNER

COVER PHOTO WINNER

GWYN ALUN ELLIS WILLIAMS: PONSSE ERGO

his month’s front cover features Gwyn Alun Ellis Williams on a PONSSE Ergo. Gwyn operates the Ergo C5 H8 which is equipped with a Herzog traction winch in North Wales. “I live on the outskirts of Tywyn, Gwynedd. I am 28 years old and originally from the Bala area. I gained interest in forestry from my father who has been mounding for 30+ years and I used to tag along with him on weekends as a child. Once when I was going to work with my father on a Saturday morning, I remember him stopping the van to watch a Ponsse Cobra working on a harvesting site. I think that’s where my love affair of timber harvesters originates from. I have been operating harvesters for six years now, and have always been on Ponsse’s as they are the strongest brand in Page 36

Wales. I enjoy working in forestry because it allows you the freedom of flexible hours and being able to be ‘your own boss’ running your own harvesting sites. I enjoy the responsibility of organising my harvesting site and relish working in the forest. Much of our work is reasonably local so I never really stay away, I am home every night. The area we work is north and mid Wales and the harvesting sites vary massively. Nice, easy sites are a rarity these days, steep ground is regularly a common theme which often requires a T Winch, or the Herzog traction assist winch. Whenever sites are not steep, they are usually awkward and will vary from standing sales to estate work. Since the arrival of the Ponsse Ergo in 2021 the timber parcels www.forestmachinemagazine.com

I work are usually clearfells but I have done the odd bit thinning from time to time. The Ergo is very capable and can happily do both types of work! The tonnage of the sites we harvest can varies from a 1000 tonne up to 20,000 tonne, normally most of the sites generally average around 5000 tonne. Since starting in forestry I have always operated Ponsse harvesters, but I will do the odd day on a Ponsse forwarder now and again to help out. The Ergo is my third Ponsse harvester, previous to this machine I had a Ponsse C44 H7, then a Ponsse Scorpion King with a H7 before my current ergo. I started my journey in the industry manually felling with a chainsaw and working a Skyline, I then progressed onto excavator mounding to gain experience of operating machinery in the January 2024

forestry. I then got offered a position operating a Ponsse Ergo by a local forestry contractor before moving to brothers Sion & Lee Lewis of D L & Lewis in May 2019 to operate their Scorpion King. I currently operate a Ponsse ergo C5 H8 equipped with a Herzog traction winch mounted on the rear that I had new in June 2021. I love the Ponsse product, they’re built strong, the heads are phenomenal from my experience from the H6 to the H8 they work very well, operator friendly and are very durable. The H8 and C5 combination make the Ergo punch well above its weight, the telescopic crane delivers phenomenal strength and the H8 head is a game changer.

at Lake Vyrnwy, Powys. It was a tricky site with a water supply reservoir at the bottom. The site was a larch Phyto site with some spruce and was harvested using traction assist winches and amounted to 5000 tonnes in volume. The company runs almost all the Ponsse range of forwarders from a Wisent to an Elephant King, and the forwarder following me depends on the volume and the distance to the stacking area. Usually it’s a Ponsse Buffalo that follows me which has a tilting king post which is a big help

in easing loading on the steep ground. My cutting sizes can vary from 2 to 8 sizes as we cut for a wide range of timber merchants. I think I will be staying in the industry for the foreseeable future, I have made a lot of friends and connections since I began in the industry and I couldn’t see myself working out of the industry now, it’s in your blood! My working hours are usually 10-12 hours a day 5-6 days a week.

The back up in my experience has always been very good, and by now I have built a good relationship with the Ponsse mechanics and they’re always readily available for advice or just a chat! The winning photo was taken January 2024

www.forestmachinemagazine.com

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CHRISTMAS

THE HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS GREENERY

he origins of decorating houses with greenery goes back even further than the advent of Christianity. In ancient times, people hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows hoping to ward off witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness. In the northern hemisphere, at the winter solstice, people believed the sun was a god and winter came because he became weak and sick. They celebrated the winter solstice because it meant their god was getting better, and evergreen boughs reminded them of the

greenery that would grow again when the sun god was strong, and summer returned. Ancient Egyptians worshipped the god Ra who had the head of a hawk and wore the sun as a blazing disk in his crown. At the winter solstice when Ra began to get stronger again, the Egyptians filled their homes with green palm rushes, symbolizing the triumph of life over death. The Romans celebrated the winter solstice with a Saturnalia feast, to honour Saturn, the god of agriculture. They knew the solstice meant that the farms and orchards would soon be green and fruitful, so they decorated their homes with evergreen troughs and temples. Druids decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life and the Vikings thought that evergreens were the special plant of Balder, their sun god. The tradition of the Christmas tree began in sixteenth century Germany, when devout Christians brought decorated trees into

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their homes. If trees were difficult to come by, pyramid structures made from wood were decorated with greenery. It is believed Martin Luther, a sixteenth century protestant reformer, started the tradition of adding lighted candles to the tree. He was mesmerized one evening while walking home, composing a sermon, by the brilliance of the stars twinkling amidst the evergreens. He wanted to share the beauty with his wife, so he cut down a fir tree and took it home. Once inside, he wired small, lighted candles on the branches and said that it would be a symbol of the beautiful Christmas sky. The Christmas tree was born. German settlers in Pennsylvania introduced community Christmas tree to America. The Americans saw them as an oddity and were totally against the tradition as they saw them as Pagan symbols. Americans were fined for hanging decorations as a law was passed in Massachusetts that made the singing of Christmas carols, decorating trees, or any other joyful expressions during this time a penal offense. As more and more German and Irish immigrants arrived in America this law was undermined, and people could celebrate once more. In 1846, the popular royals, Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert, were sketched in the Illustrated London News standing with their children January 2024

around a Christmas tree. Unlike the previous royal family, Victoria was very popular with her subjects, and what was done at court immediately became fashionable—not only in Britain, but with fashionconscious East Coast American Society. The Christmas tree had arrived. By the 1890s Christmas tree popularity was on the rise around the U.S. It was noted that Europeans used small trees about four feet in height, while Americans liked their Christmas trees to reach from floor to ceiling. The early 20th century saw Americans decorating their trees mainly with homemade ornaments, while the German American sect continued to use apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies. Popcorn joined in after being dyed bright colours and interlaced with berries and nuts. Electricity brought about Christmas lights, making it possible for Christmas trees to glow for days on end. With this, Christmas trees began to appear in town squares across the country and having a Christmas tree in the home became an American tradition. CANADA German settlers migrated to Canada from the United States in the 1700s. They took with them many of the things associated with Christmas we cherish today—Advent calendars, gingerbread houses, cookies—and Christmas trees. When Queen Victoria’s German husband, Prince Albert, put up a Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in 1848, the Christmas tree became a tradition throughout England, the United January 2024

States, and Canada. MEXICO In most Mexican homes the principal holiday adornment is El Nacimiento (Nativity scene). However, a decorated Christmas tree may be incorporated in the Nacimiento or set up elsewhere in the home. As purchase of a natural pine represents a luxury commodity to most Mexican families, the typical arbolito (little tree) is often an artificial one, a bare branch cut from a copal tree (Bursera microphylla), or some type of shrub collected from the countryside. GREAT BRITAIN The Norway spruce is the traditional species used to decorate homes in Britain. The Norway spruce was a native species in the British Isles before the last ice age and was reintroduced here before the 1500s. GREENLAND Christmas trees are imported, as no trees live this far north. They are decorated with candles and bright ornaments. GUATEMALA The Christmas tree has joined the “Nacimiento” (Nativity scene) as a popular ornament because of the large German population in Guatemala. Gifts are left under the tree on Christmas morning for the children. Parents and adults do not exchange gifts until New Year’s Day. BRAZIL Although Christmas falls during the summer in Brazil, sometimes pine trees are decorated with little pieces of www.forestmachinemagazine.com

cotton that represent falling snow. IRELAND Christmas trees are bought anytime in December and decorated with coloured lights, tinsel, and baubles. Some people favour the angel on top of the tree, others the star. The house is decorated with garlands, candles, holly, and ivy. Wreaths and mistletoe are hung on the door. SWEDEN Most people buy Christmas trees well before Christmas Eve, but it’s not common to take the tree inside and decorate it until just a few days before. Evergreen trees are decorated with stars, sunbursts, and snowflakes made from straw. Other decorations include colourful wooden animals and straw centrepieces. NORWAY Nowadays Norwegians often take a trip to the woods to select a Christmas tree, a trip that their grandfathers probably didn’t make. The Christmas tree was not introduced into Norway from Germany until the latter half of the 19th century; to the country districts it came even later. When Christmas Eve arrives, there is the decorating of the tree, usually done by the parents behind the closed doors of the living room, while the children wait with excitement outside. A Norwegian ritual known as “circling the Christmas tree” follows, where everyone joins hands to form a ring around the tree and then walk around it is singing carols. Afterwards, gifts are distributed. Page 39

CHRISTMAS UKRAINE Celebrated on December 25th by Catholics and on January 7th by Orthodox Christians, Christmas is the most popular holiday in Ukraine. During the Christmas season, which also includes New Year’s Day, people decorate fir trees and have parties. SPAIN A popular Christmas custom is Catalonia, a lucky strike game. A tree trunk is filled with goodies and children hit at the trunk trying to knock out the hazel nuts, almonds, toffee, and other treats. ITALY In Italy, the presepio (manger or crib) represents the holy family in the stable and is the centre of Christmas for families. Guests kneel before it and musicians sing before it. The presepio figures are usually hand-carved and very detailed in features and dress. The scene is often set out in the shape of a triangle. It provides the base of a pyramidlike structure called the ceppo. This is a wooden frame arranged to make a pyramid several feet high. Several tiers of thin shelves are supported by this frame. It is entirely decorated with coloured paper, gilt pinecones, and miniature-coloured pennants. Small candles are fastened to the tapering sides. A star or small doll is hung at the apex of the triangular sides. The shelves above the manger scene have small gifts of fruit, candy, and presents. The ceppo is in the old Tree of Light tradition which became the Christmas tree in other countries. Some houses have a ceppo for each child. Page 40

GERMANY Many Christmas traditions practiced around the world started in Germany. It has long been thought that Martin Luther began the tradition of bringing a fir tree into the home, but another legend has it that in the early sixteenth century, people in Germany combined two customs that had been practiced in different countries around the globe. The Paradise tree (a fir tree decorated with apples) represented the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. The Christmas Light, a small, pyramid-like frame, usually decorated with glass balls, tinsel and a candle on top, was a symbol of the birth of Christ as the Light of the World. Changing the tree’s apples to tinsel balls and cookies and combining this new tree with the light placed on top, the Germans created the tree that many of us know today. Trees are traditionally decorated in secret with lights, tinsel and ornaments by parents and then lit and revealed on Christmas Eve with cookies, nuts and gifts under the branches. SOUTH AFRICA Christmas is a summer holiday in South Africa. Although Christmas trees are not common, windows are often draped with sparkling cotton wool and tinsel. SAUDI ARABIA Christian Americans, Europeans, Indians, Filipinos, and others living here have to celebrate Christmas privately in their homes. Christmas lights are generally not tolerated. Most families place their Christmas www.forestmachinemagazine.com

trees somewhere inconspicuous. PHILIPPINES Fresh pine trees are too expensive for many Filipinos, so handmade trees in an array of colours and sizes are often used. Star lanterns appear everywhere in December. They are made from bamboo sticks, covered with brightly coloured rice paper or cellophane, and usually feature a tassel on each point. There is usually one in every window, each representing the Star of Bethlehem. CHINA Of the small percentage of Chinese who do celebrate Christmas, most erect artificial trees decorated with spangles and paper chains, flowers, and lanterns. Christmas trees are called “trees of light.” JAPAN For most of the Japanese who celebrate Christmas, it’s purely a secular holiday devoted to the love of their children. Christmas trees are decorated with small toys, dolls, paper ornaments, gold paper fans and lanterns, and wind chimes. Miniature candles are also put among the tree branches. One of the most popular ornaments is the origami swan. Japanese children have exchanged thousands of folded paper “birds of peace” with young people all over the world as a pledge that war must not happen again. Today the best-selling Christmas trees are Scots Pine, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir and White Pine. January 2024

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