Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2002 7:43 PM Subject: Forest at C-Dar > Dear friends and directors, > > During the past four weeks our forest got 'logged', 'trimmed' and > cleaned out. Two truck loads of timber have been removed. The market > value has not been established yet but it is in the neighbourhood of > $2,500.--. It all was 'small' stuff that Thomas Link had marked in order > to provide space for the (now) standing trees. I'd love to see Chris > Runnals paying us a visit soon in order to assess the progress of our > work. His input is always welcome. > > Both Tobi and Mat Spitzer have done an excellent job, I must say. They > have cut two 'logging roads' through the forest on which they removed > the largest part of the of trees. Root and tree damage has been kept at > a minimum (I can report) although, for the 'untrained' eye, the forest > looks (at this point in time) awful.......... yet, Thomas informs me > that it was necessary to provide more space for the trees that may, > eventually, become the 'future seed trees' and under which a strong > second canopy can develop. The presently cold and severe storm (minus 8 > or at times more) has not caused any further damage, I can report. > > There are, in many places, large openings in which, Thomas said, we will > plant our own seedlings. We have a lot of Cedars, to begin with. > Hemlock, some Douglas and Maple are available at the tree nursery, too. > > Presently, our WWOOFer (Etienne) from Quebec, Marcela, Verena and I are > making forest composts AND do some slash burning. I do not think that > any of you (who have not seen the forest recently) can imagine how many > branches do cover the forest ground. Many 3 - 4 " trees have been cut as > they stood to closely. The somewhat thicker ones (5 and over) will be > cut up into logs and used as fire wood. This work will take at least one > year and is extremely time consuming and exhausting...... Being an old > man now, I feel each and every muscle but I promised myself that I will > be out there for many more years to come!!! > > This afternoon, we have started to re-discover (clear and clean) the OLD > FOREST PATH - this will give visitors the possibility to wander along > the edge of the forest and to the river. The clearning of the path will > take weeks as well. We will spray Valerian and Barrell Compost in the > near future. The elemental world needs reassuring - and so do we!! > > It would be wonderful if the sales of lumber could match the expenses - > I am hopeful (so that at least the Spitzer bills: the winch, logging, > bucking up, hauling out etc. will be paid for). The building of composts > and burning will not be covered, of that I am sure. Those of you who > know the forest around the stable should come and spend a few afternoons > with us inocculating some 10 new composts. The ground is frozen again > (it was pretty soft two weeks ago) and easy to work on. > > Before the clearing time is over we will have cut 4 years supplies of > fire wood - I think that we, in the end, will have almost double. And by > that time, a new logging team will have to work through the forest > again. > > Before I close I wish to tell you of one wonderful observation. As I was > making the fire, I held a small tree in my hands. I started to count the > year grings and, low and behold, I was not able to count them all - they > were so tiny and so close together that after 60 years (of counting of > course.....) I had to stop. Imagine, how old that minute tree could have > become? Hard and tight rings in the core of a tree give it special > support for later years. I have found a large number of which the core > had fallen out or was rotten. Cedars are specially prone to such decay. > > And, remember, you are always welcome to visit us....., and give us a > hand (right now in the forest)....... > > All the best and with more...., in a few weeks. Yours Ferdinand > > > > -- > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > C-DAR HOUSE: a Centre for the transformation of the voice of the forest > into an understanding of its soul through the arts. Fax: 604 898-1512 > Phone: 604-898-9101 Web site: http://www.c-dar.com > > > >
