The article below I felt should concern us all so I'm posting it in the hope that you will join me in condemning this proposed badger cull.

Science Chief Recommends Badger Cull

Photo: Sue North

Once upon a time, back in the 1970's, a dead badger was found on a Gloucestershire farm where the cattle had just been discovered to have bovine tuberculosis (bTB). After testing, the badger was also found to be infected with bTB. Further investigations by MAFF (now DEFRA) showed that although other wildlife carried bTB, the levels in badgers were 
higher than for other species. Badgers were declared the root of all evil, and the rest as they say is history.

Nearly forty years on arguments still rage between wildlife campaigners and cattle farmers as to who is responsible for the spread of bTB. There's no doubt that the badger has been a convenient scapegoat. Over the years tens of thousands have been gassed, snared, trapped and shot, and yet there's still no hard evidence to prove whether badgers give bTB to cattle or vice-versa.

According to the National Farmers' Union about 2,500 cattle a year get bTB, and some 30,000 stock are killed every year because of the disease. Clearly this is a massive problem for cattle farmers. But the Independent Scientific Group (ISG) carried out a nine-year experiment to see whether killing badgers would prevent the spread of bTB. Surprisingly they found that a culling policy would have no direct impact on controlling the disease in cattle, and could even make it worse.

The results, which were published in June this year suggested the methods most likely to combat the spread of TB in cattle are; an increase in the level of cattle testing, improved biosecurity, and stricter controls on the movement of cattle. 

Despite this, the government's chief science adviser Professor Sir David King ( mpst.king@dti.gsi.gov.uk ) has this week recommended culls of badgers should be carried out to control the bTB epidemic in cattle.

Sir David King believes that culling could be effective in areas that are contained. But the ISG's study showed that although bTB infection dropped in the immediate area of a cull, it actually increased on adjoining farms because the badgers dispersed to surrounding areas.

The Badger Trust issued a statement saying they were "shocked that this review was conducted in secret and involved advice from the Republic of Ireland where 30 years of badger culling have left Eire with twice the level of bTB in the national herd compared to that found in Great Britain."

Trevor Lawson public affairs advisor to Badger Trust commented: "Prof King's list of recommendations repeat virtually word for word the opinions of farming unions and the cull mad vets in Defra. This is a highly-politicised rush to judgment, which, ludicrously, contains no cost benefit analysis."

The RSPCA's head of wildlife science, Rob Atkinson, speculated that Sir David had come under pressure from the Government: "A cull would mean senseless slaughter, enormous suffering and would be scientifically bankrupt," he said. "The science shows a cull is not a long-term solution, unless we want to continually exterminate badgers from vast regions of the country."
 
I personally think that a Badger cull is not the answer to this problem and will be contacting my MP and signing the petiton to express my point of view. If you feel the same way as I do please use the links below, they will allow you to find your local MP's name, address and email and  the pertition link. Please send this on to all of your friends and groups too.
 
http://www.upmystreet.com/commons/l/

If you like you can go to this site and sign the petition to save the Badgers. Its the least we can do for them, as they can't sign it themselves: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/stop-badger-cull/

Hi Woods for All,
  
We made our first trip as a family to the Spring Woods and I felt like we were explorers visiting places as yet un seen.

The slope was grassy and tree filled and the view from the top was quite superb. I found a crabapple tree and picked a few fruits to show my family.  My mother in the past made crabapple jelly from them, (it goes very well with pork and chicken dishes) and imagine my delight when approaching the gate on the way back and I found a well laden sloe berry bush. I picked some and placed them in my jacket hood for later, to process into sloe gin, a family favourite, it was a real bonus for me and an added reward.

We visited the wood with Therese Maria last weekend and she was absolutely delighted to be there. She loves to be outside but I have rarely seen such joy on her face as when she was being held by me that she owned it, we were standing in the stream surrounded by trees and greenery, waiting for her mother and aunt to join us (she's just 7 months old).
  
We picked sufficient blackberries for a pie, very tasty. Have been told that there are apple and plum trees their but we did not see them.
  
We had a lovely visit and will certainly go again later in the Autumn, perhaps 4 times a year, once in each season.
  
God Bless, 

Let me first say that I applued what you are doing and I have already passed this  on to a friend for consideration and asked him to do the same so I hope you will recieve more "WOODLANDERS".
   
I WAS BROUGHT UP IN THE NEW FOREST AND HAVE EXPERIENCED THE VALUE OF LIVING THAT DREAM.MY GRANDFATHER WAS A GAME KEEPER FOR JOHN LEWIS THE OWNER OF WAITROSE SUPERMARKETS. I HADE A VERY PRIVILEDGED UP BRINGING BY THE SEA,FOREST AND COUNTRYSIDE AND IN A FAMILY THAT LIVED AND BREATHED THAT LIFESTYLE.
  
I WILL BUY MY OWN WOODLAND SITE SOON BUT THIS GIVES US THE OPPURTUNITY TO INVOLVE OUR CHILDREN MORE IN DEVON WHERE WE LIVE AND TO SUPPORT A FANTASTIC INITIATIVE.
  
I AM CURRENTLY COPPICING A SMALL AREA AT MY DAUGHTERS SCHOOL WHICH IS DIRECTLY OPPOSITE OUR HOUSE.THEY  HAVE A SMALL NATURE AREA INCLUDING SOME ANCIENT TREES AND FRUIT TREES AS WELL AS SOME COPPICED STUMPS WHICH I AM CROPPING AND POLLARDING.
  
WE ARE PICKING COOKING APPLES AND ELERBERRIES FROM THE TREES AND THERE ARE HAZEL NUTS ON ONE TREE AND I STILL FIND SOMETHING NEW EACH TIME I POP OVER. IT'S CURRENTLY BEING REFENCED AND CLEARED TO MAKE IT MORE USABLE AND ACCESSABLE FOR THE KIDS AND PARENTS/SCHOOLTEACHERS/VISITORS.AND THANK-YOU FOR THE OPPURTUNITY.

I WOULD LIKE TO FEEL THAT YOU AND ANY MEMBERS IN THE WOODS IN DEVON CAN CONTACT ME AND EXCHANGE CHAT OR IDEAS AND PERHAPS GET AN ACTIVE GROUP OF LOCALS AND GROCKLES DOING SOME INTERESTING THINGS IN SUPPORT OF YOUR SCHEME.

MIGHT I SUGGEST AN AUCTION/RAFFLE RAISE FUNDS TO BUY SHARES TO GIVE TO SOME DISERVING CHARITIES AND TO GAIN SOME VALUABLE MEDIA ATTENTION.

THANKS A MILLION FOR THE OPPURTUNITY.

July, 9, 2006
From: Gary Moore, Woods for All.

We visited Taldrum Wood for the first time on Sunday 29 January. We drove up from our home in Newport through Abergaveny, Brecon, and Senybridge and on through the most beautiful countryside.

We found Taldrum Wood quite easily, we parked and went for our first walk into the woods.The sides of the valley were frozen where the sun had not reached them yet, and we were careful not to slip as we made our way down to the stream, I was taking photos of the silver birch trees when something caught the corner of my vision, as I looked up two Red Kites
were circling above us, I have seen Red Kites before at Birds of Prey
centres but had never seen them in the wild before, it was a stunning
sight to see.

We walked around the wood crossing back and fore over the stream, we
were careful not to step on the shoots of the Bulbs which are coming up
all along the paths, the fruit trees are coming into bud, and the rosemary smelled wonderful. The sun got higher catching the tops of the trees on the other side of the wood.

We got back to the car and sat in the sun to eat our lunch, the kites and Buzzards became a common sight as they circled the wood.

We had a lovely day and will be going back in a couple of weeks to see the changes to the wood as spring comes nearer.

Because I spend most of the weekends in woodlands throughout the
year, my family had the brilliant idea to give me a share in Taldrum Wood
as a Christmas present.

I have spent a short time looking at your web site and as a fungi enthusiast I was hoping to find out if any rare fungi had been found and maybe documented. As a member of four fungus study groups ( the newest being the Gwent Fungus Group) I feel many of my friends and associates will be very interested in this fantastic idea of preserving our woodlands. I am looking forward to my first visit but as the daylight is still short at this time of the year I am interested in hearing about other shareholders recent experience of reasonable local accommodation.

It would also be interesting to find out if there are any fungi enthusiasts that have visited and maybe taken photos!

I purchased a share in Taldrum as a birthday gift for my partner Allister Parkinson - we visited the lovely woods as part of his 40th birthday celebrations and plan many more trips in the future.

Many thanks and a very happy 2006 to you.

Hi Jenny,

Thanks for you lovely e-mail, I'm afraid there is no other group doing anything similar that we know off. It may interest you to know that some of the money we get from Taldrum sales is being put aside for our next wood and it looks like that wood will be in England, possibly Devon, Somerset, or Cornwall.

You are right to worry about the environmental costs of transport and its something we do take into consideration, but there are other environmental cost other than transport that are also important, one of these is, if we buy a wood that's to close to a city it would make it to excusable and that would also have a detrimental effect on the wood too so we recommend to our owners that when they come to visit the wood they make a weekend of it, a bit of a pilgrimage if you like and that what most of our owners are doing they come to the wood and have a look around Wales at the same time.

Whats important to us is finding the right balance between people, wildlife and plant biodiversity, and we will not compromise our woods for an easy buck and I'm shore you wouldn't want us too ether, so all the woods we buy will be in semi rural areas and we hope one day to have lots of woodland Islands "T.G.O" Tranquil Green Oases rich in plants and wildlife all over the UK and the EU.

That's our dream, what's yours?

I really love your website and the amount of information there. It's a nice opportunity you are given to people to be part of nature conservation.

I am from Ghana West Africa and I hope that we will not deplete all our
forests and woodlands in the name of development. I love your site and I can't wait to tell my friends about it.

Keep up the good work.

I wondered if anyone was going to be driving from London on Sat 10th
September for the first Owners Gathering.

Thanks

Hi, Saadia,

Thank you for your message when I started woods for all I wasn't sure whether to include folklore, but it is so full of age old wisdom which shows a deep reverence and understanding of nature that I found that I had to give it a voice, after all they were environmentalists before the word was invented, back then they called them wise men, how true!

To educate and preserve is our prime purpose, so if any of our readers know of any interesting folklore please send it in and we will happily add it to our site.

I found the article in the London Evening Standard, and thought what a great
idea!

My order form is on the way - keep up the good work, and like others, let me
know if you manage to get over to the east of the country.

This is by way of remembering my late Dad, who was in the Forestry
Commission.

There is a war of words going on at the moment regarding global warming and whether forests and woodland help slow global warming.

I would like to add my comments to this debate.

Forests remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store it in living plants, standing dead plant material and material in the soil. This natural process is part of the carbon cycle and is known as sequestration, ( Latin for, To temporarily hold) Half of a tree's mass is carbon, so large amounts of carbon are stored in forests. . In a forest’s ecosystems, the majority of the carbon is stored below-ground, either as roots, decaying biomass or as organic carbon in the soil.This is commonly called the short cycle (500 years)

Another affect of global warming is extreme weather patterns, torrential rain, flash floods (we all remember seeing Boscastle on the news) erosion, and drought. Tree roots create a network of deep under ground channels, water travels down the channels getting temporally stored in under ground reservoirs. Decaying biomass (humus) acts like giant sponges holding 7 times their own weight in water slowly realising it into the water courses all this helps regulate the flow of water mitigating the affects of extreme weather.

Boscastle is situated next to a stream at the bottom of a steep valley, I wonder! if the steep sides of that valley had been covered with woodland instead of grass would it have made a difference, I think so!
You may think that my next point has nothing to do with carbon pools, carbon pools are another form of sequestration probably the most important.

Over 70% of the UK wildlife depends on forests for food, millions of animals grazing on the vegetation stimulates the trees and plants to produce more growth and for that they need more CO2.

All these animals will die but even in death they lock up CO2 in their skeletons and shells, bones and shells are made of calcium and CO2 is needed to make calcium, some of this material will get eaten or buried, slowly dissolving but some will get carried into the water courses, lets follow this material as it gets carried down to the sea, some will get lost in the mud but more shells, bones, twigs, leaves, etc will join it, eventually most of this waste will settle on the sea bed and be covered in silt. I find it incredible to think that most of the worlds Oil, Coal and Gas, was created in this way and what became of the shells? you can see them when you look at the White Cliffs of Dover, the White Cliffs of Dover are made from sea shells and bone fragments. It might interest you to know that 2000 litres of compressed CO2 are locked up in every 6 cubic inches of chalk (calcium) that make up the White Cliffs of Dover, this type of Sequestration is called the long cycle (10 million years)

Dear Wendy

Your £50.00 buys a share in Taldrum Wood. It is an ordinary company share just like any other. This is registered on the share register in companies house. You will never be asked for any money for anything else. Taldrum Wood is maintained by us and there is a set aside fund for this. Money raised from woodland shares in Taldrum will purchase another wood, the shares sold in that one will purchase the next and so on. This is our way of protecting land through ownership. Ownership gives you the only real power over land and habitat. Read the 'About us' section on the site too.

We would very much like to organise an event in the late summer which gives owners the opportunity to meet and for us to get some feedback and gain from what I'm sure will be a powerful and knowledgeable group of people. Keep an eye on the message board for news.

Please get back to me if you need any further info.

Warm Regards Sam

Hi Hannah,

Although I don't know you, your email is the one that I have been waiting for. Because it will be today's children like yourself that protect all the woods we buy tomorrow. Your parents must love you very much, not only are they giving you an appreciation of nature and happy memories, they are doing their best to make sure you inherit a world that is worth living in.

You should be the first to know. I have been planting fruit trees all along the path, Apples, Pears, Cherries and Plums, thirty so far, but I hope to plant 100 and in a couple of years you will be able to pick your own fruit when you go to your wood with your parents. In time you can take your own children and tell them the story of Taldrum wood.

Regards
Gary Moore.

Having just made a purchase online I just wanted to say what a fantastic
idea this is. I hope the project expands and moves all across Britain.

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength
that will endure as long as life lasts." -- Rachel Louise Carson
(1907-64),American environmentalist, biologist.

Hi to all at Woodsforall, I'm looking forward very much to the enjoyment
Taldrum Wood shall give. My cheque is in the post!

'Trees and fields tell me nothing; men are my teachers.' Plato.

How wrong could he be?

Read the article in yesterday's Observer - what a wonderful idea. I
would be very interested to know about any future projects on the same
lines as Taldrum; I live in East Kent, but would be interested in other
areas too, with a view to gifts for my family.

Good luck with this marvellous endeavour.

I am very impressed with the service provided by woods for all, even though
I ordered the share on the 22nd December they still got the pack before
xmas.

Hope you had a good christmas and that you have a great new year.

Spring at Taldrum continues.
I was sitting on my favourite tree stump the other day listening to the birds and the babbling water below me whilst looking at a job well done, even if I say so myself!. For the last couple of weeks we have been planting fruit trees all along the bottom path next to the stream. Apples, Plums, Pears and Cherries every 4 meters. In a couple of years there will be a bounty of fruit enough for our fury friends and fellow owners.

Looking across the stream, a yellow ribbon of colour weaving its way up the hill. Over one thousand daffodils that were planted last year, they look stunning. Later in the year thousands of Foxgloves will flower, cant wait for that! Next year we will be planting thousands of Blue Bells, any volunteer's??

Gary Moore.

Fruit trees planted in Taldrum wood by May 1 2005

Apples,
Cox Orange Pippin, eating No 4
Bramley Seedling, eating No 1
James Grieve, eating No 4
Grenadier, cooking No 2
Lord Lamborne,eating No 2
Worcester Pearmain,eating No 5
Laxton Superb,eating No 2
Egremont Russet, eating No 2
Discovery, eating No 2
Charles Ross, No 1
Sunset, No 1

Plums,
Victoria, eating No 3

Pears,
William Bon Chretien,eating No 3

Cherres,
Morello, cooking No 3
Stella, eating No 2

Total fruit trees, 37

Fruit bushes,
Blackcurrant (Ribes Nigrum) No 3
Redcurrant (Ribes Sativum) No 3
Rasperry (Rubus Idaeus) No 3
Gooseberry (Ribes Uva Crispa) No 2

Total fruit bushes, 11

£50 A Share To Protect Woodlands

Woods For All has launched a project, which will protect and preserve wildlife habitat. Buying your own coppice will cost from £15,000 to £60,000, plus additional maintenance costs, but Woods For All identifies and purchases woodland then offers £50 shares to people, with no added costs whatsoever. This scheme has been launched by Gary Moore and Sam Minas. A share entitles you to roam around 12,000 trees in 12 acres at Taldrum Wood, near Llangadog, South Wales.

The UK was originally 75% ancient and indigenous woodland. We now only have 11% of woodland left, and a mere 3% of that is actually indigenous native woodland. Moore is considering extending the concept around the UK, and even to threatened woodlands in Europe.

February 2005
Permaculture Magazine

February 2005
Small Wood's Association

Take a root-and-branch opportunity
For only £50 you can enjoy a lifetime of walks in a private, unspoilt Welsh forest, writes June Wood

While most of us are scrambling to move up the property ladder, some are anxious to escape it entirely. Not just fleeing the urban sprawl, but bravely purchasing entire chunks of woodland with the purpose of keeping it intact.
Many of these parcels of land which come up for sale around Britain have little or no chance of getting building permission. But that seems half the charm, according to leading website agent, smallwoods.org.uk, which says: 'Most of our buyers want a patch of land to camp on and leave in its virgin state.'

Buying your own coppice will cost you from £15,000 to £60,000 - plus maintenance costs such as felling and fencing.

Alternatively, you can fork out a paltry £50 for a lifetime share in Taldrum Wood. This scheme was recently launched by eco-entrepreneur Gary Moore and his business partner Sam Minas.

A share entitles you to roam around 12,000 trees in 12 lush acres near Llangadog in South Wales (only owners receive exact directions). The main purpose is to preserve its raw tranquillity, so no treehouses, motorbikes or ghetto-blasters are allowed. The scheme has no added costs whatever, and shares can be passed on as would be the case with any other land title. To protect the wood from any development, voting rights state that if a single member objects, no change will take place.

But being so affordable, will it be overrun? Unlikely, because numbers are limited within a defined radius. Moore is so enthused with the response via the website that he is considering extending the concept to other parts of the UK, and even to threatened woodlands in Greece and Spain.

Sunday January 9, 2005
The Observer

A walk in the woods

Ever wanted to roam in your own personal Eden? June Field has found one that costs less than a pair of trainers

If you go down to the woods today... you might pick up a romantic eco-gift

You can keep your expensive eco-breaks. Why should I shell out a month's salary to jet off to another far-flung wilderness, smoke with shamans, commune with distant tribes, or doze off to the smell of grass hut - only to have it cruelly snatched back and replaced with a dreary baggage carousel?

Instead, I am buying my own forest. Forever. Not exactly where the deer and antelope roam, but Taldrum Wood, a lush slab of Welsh woodland near Llangadog some 15 miles from the Gower coast (the exact location is a secret - only owners receive directions).

My £50 has gone towards a green co-op, whereby I am allowed to wander at will amongst 12 acres containing 12,000 trees. Taldrum Wood is the brainchild of environmentalist Gary Moore, who set up this project when a city farm he worked on was turned into a car park.

"I bought this wood purely to preserve it," explained Gary. "There are other schemes of course, but this is unique in that every shareholder has absolute control over its destiny. Any change to the manifesto has to be agreed by all."

A well maintained lane runs from the south side of Taldrum. From here, small pathways cut through dense forest, leading to the stream. Mini waterfalls gurgle here and there. Taldrum's biodiversity includes 15 species of tree, including cherry, hazel, oak and ash. Badgers, owls and vole dart amongst them.

The concept seems to be catching on. Since Gary bought the wood on the internet a year ago, he says he is "chuffed to bits with the response". Dozens of nostalgic Welsh expats scattered around the colonies have already purchased shares via the enticing month old website woodsforall.org.

Others have discovered that preserving woodland is a romantic eco-gift. Chris Kelly, a youth worker from Cardiff, bought one share for his fiancee Natalie Whyatt. "I fell in love with the idea immediately," he says. "The wood is in the middle of nowhere, perfect to get away from it all. Who wants more horrible housing estates? We have taken friends' kids there to sit there to muck around a small campfire, build dams in the steam and admire the wildlife like the red kites (birds of prey).

"It's educational and peaceful. Plus, there are some lovely B&Bs and pubs nearby. We plan to make weekends of it," says Chris.

According to the Woodland Trust, a leading conservation charity, only a fragile 2-3% of the UK remains as mixed woodland. Local councils are under pressure to bow to developers anxious to convert more of our precious lungs into car parks or roads.