Eskdale Woodland And Wildlife Management Ltd

The forest has been carefully planned over many years

Eskdale Wood and Wildlife Management Ltd are based at Eskdalemuir in Dumfries & Galloway

ESKDALEMUIR FOREST

In the middle 1960's some 20,000 Hectares of bare land was bought for afforestation at Eskdalemuir. This lies on the boundary of Dumfries & Galloway and The Scottish Borders. The land had previously been used almost exclusively for sheep farming.

At this time our counts of wildlife indicated no more than thirteen roe deer lived in this vast area and we could not identify more than thirty-two species of birds, migrant or resident in any one year. However we realised that afforestation would change the habitat enormously and indeed that we had the opportunity, given the co-operation of the private woodland owners to develop varied habitats. Therefore it was decided to develop the forest with wildlife much in mind.

Eskdale Wood and Wildlife Management are based in Dumfries & Galloway

At the very outset a wildlife manager, R. R. Rose MBE, Churchill Fellow was employed. His major contribution was to design the forest in such a way that sufficient open spaces were left where deer could be both seen and culled if required.

The result after some thirty years is that deer numbers have increased to around two thousand head and are manageable due to the adequate forest design based on soil type. In addition this forest design has benefited much of the native flora and fauna with the bird species count trebling to 116.

ESKDALE WOOD & WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT LTD.

"My education, which culminated in a BSc. Forestry (Honours) degree at Aberdeen University and training, together with 10 years working for Economic Forestry plc. (later Tilhill Economic Forestry) in the wildlife management team has given me a deep insight into the relationship between wildlife and the woodlands of upland Britain. The impact of man on ecology is so great that its effects can be seen even in the most remote places. Since we have disturbed the natural equilibrium, some management techniques must be applied if further damage is to be avoided.

Against this background, I decided that I would put the knowledge and experience which I have gained in my working life, my professional studies and, since childhood from my father R R Rose MBE (who has made this his life's work) in helping to address the problems posed by our need to control our impact on our environment.

In order to do this I established Eskdale Wood and Wildlife Management Ltd.(EWWM). As the name of the business suggests, I provide a "hands-on" forestry and wildlife management service targeted mainly at private forest investors in the Borders area as well as offering an advisory service nationally."

Services

The main service provides private forest investors with a full-time wildlife management/conservation service tailored to meet their investment goals.

Protection of Forest Crop

To the forest owner, wildlife poses a challenge and a threat. If no proper controls are in place, the forest may suffer serious damage. However, "control" must involve a real understanding of the role of each part of the chain of life within the ecological system. The elimination of any species or its over abundance, will have a knock-on effect on the rest of the chain. EWWM seeks to manage wildlife with this understanding.

In a constantly changing environment our understanding of what is going on around us is continually developing. We must be ready to adjust to new problems as they arise. For example, the spread of sika deer in Scotland since their introduction in the late 19th century is beginning to pose a new threat in the Borders. Sika hybridisation with native red deer has been widespread and the resulting offspring have successfully spread to a substantial proportion of Scotland. Sika ( in their pure or hybrid form ) pose a major threat to mature woodland which roe deer do not. A forest owner who ignores this problem or who relies on amateur sporting control may find that the value of his mature timber has declined alarmingly.

Wildlife Conservation

Sporting Developments

EWWM offers wildlife conservation services by providing estate management plans, environmental assessments of new afforestation projects, forest design, pond and open space design plans etc.

This will be suitable for the owner who appreciates the need for a high degree of attention to detail in forest design, silviculture, harvesting and restructuring.

Such owners will be those who appreciate the fact that a well planned woodland will be less subject to damage by wildlife because it is less in conflict with the species which will exist within its boundaries.

The development of a sporting property requires a high degree of planning and control to produce an environment which is conducive to the desired species.

To many who enjoy such pursuits, the cost of individual keeping is prohibitive. However, EWWM can offer a high level of skilled management on a basis which is far more affordable because it is shared by a number of estates.

This arrangement provides a team of highly qualified personnel which would only be available otherwise to the very largest estates.

Advisory service

EWWM also provides a forest and wildlife management advisory service, contact us for details.

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