Field Day August 2014

The weather forecast was not promising so planting by volunteers was cancelled, but surprisingly the day turned out fine and sunny. Members who took a chance on the weather enjoyed being shown around Ash Island by Rob Henderson from the Local Land Services.

We met in the old School Masters House which has been carefully restored. The Island has a mixture of areas: community gardens, cattle grazing, planting of eucalypts and even fruit trees. Restoration and preservation is the result of the work of volunteers and the CMA, now LLS. Rob finalised the visit with a BBQ at the Masters House.

Ash Island is named after the English Ash tree. We saw one of the few remaining trees and they are now being propagated. The other tree that used to be on the Island was red cedar but they were removed in the first twenty years of settlement.

The Island is now classified as a wetland of international importance.

Rob discussing the plantation of six species of Eucalypti which have not grown very well

Hunter Farm Forestry Network (HFFN) facilitates the exchange of information about farm forestry and promotes the productive and sustainable use of trees on farms in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia.

Farm Forestry takes many forms including timber belts, windbreaks, revegetation projects and timber production

Farm forestry includes commercial trees and shrubs incorporated into farm operations.

Farm Forestry improves agricultural productivity.

It’s about which tree you want, for the purpose that you want.