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		News OPPORTUNITIES TO JOIN THE NHFT TEAM - FAR NORTH WOODLAND BIODIVERSITY PROJECT: Biodiversity Forester (Part time) Contractor for North Aspen Woods Survey. more.... Funding for Northern Aspen Project and new Wood Pasture Project - NHFT have been awarded funding for a continuation of its existing Aspen project and for a new Wood Pasture project. more... Remember to register your woodland with IACS - New forestry grants will be introduced as part of Land Management Contracts in 2007. SRDP - Rural development Contracts for farmers, crofters, foresters and businesses. more... Check out our newsletters "Word from the Wood" and Forum Report 2006 - Woodland Regeneration in the Far North. The current issue of "The Woodstack" also has information about local timber sales, wants, contractors and services. more... Events Woodland Walks with HC Ranger Service 2008.... more... Training Sharing Good Practice Scottish Natural Heritage are organising a series of events throughout 2008 - 2009 from managing responsible access to adapting to climate change and maintaining biodiversity... Ignite Programme Wood Fuel Training Courses... more...
	Woodchip Cattle Corral: Halkirk, Caithness This is a pilot project to provide over-wintering accommodation for cattle using woodchips. Objectives to reduce costs, by over-wintering cattle outdoors, on woodchip rather than straw to improve stock condition to create a market for small round-wood Technical Details Corrals consist of fenced areas excavated to a depth of 30-45 cm, filled with large woodchips. Chips can be hard- or softwood, seasoned or green (although the latter is considered easier to chip), and are approx. 5 - 8 cm long, 1 cm thick. Chips have to be quite large to prevent the cattle sinking in! The site must have a hard base - not peat - and a gradual slope to facilitate drainage. A southerly aspect, and some localised shelter, from woodland, buildings or local landform, are preferable. Ideally the site will not be too far from a source of wood. The Woodchip corrals act as a filtration unit similar to a sewage farm: the dung & urine are washed through the chips by rainfall, and are broken down. The resulting effluent is relatively clean. The corral is never mucked out, but topped up from year to year as the chips rot into the underlying soil. The project was developed by North Highland Forest Trust in partnership with The Scottish Agricultural College, Highland Council, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and Forest Enterprise. For more information on this project, please contact NHFT Site last updated: 25/09/2008
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