|
WORD
FROM THE WOOD
The
Steward Community Woodland Newsletter
Issue
6 - Spring 2002
|
Our
new year began with the temperature dipping to minus 7'C, the
coldest night of an otherwise mild winter. We fired up
the hot tub to help celebrate several birthdays around
January.
Right
through February and well into March we experienced extreme
wet and windy weather. Ben’s tree house lost its walls when
gale force winds up to 80 mph blew through the wood.
Sixteen trees were blown over and most of our structures suffered
some kind of damage - the tarps blew off the bike shed
and visitors’ bender, while both the agricultural shed and the
workshop were flattened.
We
cleared the laurel back in the Glade, and in the Growing
Area we cut back a large area of brambles and rosebay willow
herb, more than doubling the area we now have available to grow
food. We spent time formulating and discussing our permaculture
design for the growing area, planning the paths, polytunnel
location beds, ponds and so on.
In
March we planted fruit trees to create our forest garden
at the top end of the growing area, and we planted some
willow rods for future use in basket weaving.
|
Plans
to erect a polytunnel before Spring were scuppered by
the National Park Authority on the grounds of visual aspect,
even though we had agreed to change the proposed location so
that it would be completely screened from neighbouring properties.
Meanwhile,
our planning problems escalated when the inspector adjudicating
our appeal tried shifting the goal posts, categorising our structures
as ‘operational development’.
A
five day Forest School course was held in the woods by
tutors from Bridgwater College. This scheme brings children
out of the classroom and into nature, and included a visit by
twenty children from Moreton School. Devon County Council’s
Voyager Project for teenagers also used the woods as
a venue for a pilot woodland project.
In
March we also ran a coppicing course and built a large
bender at the Langford Environmental Education Project near
Newton St Cyres. (see page 5)
|
|
Regular
readers of ‘Wood From The Wood’ will probably have noticed that
most issues have a theme. This time it’s ‘community’ - ours,
yours and theirs, what it means, how it works.
You
may also have noticed that this issue is a little thicker than
usual. That’s because it contains a reader survey. Furthermore,
we are so keen to hear from you that we are offering a bribe
to those that respond.
We
also plan to remove from our mailing list those who do not respond.
Harsh? We want to ensure that we don’t waste resources and only
send the newsletter to those that want it.
We
print about 500 copies each issue. Our mailing list is approaching
200 addresses and although about 50 of those are local and can
be hand delivered, the majority must be posted. The remainder
are picked up by visitors and by people at events.
It
is good to be able to freely give newsletters to those that
express an interest. Producing and distributing ‘Word From The
Wood’ costs about £300 each year. We recover some of the costs
in donations and we are happy to subsidise it to some degree.
However,
that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t appreciate some help. If you wish
to cover the costs of printing and sending you the newsletter,
pop in some extra stamps when you return the questionnaire.
If you would like to help us subsidise continued free distribution,
you might consider sending us a more substantial donation towards
our costs.
|
Plymouth,
Sellafield of the South?
HMS
Vanguard, one of the Trident class nuclear strike submarines
entered Plymouth Dockyards in February for a refit. Trident
costs Britain £1.5 billion a year, equal to the annual pay of
70,000 UK nurses. It also has enormous health and environmental
costs - the dockyard has recently received a licence to substantially
increase the amount of tritium nuclear waste they can dump into
the Tamar. The move consider-ably raises Devon’s status as a
tar-get in a nuclear conflict.
Some
of us attended a march and rally to protest the start of the
dockyard’s relationship with Trident. The 200 strong demonstration
toured the dockyard’s many entrances and ended with a planning
meeting to discuss the way forward for the campaign.
More
actions are being organised, for more information contact -Sue
on 01752 261990
NEED
A BRIBE?
Return
our reader survey questionnaire and not only will you continue
to get our newsletter but you’ll also be entered into our prize
draw!
Prizes
are : ‘The Woodland Way’ (or £10 off any book from Permanent
Publications’ ‘Earth Repair Catalogue’) or ‘Diggers & Dreamers’
(reviewed this issue).
To
get the Earth Repair catalogue, visit www.permaculture.co.uk
or phone 01730 823311
|
Moreton’s
Monthly Moots
In
March Ben helped to organise what is hoped will be the first of many
moots in Moreton. The guest speaker Melanie talked about her experiences
during a visit to occupied Palestine. During the talk she showed photos
and afterwards there was a lively questions and answer session.
About
26 people attended, mostly locals but it also attracted some people
from nearby towns. There was plenty of support for the idea of having
similar events in the future so in April a second moot was held, this
time a facilitated discussion around war and terror.
Ben
hopes to continue the moots on a monthly basis. Some possible subjects
include: genetic engineering and the patenting of life, local food
initiatives, permaculture, low-impact dwelling around the UK, asylum
seekers, small and family farmers, and many more.
The
general idea is to cover topics that don’t get decent coverage in
the mainstream media and to enable anyone in the local community to
express and explore their own views while hearing the views of others.
Please
do get in touch if you have a suggestion on something that could be
covered by the moot or if you have a speaker or film etc in mind.
|
What
is ‘Community’? (by ben)
‘Community’
is a word that is used and interpreted in many ways by different
people. In recent years it has become one of those buzz words
banded about like a magic wand by politicians and the like.
The
Oxford Dictionary definition includes "A body of people living
in the same locality; a body of people having religion, profession,
etc in common". However, if we look at the word as a construct
of both ‘common’ (or ‘commune’) and ‘unity’ it would suggest
that there may be more to community than simply living in the
same area.
Would
you feel part of a community if you lived among people who never
talked to you or seemed to ignore your existence? Would you
feel united with these people if they offered no support or
even empathy in times of need? Probably not. Community might
be hard to pin down in terms of a definition but it seems that
we have some kind of instinctive feel of what it might be.
Looking
up the words community, common, commune, unite and unity seems
to lead us in a circular self referential argument while reguarly
throwing out words such as agreement, consensus, allied, harmony,
union and even affinity. Does this lead us any closer to establishing
what community is? Maybe it does. It certainly indicates that
community is not a passive grouping of individuals that happen
to share a common location or history but one that also acts
together in some form for the common good of the group.
|
Other
Communities
There
are over seventy intentional communities listed in the ‘Diggers
and Dreamers’ directory (see below), and the following are a
small selection.
Keveral
Farm - a community owned farm of 28 acres near Looe in Cornwall,
which operates an organic box scheme, runs permaculture courses,
incorporates low impact structures and holds children’s summer
camps. they also sell at some farmer markets, including Totnes
most fridays. Tel. 01503 250215
Tinker’s
bubble - a 7 year old community based in a mixed conifer
wood near Yeovil, they live in benders and other low impact
straw bale structures. An apple press and a steam powered sawmill
add value to their orchard and woodland produce.
Brithdir
Mawr - On a 150 acre farm on the Pembrokeshire coast, this
community manages goats, working horses, a beautiful low impact
roundhouse, a visitor’s hostel and an annual summer solstice
camp.
Findhorn
- With over 4000 visitors a year and 30 related businesses,
this spiritual community has grown into an international centre
for adult education and sustainable living, hosting conferences
and running courses on all aspects of eco village design. www.gaia.org/findhorn
01309 690311
Beech
Hill - This Devon community lives in a spacious country
house near Crediton. 25 people form the 20 year old community,
and run courses, grow food, and run a community composting scheme.
Tel. 01363 877228
Faslane
– This community springs from protest against the Trident nuclear
submarine base near Glasgow. It is a form of support for and
an extension of the various nuclear protests at the base and
has existed for over 20 years. Recently a housing cooperative
was formed to formalise the group and to explore owning the
land they now live on. Tel.01436 820901 www.faslanepeacecamp.org
|
Book
Review Diggers & Dreamers
Diggers
& Dreamers is a useful directory of intentional communities across
the UK. There's a description of each one along with contact details
and icons to show, for example, whether income is shared, solar power
used, regular communal meals prepared, and whether vegetables are
grown or animals reared.
As
well as existing communities, it also lists embryonic projects, networks
and support organisations. This book is a must for anyone looking
to join a community or wanting to visit such places.
www.diggersanddreamers.org.uk
£5.50 +P&P From Edge of Time BCM Edge, London WC1N 3XX
0800 083 0451
www.edgeoftime.co.uk
|
Communities
in Action
In
addition to intentional communities, people come together in
many ways to provide mutual support and take positive action
to improve the quality of life for themselves and others. Voluntary
involvement in community life makes a huge contribution to the
culture of this country Here are a few examples of communities
in action:
Children
- many people are active in playgroups, youth groups, sharing
child care and so on.
Social
Centres - With the decay of public services and the continued
privatisation of everything that can be sold off there has been
an increase in communities providing for themselves. Around
the country, social spaces have been opened up to provide venues
for clubs, socialising, yoga, meetings, skill sharing and workshops.
Community
Assisted Agriculture -local people connect directly to a
local farm, maybe paying for a year’s food in advance, or in
installments. This provides a guaranteed market and more financial
flexibility to the grower, while the consumers get cheaper,
better quality food, and a say in how and what is grown. It
also bypasses supermarkets and keeps the money within the local
community.
Environmental
Action - all around the country there are reclamation, recycling
and composting schemes which have been set up and run by local
people, making real contributions to curbing resource waste.
Entertainment
- communities are again doing it for themselves, providing their
own entertainment rather than being passive consumers of TV
culture, from singing groups and cabarets to bands and street
parties.
People
can and do come together to raise the quality of life for their
community by themselves for no financial gain). An active community
is a thriving community.
Education
Otherwise - an organisation helping to empower a network
of home educators. The ‘community’ of home educators often provide
mutual aid for each other - pooling resources and sharing experiences
for everyone’s benefit. Tel. 08707 300074
Proper
Job, Chagford - the yard near the old market site offers
reclaimed materials such as wood, paint, furmiture, windows
and lots more. It also houses a community com-posting scheme
selling different grades of local compost. The site has an eco-built
office and a beautiful rustic barn/store/workshop. A polytunnel
is also in the pipeline to expand their market gardening operations.
The Courtyard cafe and wholefood shop in town also come under
the Proper Job umbrel-la, making it the largest employer in
Chagford. To find out more ring 01647 432985
Langford
Environmental Education Project -LEEP is a child centred
experien-tial learning project, a facilitated space where children
and adults can play and learn in nature. Jane - 01392 851361
|
LIVING
TOGETHER by Dan
Community
life revolves around communal meals, shared work, meetings and
simply spending time with each other. We are a non-hierarchical
group, treating ourselves as equals. We have regular meetings
and decide everything by consensus, in other words, with everyone's
agreement. To work well, this requires each person to place
the interests of the project and community above their personal
interests. On the whole, it's worked really well for us. It
usually results in a full discussion of the issues, and suitable
adaptation of the proposal to ensure everyone is happy and feels
fully heard and included. Persuasion and creative thinking are
key elements of the process. Finally, there is more motivation
to implement a decision because everyone has participated in
its shaping and agreement.
Conflict
Resolution
We
have always known that the most difficult task we face is living
together as a loving, cooperative community, working through
emotional problems and personal conflict, and so it has proved.
I've found that, however strong and clear my ideals, the deeply
ingrained behavioural patterns and emotional responses from
my social background and conditioning in a consumerist, individualistic
world inevitably rear their heads. A good example of this is
resentful feelings towards others because of a perception that
they're not 'pulling their weight', not doing as much work as
me or others. Such feelings are, of course, of a competitive
rather than a cooperative nature and, if allowed to build up,
will tend to fragment the community and result in less group
work being done. I try to be consciously aware of such feelings
when they come up, to recognise that they're not useful or healthy
for me or the community, and to let them pass without holding
on to them or giving them credibility. Sometimes, airing the
feelings at an appropriate time can help me deal with them,
whilst acknowledging to others that I know it's my problem not
theirs. It's really important to be aware of and value everyone's
contribution (which might be of a subtle nature) and to come
together and work on the basis of enthusiasm and encouragement
rather than blame, guilt and recrimination.
We
have a weekly Talking Circle to help us communicate and come
together as a community. Each person in the circle has a chance
to say what they want without being interrupted while the others
are attentively listening. Often, simply creating the space
for people to air their feelings and any grievances is enough
for them to let go of them and move on.
|
What
is Consensus? - by ben
Consensus
is a group process where everyone’s views are carefully considered
and an outcome crafted to best meet the needs of the group. It is
a process of synthesizing the wisdom of all the participants into
the best decision possible at the time.
The
root of consensus is the word consent, which means to give permission
to. When you consent to a decision, you are giving your permission
to the group to go ahead with the decision. You may disagree with
the decision, but based on listening to everyone else’s input, all
the individuals agree to let the decision go forward, because the
decision is the best one the entire group can achieve at the current
time.
The
heart of consensus is a cooperative intent, with people being willing
to work together to find solutions that meet the needs of the group.
The cooperative nature of consensus is a different mindset from the
competitive nature of majority voting.
Key
attributes to successfully participation include humility, willingness
to listen to others and see their perspectives, and willingness to
share your own ideas but not insist they are the best ones.
Consensus
is not unanimous agreement. Participants may consent to a decision
they disagree with, but recognize it meets the needs of the group
and therefore give their permission.
A
woodland baby (by Merlin)
On
Saturday 23rd February 2002 at 6:47pm after 36 hours of labour, Beccy
gave birth to a healthy 7lb 6oz baby boy. We had wanted the birth
to take place in the woods but when it became apparent that things
were not going to plan we ended up in Torbay hospital where Beccy
gave birth by emergency caesarean section. Due to some complications
Beccy made a slow recovery but we have now settled back into woodland
life with our
new
addition - baby Rowan. We had spent the months leading up to the birth
stockpiling firewood, building nappy washing facilities, carrying
out home improvements including storage, nursery facilities and a
rainwater collection system. Luckily we finished everything as Beccy
went into labour ten days before her due date.
To
celebrate his life, growth and name we planted a Rowan tree next to
our bender. The name Rowan means fair and slender and is a Gaelic
word for red. More information on the Rowan tree can be found in our
last newsletter’s focus on trees.
We
would like to thank the Moorland group midwives, staff at Torbay hospital
and all those who have offered love and support.
Focus
on Trees - Sycamore
‘Acer pseudo-platanus’
This
much maligned deciduous tree is one of Britain’s commonest. Probably
introduced around the 16th century, it self-sows freely and inhibits
the growth of other plants. It can supplant native trees, at least
in the short-term, though recent evidence suggests that in the long
term it would not usually become the dominant tree in British woodlands.
Being fast growing, it is one of the first trees to colonize open
land and its ability to tolerate difficult environments makes it a
good pioneer species and windbreak for exposed areas.
The
wood is very hard,elastic, easy to work and fairly resistent to insects.
It can be used for carving, small domestic and culenary items, veneer
etc. Some people consider it a good fuel wood and it can be used to
make charcoal.
The
sap was used medicinally to dissolve tumours and seal wounds. The
keys of the developing seeds have a sweet coating on them which was
once commonly sucked by children. The leaves can be wrapped round
baked foods to impart a sweet flavour or packed around apples, rootcrops
etc to help preserve them. Wine and Ale can be made from the sap from
which sugar can be extracted (about 25g per litre).
For
some time the tree was confused with the biblical Ficus sycomorus
from Egypt and hence the similar name.
Apparently
the tree was once believed to ‘keep the fairies away and stop them
spoiling the milk’. In Cornwall Sycamore played an important part
of the customs associated with May Day being made into whistles and
peweeps.
Beltane/May
Day
A
celebration of life, renewal and pleasure. As well as its pagan connections,
May Day is International Workers’ Day commemorating the execution
of four activists in Chicago for their part in the struggle for an
eight hour working day. In recent years the celebration has seen a
revival with events organised both here and around the world. There
has been the inevitable negative media from the corporate media despite
the positive and inventive actions that have taken place such as guerilla
gardening and Mayday monopoly.
www.ourmayday.org.uk
Questionnaire
1.
Our newsletter -
What
do you think about our newsletter?
(such
as readabilty, length, frequency, size, design, layout, content, interest)
What
do you think is missing?
Have
you ever followed up on something you read in our newsletter, eg.
checked out a web address or contacted an organisation etc.? yes/no
2.
Our website -
Have
you seen our website yes/no
How
often do you visit it? never / occasionally / reqularly / frequently
Do
you find it useful? yes/no
Have
you followed links to other sites and found those interesting or useful?
yes/no
What
do you think about the content / design / navigation?
3.
About us -
How
did you first hear about Steward Community Woodland? our media: leaflet
/ newsletter / website / event other media: TV / radio / newspaper
/ magazine
Have
you met us at an event elsewhere? yes / no green fair / gathering
/ community event / conference / course / other...
Have
you visited - the woodland walk / the community / a party / work weekend?
(if so, please tell us about your impressions, experiences, ideas
etc - good and bad)
4.
About you -
What
is your name and address? (you definately have to fill this bit out
to win a book!)
Are
you receiving our newsletter by post? yes/no
Do
you have internet access? yes/no
Would
you like to be on our email list? yes/no
If
so what is your email address?
5.
Other -
(please
use this space to finish other questions, tell us anything else, or
draw us a picture...)
Please
post to:
This
newsletter was brought to you by Affinity Woodland Workers Co-operative,
set up to encourage and enable environmental awareness and solutions
by providing examples of sustainable land use. We manage and live
at Steward
Community Woodland on Dartmoor where we try to practice a low impact
lifestyle,
utilising renewable energy, growing our own food and building our
own homes.
For more
information or to get involved -
Contact us to be added to our mailing list (either email or conventional).
You’ll
receive newsletters and information about upcoming courses, workshops
and work parties etc. Donations to cover costs would be appreciated.
You are welcome to take a walk in the woods at any time. If you would
like to visit the community (for either a short or long stay) please
phone us first.
To contact us......
Tel: 01647 440233 Fax: 07050 674467
Expensive rate mobile: 07050 674464
Email:
Steward
Community Woodland,Moretonhampstead,Newton Abbot,Devon TQ13 8SD
|
