My woodland companion.
A good friend of ours, who has lived in the area all his life and knows about these things, referred to the woods behind our house as ‘Old Growth Acadian Forest‘, meaning that is has never been cut commercially and therefore has a mix of hardwood and softwood trees of all ages.
Trees of different species and age, each have a role to play in keeping the forest healthy. The lofty seed trees, that have reached full maturity, spread their seed to allow the growth of saplings that will replace these trees. Dead and decaying trees provide homes and a food source for woodpeckers and other wildlife, until they eventually fall and compost back into the ground providing nourishment that starts a new cycle of growth. There is a beaver pond on the land and from time to time we’ll see a bear as well as racoons, porcupines, deer, birds and chipmunks.
The ground is carpeted with spongy moss which soaks up the rainfall and provides moisture and habitat for everything from orchids and fungi to spring peepers and the dreaded mosquito. All of which makes up a diverse and healthy ecosystem.
So, a few years ago, when the adjacent 30 acre woodlot came onto the market we jumped at the opportunity to preserve it. Forests, are disappearing from our landscape at an ever increasing pace so we’re keen to prevent the big guys from coming in to clearcut it.
We now know that trees communicate to each other. They send signals warning of predatory insects and disease, and they provide sustenance to surrounding saplings, giving priority to their own offspring. This is all done through a delicate communication system hidden underneath the surface of the soil, so while we want to harvest some of the trees we want to do it in a sensitive manner that keeps the flora and fauna intact.
Our intentions are to manage the woods and selectively cut the trees for John’s Windsor Chairs and other furniture as well as to build up a business of custom milling. So how to go about it?
Our first thoughts were with horses. Horses ticked all the boxes regarding environmental impact and seemed a perfect fit for our homestead. However, they also ticked some boxes we didn’t want ticked! A horse would necessitate housing, feeding, good pasture, the list goes on. We also knew that we didn’t want big, heavy machinery that would rip the heart right out of the forest, so what were our options?
After lots of research we finally did decide on a horse. But not a warm blooded horse that answers to his name, we chose a horse made of steel! After all, John has a background of engineering and he more easily understands the language of pistons and carburetors, than tack and harness, and he sees beauty in well oiled cogs and an engine that purrs.
Let me introduce you to our ‘Iron Horse’, a purpose built machine that is compact but strong enough to handle all but the largest of timber. It runs on tracks and can operate over most ground conditions with minimal impact. Like any other horse, it is self driven and follows on behind as you guide it through the forest. Roads are not necessary; if you can walk, it will follow!
There’s nothing I like better than on a sunny day in late winter, with the snow packed hard on the ground, to take our friendly horse into the woods. Here is a short video of the horse at work.
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