Watch, listen and learn about trees at Woodland Festival 2022

The Western Forestry Co-op is pleased to be announcing the return of the Woodland Festival in Clonalis Estate, Castlerea, Co Roscommon on Sunday, 28 August from 12 to 6pm.

The woodland festival will foster a greater awareness of the benefits of trees and woodlands, woodland management and the amenity aspects of our woods as well as the use of wood in furniture, crafts and building.

The day will include live woodland demonstrations in thinning, woodland improvement, farm forestry and harvesting, sawmilling, timber tasks, wood chipping, beekeeping, chainsaw operators and carving as well as small scale timber extraction

There will be woodland walks and talks, woodland games, information stands, wood products, food, crafts, family entertainment and much more. There will be something for everyone at the Woodland Festival 2022.

If you are interested in learning how to identify the different trees then make sure to attend the Tree Identification walk, or if you would like to know more about forest fungi and forest medicine attend either of those walks.

There is the Timber Tasks area where you can get tips on how to maintain and sharpen your chainsaw. The marquee field will have marquees set up with woodland talks on everything from native woodland management to engineered wood to timber mobilisation and forestry as a career.

The Traders marquee will have natural wood and artisan products to purchase on the day, the Irish Wood Marquee will showcase innovation in building with wood. There will also be a Woodland Information Marquee with organisations such as the Department of Agriculture, Crann, Pro Silva, Teagasc, Woodlands of Ireland and the different colleges offering forestry courses.

The Harvesting area will discuss the different harvesting options, high pruning for quality, how to maximise your timber crop and the different sawmill products that are created from the wood in your forest. The Woodland Improvement area will discuss woodland management operations and supports, the small scale extraction area will have tractor, trailer, quad and horse extraction in action for low impact log removal.

Don't miss the timber and wood field focused on local wood based businesses showing products made from wood supporting local jobs timber processing, firewood, chipping, stakes, mobile sawmill and chainsaw carver.

In the family area enjoy woodland games, face painting, woodland crafts, balloon making and music - all free. There will be an archery competition and an educational hive for beekeeping. Food stalls and a picnic area, live music and storytelling will all be part of the festival.

This is a day for everyone to come and see all that is good about woodlands and trees. It is organised by Western Forestry Co-op and funded by the Department of Agriculture and Masonite.

Please be advised this is an outdoor event so appropriate clothing and footwear is advisable, there is a festival map and event schedule on the website and all areas will be signposted on the

day.

Visit www.woodlandfestival.ie or stay updated on FB.com/westernforestrycoop.ie