Report on the Ward Forester Alsace Lorraine and Black Forest Study Tour
Monday 14th Thursday 17th November
The Ward Forester project in Devon was able, with support from the Forestry Commission and Devon County Council to organise and arrange
a European study tour. The tour was hosted by Vollmer Engineering who arranged a programme of looking at the practicalities of 5 projects,
meeting those involved and analysing their approach to forest management, new wood-fuel markets and the adoption of modern Wood-fuel
heating systems.
The objectives of the tour were to understand and learn the following from our European counterparts about:
 Project drivers
 Factors for success
 Common risks and pitfalls
 Outcomes and future aspirations
The tour was over subscribed by organisations and individuals signed up to the Ward Forester programme. 18 delegates from across the
supply chain of “tree to boiler” subsequently took part, including woodland owners, contractors, consultants, wood-fuel co-operative managers
and community leaders from across Devon.
Delegate details
Andy Bradford
Nick Withers
Dan Tabrizi
George Ridge
Stephen Green
Roger Ford
Mick Bracken
John Baker
Lindsay Robinson
Brian Elliot Forestry
Graham Preece
Tom Langdon Davies
Charles Lacey
John Rainger
from Dartmoor Wood-fuel Co-operative
from SWArb Technical Services
Forestry Consultant from Hi-Line
Woodland owner and boiler owner
SW Bioheat programme manager RegenSW
Forestry Commission
Ward Forester
Ward Forester Trip co-ordinator
Forestry Consultant
Consultant Pryor & Rickett Silviculture
Tilhill Forestry
Director at South West Chamber of Rural Enterprise
Woodland owner
Woodland owner
Alistair Wimberley
John Dodds
John Fuller
Ben Pell
Woodland owner
Moretonhampstead Development Trust
John Fuller Trees and Deer stalking
Arboricultural contractor
Logistics
DCC organised the practicalities of the trip whilst Vollmer organised the programme case studies. The German office at Vollmer assisted
greatly in providing details of the hotel and seeking a coach company for travel between case studies.
The Forestry Commission provided a £10,000 budget. DCC advertised the trip to the woodland owners and contractors on the Ward Forester
database. A target of 15 delegates, including a representative from the Forestry Commission, plus two delegates from Ward forester was
calculated for based on each delegate paying £150 towards the costs of their trip. In the end 18 attended the tour.
Travel was by train with everyone meeting at St David’s station Exeter and traveling to London, then Eurostar to Paris and TGV to Strasbourg.
This provided an excellent opportunity for networking and was comparable in cost and time with flying, but much more efficient in terms of Co2.
Summary of case study visits
The leading theme was on biomass installations managed by Vollmer engineering, however the objective from many of the delegates was to
unpick the approach to woodland management to supply these installations and the methodology required for successful cooperative ventures
in biomass installation and woodland management.