Case Study 4.
The ‘Mushroom Route’ sustainable gathering of wild forest mushrooms
and sustainable value adding.
The Mushroom Route is within the water catchment of Bassenthwaite Lake,
the largest catchment of the Lake District National Park (North West England).
The sustainable management of the catchment by local people is the longterm goal of a group of partners including the Environment Agency, the
Forestry Commission, National Trust, Lake District National Park Authority,
Cumbria County Council and the NGO, Grampus Heritage & Training.
The route was devised to allow local people and visitors to enjoy the natural
harvest of local mushrooms in a sustainable way. The intention is that visitors
gain through undertaking healthy outdoor activity, enjoy the pleasure of
discovery and recognition and learn about the uses of various fungi and the
dangers of others.
The route deliberately selects woodlands and forests that have different
species, soils, aspects and characteristics, in order that a great variety of
mushrooms can be discovered. The route can be walked at any time but the
usual season for wild mushrooms is late August to the end of November. The
visitor uses a simple guide leaflet and is unaccompanied, or joins a group led
by an expert. Because of the dangers of poisonous mushrooms, the guide
leaflet focuses only on common and easily identified species, whereas the
option to be led, involves more varieties of mushroom and more varied uses.
The route extends around Bassenthwaite Lake from Park Wood,
Bassenthwaite to Piel Wyke to Thornthwaite and then across the valley to the
Dodd and back to Bassenthwaite village via St. Bega’s Church (park
woodlands). If accompanied, the route has stop-off opportunities for activities
to prepare mushrooms for eating and for dyeing of wool. These opportunities
are possible because of the support of stakeholders around Bassenthwaite
Lake, including the Forestry Commission and Trotter’s World of Animals (a
small local zoo).
The mushrooms / fungi observed and/or gathered include: Giant Cllitocybe
(Leucopaxillus giganteus), which grown in a very large ‘fairy ring’ in
Thornthwaite Forest under ash trees. In some countries it is eaten after boiling
and straining off the juice but the folklore attached to ‘fairy rings’ is the chief
purpose for seeking it out for tourism. Green Wood Cup (Chlorciboria
aeruginascens), prized by wood carvers because it stains willow wood, alder
and pine a beautiful blue-green colour. Commonly found on the shore of the
lake near Armathwaite Hall. Brown Birch Boletus (Leccinium scabrum)
delicious to eat immediately if young, best to dry if older. Growing in birch
woodland on the Iron Age fort at Piel Wyke. Bare-Toothed Russula (Russula
vesca) growing under beech at Beck Wythop, good for pickling. Amethyst
Deceiver (Laccaria amethystea). Beautiful colour and edible, best in stews.
Good to dry and use in flower arranging because it keeps it’s fine colour.
Grows in woodland behind the Pheasant Inn.
The longer-term objective is to train local young people to be ‘mushroom
guides’ and allow them to sell their services through local hotels.
Case Study 5.
The Vydrovo valley tourist area near Čierny Balog, central Slovakia.
This multi-functional site consists of an open-air Forest Museum and a 3.5 km
educational path with 48 stops showing the history of Slovak and world
forestry and wood processing, as well as the natural processes in forest
ecosystems. The Forest Museum was built from local and sustainable natural
materials and blends in with the terrain of the Vydrovo valley. The path
sympathetically uses the natural, cultural and historical assets of the valley,
including partisan graves from the 2nd World War, forest evolution, soil pits,
anthills, etc. The interpretation boards use lots of pictures and the exhibits
include original historical forestry machines and buildings. The educational
trail provides interactive activities such as playing a wooden pipe, transport of
logs along dry and wet channels, wild pigs in an enclosure and a presentation
of charcoal making.
A serious educational aspect at the Open-air Forest Museum includes a
symbolic forest graveyard, a catastrophic vision of forest evolution and forest
as a drinking water supply system. The purpose is to inspire visitors to think
about the importance of forest ecosystems. There are wooden sculptures
made by artists from all over the world, and these add to the atmosphere of
the valley and to present the forest from an aesthetic point of view.
The recreational facility also includes the Čiernohronská railway, a historical
narrow gauged forest railway which in the last century was used to transport
wood but now is used by tourists. The railway operates from the main station
in Čierny Balog to Vydrovo valley (approx. 2 km) and to Chvatimech (13 kms).
From 1st May 15th to September, tourists can ride in historical wooden wagons
pulled by a steam or diesel engine. At the main station there is a small
museum about the Čiernohronská railway and the work of a youth movement
to save it.
The third part of the forest-based recreation includes an amphitheatre with a
capacity for 800 visitors, where cultural performances linked to forestry
traditions are performed along with folk group performances or alternative
events for young people such as film presentations. All the facilities are made
from wood in the traditional vernacular style of the region.
The overall idea of the Vydrovo valley is revival and provision of services for
soft tourism through co-operation between professionals and volunteers.
Stakeholders and partners include the Čiernohronská railway. VYDRA (otter),
a non-profit NGO working for sustainable development of the Čierny Hron
microregion, the municipality of Čierny Balog and the Forestry Company of
the Slovak Republic.
The tourist Area in Vydrovo valley has helped small enterprises to develop
and assisted in a 50-fold increase in accommodation infrastructure between
1992 and 2005. The site has helped in preserving history and tradition
provided for visitors who search for environmentally friendly services in
harmony with the cultural and natural heritage of the Čierny Hron microregion.
Case Study 6.
Wildlife-Watching at the Poiplie Ramsar Site and nearby forests of the
Ipeľ River Valley
The Poiplie Site was registered on the Ramsar (wetlands of international
importance) list in 1998. It is located in south-central Slovakia, between the
villages of Tešmak and Ipeľské Predmostie. The site is an11.8 km-long
fragment of the original meander system of the Ipeľ and its flood plain. The
site is a mixture of open water, wetlands rich in rare plants, reptiles,
amphibians, fish, small mammals and water-fowl, grasslands and alluvial
forests. Because of this great biodiversity and the Ramsar’s location on bird
migration routes, it is ideal for educational and recreational purposes. An
adjacent Turkey oak (Quercus cerris) forest adds further habitat variety and a
developing study centre gives the opportunity for groups to stay locally for
extended study and enjoyment of the site.
The Poiplie Ramsar Site contains 7 individual protected areas: the Big Sand
Dune, Martonka, Tešmak Swamp, Surdocké Meadows, Ricefields, Súdenica
Swamp and Ipeľské Hony. A tourist trail leading along the Ramsar Site was
marked and opened for the public in 2004 by the Ipeľ Union, a local NGO.
The Ricefields is particularly valuable for bird watching, having 138 species,
94 of them breeding on the site. At Martonka there are 28 species of
butterflies and a great diversity of bats; out of the 27 registered species of
bats in Slovakia there are 12 species known to be present, 7 species
expected to be present, and 2 species potentially present. The Turkey oak
forest next to the Ramsar site has wild-boar, red-deer and roe-deer.
The growing number of foreign tourists visiting the Ipeľ valley via the Ipeľ
Union NGO initiated the development of facilities for eco-tourism, particularly
wildlife watching. First developments in 2003, included the Ramsar Site
Tourist Trail. In the same year, with the help of Irish forestry students and
vocational trainees two wooden foot-bridges were constructed along the
embankment around the Ricefields to provide better access. In 2004, two
wooden bird-hides were built by British and local volunteers of the Ipeľ Union,
using local materials and traditional skills of willow weaving and reed
thatching. In 2006, UK and Bulgarian students and local volunteers built a
wooden watch tower on top of the hill in the Turkey oak forest, next to the
Ricefields. The 6 meters high tower provides a beautiful view of the Ricefields
and the Súdenica swamp, the 2 areas richest in birdlife.
The Poiplie is geographically, economically, socially and culturally peripheral.
The population is aging and poorly qualified but the natural beauty and
biodiversity represents an important asset. Eco-tourism represents a great
opportunity for rural development and encourages the creation of local
infrastructure, such as visitor accommodation and retail outlets. Timber
production is still important but no longer the major function of local forests.
Woodlands are increasingly considered as a living ecosystem important for
producing fresh air, drinking water, quality soil, and providing a relaxing and
healthy environment for people, locals and visitors alike.
Case Study 7.
Pinewood Valley Athletic Trail, Troodos Mountains, Cyprus – a forest
trail with a multi-functional use.
The Troodos National Forest Park, is in the center of Cyprus and covers
9,000 hectares. The park is renowned for it’s unique wildlife and great
biodiversity, with over 800 plant species, 72 of which are endemic. The valley
selected for the Athletic Trail is 3,500 feet above sea level and is located in
the forest close to the villages of Pedhoulas and Prodromos. Despite it’s
natural qualities, the site is easily accessible by road from Paphos, Limassol
and Nicosia, due to it’s central location within Cyprus.
The trail is just 800 metres long and is easily negotiated at a gentle walk
within 30 minutes; if the exercise structures are used, the time taken is longer.
The general area within the Forest Park has a forest playground, picnic sites,
camping grounds and villages with special cultural features, so the addition of
the trail gives visitors a further recreational opportunity within a day visit.
The aim of the Athletic Trail is to allow visitors to undertake exercise through
walking but also with the choice for more vigorous exercise, whilst giving
access to an area for learning, viewing and interpreting nature, making the
trail a multi-functional forest recreation asset. By having easy walking
possibilities, as well as strategically placed structures for athletic exercise,
families can use the trail, with elderly and less active members walking, whilst
younger, more active family members try out the athletic structures.
The trail was created by the Cyprus Forestry College but was initially the idea
of the Manager of the Churchill Pinewood Hotel who suggested the idea to the
General Director of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation. With input from the
Director of Forests, the trail was completed in 2005 and is an example of cooperation between private commercial interests, the state and education
sectors. Funding was secured from the Cyprus Tourism Organisation and
volunteer work was provided through students undertaking work and training
placements through the ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ programme of the European
Union.
The planning and design of the trail was also a joint effort with Cypriot forestry
students being joined by outdoor recreation students from the University of
Central Lancashire in the UK and Oulu Polytechnic from Finland. Sustainable
use of local resources came into play with cypress timber in it’s natural round
form being utilized. A total of 10 simple exercise structures are incorporated in
the trail, with simple directions for safe use and well-maintained soft sand
areas to avoid compaction, erosion and personal accidents. To allow visitors
to enjoy the unique flora, the students surveyed the area and installed picture
boards with descriptions of the notable plants.
Case Study 8.
Ashgill Forest Theatre, a facility for local people.
The theatre development is in a gill (valley) woodland on the edge of the West
Cumbrian (UK) village of Threapland. The area is designated as ‘Objective 2’
by the European Union and suffers from higher than average unemployment,
rural stagnation and an outward migration of young people. The region also
suffered badly through the effects of ‘foot and mouth’ disease in 2001, with
rural tourism being frozen for over 12 months with resulting job losses and
company failures. As a result of this disease the area was given special aid
for agriculture and forestry. Support for the creation of Ashgill Forest Theatre
was given by the ‘Forest Futures’ grant, which combined UK Government
funds with European Union structural funds.
At Ashgill, the natural shape of the valley, the presence of rock ledges from
former limestone quarrying and the ash forest with varied lime-tolerant flora,
give the site some very interesting features. The theatre development was
inspired by Bulgarian "Eco-Brigade" students who were asked to develop
innovative ideas for the use of the woodland given the absence of any timber
value. The idea for the theatre came when the students were shouting to each
other across the valley and the superb natural acoustics were noted. The
actual theatre construction involved creating a stage on a natural rock
platform surrounded by trees, grasses and ferns and having a small cliff
behind it and digging terraces for seating opposite the stage and on the other
side of a small stream called Poggle Beck.
The process of theatre construction involved placing wooden bridges over the
beck, linking the auditorium and stage, damming the beck to create a pool
and digging the terraces for seating. The bridges were made from locally
sourced roundwood and boards milled using a mobile chainsaw mill. The
seating terraces were secured by wiring together plastic drums filled with
stones and weaving willow fascias to give a natural appearance. Willow was
also used to weave the ‘wings’ beside the stage. The construction was
undertaken over a three-year period. Later phases of construction involved
building a 35 metre boardwalk and level platform for disabled visitors, weaving
living willow to stabilise the stream sides (‘spiling’) and commissioning a local
woodcarver to create a mythical ‘Green Man’ face at the entrance to the
theatre. Local young people and visiting students from Germany, Slovakia,
Bulgaria and Finland, all helped, making the facility a combination of skills and
ideas from all over Europe.
The theatre has adjacent parking for 15 cars and seating for 100 people. The
feel of being in a forest, shaded under an ash woodland canopy, has been
maintained and there has been some felling of dominant trees and replanting
to give a more varied age structure. The theatre is used mainly by the local
community, with a number of primary and junior schools devising their own
productions. Income generated is low but sufficient for ongoing maintenance.
The natural setting and the rich culture and history of the region have been
used to inspire the dramatic productions.
Case Study 9.
‘Fashion-in-the-Forest’ – a chance for young people to develop their
own recreational interests by using the forest in it’s broadest sense.
This project, part-funded by the EU "Youth" began when a group of
international organisations with an interest in rural development, came
together to explore traditional costumes and masking traditions as a source of
inspiration for contemporary creativity. This earlier project (2001) was
supported by the EU’s ‘Culture 2000’ programme and involved young people
learning ancient skills and adapting local traditions to create something new
and exciting. The organisations involved included several with interests in
forestry and so wood, forest products and ideas from the forest were
incorporated. The forest-inspired art and design was a great success and
stimulated the idea of ‘Fashion-in-the-Forest’.
After a year of planning, over 40 young people from Germany, Finland, the
United Kingdom, Slovenia, Slovakia and Bulgaria came together for an
intensive two-week period. They lived, worked and trained together to create
a range of costumes and a dramatic presentation for public performance.
They were inspired by "the forest" and learned something about each other's
forests, including folklore and stories. They gathered leaves, mosses, bark,
twigs, lichen and fungi from the forest, after first being trained to preserve
endangered species, and used these to create costumes, accessorise
existing costume and make ‘jewellery’. They had special training in willow
weaving, dyeing material with natural colours and felt-making using local
wool. In this way their creativity was stimulated but they also learned about
sustainability.
The entire performance of ‘Fashion-in-the-Forest’ was in the control f the
young people themselves; they made the costume, produced the drama,
organised the music, lighting and choreography. They also produced the
leaflets to promote the event and undertook local cultural emersion in order to
learn something from the local rural community.
The ‘Fashion-in-the-Forest’ project was very successful, winning national and
international praise.
Since 2005, when the initial performance was
undertaken in northern England, a successful project was developed in
Slovenia and will follow in Bulgaria. In the United Kingdom, more young
people have become involved, also Polish, Estonian and Hungarian young
people wish to join the project. Late in 2006, the concept of the project was
taken as a means of involving young people in the future protection of a large
water catchment, Bassenthwaite Lake in the North West England Lake District
National Park. The original project was selected for this important role
because it successfully combined learning about nature, traditional skills,
culture and the use of sustainably sourced local materials, with youth
empowerment. The project recognised that young people are an important
element within rural development and they must be involved if they are to
inherit the legacy of rural diversification.
Case Study 10.
Natural Springs in the Forests of the Ipeľ River Valley in southern
Slovakia. An under-valued asset re-developed by local young people.
The forests of the Ipeľ River valley contain many natural springs with high
quality drinking water within a beautiful wooded environment. The springs
provide refreshment for walkers, hunters and mushroom pickers. The
locations of most of the springs are still known by local people but they have
been neglected for decades.
A group of local young people decided to clean up the forest springs and
make them more pleasant for visitors. They chose 4 springs, 3 of which are
located in the valley of the Olvár creek, an area starting 6 km away from the
provincial town of Šahy. The first spring, the King’s Well is the easiest to find,
being next to the main forest road between Šahy and the medieval castle of
Čabraď. The second spring, the White Well has a fascinating story connected
to it from the period of the Ottoman invasion (15th-16th century). According to
folklore, the population of the village of Tešmak escaped to a forest village
called Somos located by the spring, before the Turks reached their homes.
Local legend attributes magical power to the third spring and up to the 1950s
many people visited from all over the country in a hope of recovering from a
wide range of diseases. The legend tells of a shepherd who went to the
spring each day with his sheep and crippled son. One day he left his son by
the spring but hearing a scream, he rushed back and saw a bear trying to
attack his child but being protected by a beautiful shiny lady above the spring.
The boy had been cured and was able to walk normally and the spring has
been called the Bear’s Well ever since. The fourth place, the Holy Well can be
found in another forest south of Šahy, and is also believed to have healing
power. A little chapel of the Virgin Mary stands close-by and there are
religious festivals and masses still organized on a regular basis.
The restoration of the Bear’s Well started in 2005, with young people from
Šahy and Tešmak cutting the grass and installing a wooden gate and footbridge with steps to the water. The work was done in 5 days, and a local
sawmill provided the timber free. Inspired by the success of the project, the
same group co-operated with 2 local NGOs, the Ipeľ Union and Regional
Development Agency Ipeľ-Hron. They successfully proposed the
reconstruction of the other 3 springs to the philanthropic grant program of the
Orange mobile phone company. The second phase of the restoration of the
springs was in June 2006 and involved local young men joined by English and
Bulgarian students and local rangers with a representative of the Forestry
Association of Tešmak (owner of the forest). At each spring they set-up a
picnic place with tables and benches and a wooden roof above the springs to
keep the water clean.
This simple project is an example of a diverse type of forest recreation that
draws on natural assets, folklore and the needs of young people to achieve
things and be active. The restoration also involved local businesses and the
wider community in doing a small job but one of great significance within the
mosaic of local forest-based recreation.