The cold wind was blowing, but once we started the walk it didn’t feel so bad. Harry took us on a large loop through his woods off Petersham Road in Hardwick to see the results of 25 years of forest management looks like. Over that time, the Webb’s have completed seven timber sales, removing over 500MBF (or thousand board feet). That sounds like a lot, and it is a lot of trees. But what’s even more impressive, is that they have more than that in tree volume standing out in the woods.
Walking along the woods roads, you can see the impact of human activity. The roads are well-maintained. There is a small man-made farm pond. Several cleared areas are thick with young trees making the race towards the sun.
Harry filled us in on his joys and challenges over the years. Caring for his woodland has been an inspiration, and lots of hard, physical work.