WHAT, WHEN, WHY

WHAT, WHEN, WHY?

Stonecat Rural Enterprises started out as a sapling donation experiment in the early 1990s, with donations of deciduous tree species to schools. Of the initial stock available, it was exhausted in days of articles appearing in the press. It quickly became apparent that a massive demand existed for saplings as everyone seemingly wanted to plant trees, but were excluded from doing so on cost and red tape grounds.

A study revealed that saplings produced by suppliers were vastly over priced beyond the standard costs of producing the plants. Also, most requiring saplings only wanted a small number and the grant giving agencies just couldn't be bothered with those enthusiasts. Staggeringly, the collective total of trees which could be planted by this group of disadvantaged people exceeded that planted by the 'big boys'.

A small tree nursery was established near Pwllheli on the Llyn Peninsula in North West Wales but even that could not keep up with demand. Again, more revelations. Enthusiasts wanted trees, but most impatiently, wanted fast growing species (instant trees). Most deciduous species grow slowly and some exceedingly slowly.

Time for new technology.

That new technology came in the form of high conservation value, super fast growing hybrid Poplar & Willow species. Experiments were being conducted to locate strains of these species for large scale cropping to feed wood burning power stations.

Agreements were struck and consents secured to harvest vegetative cuttings from specimen trees across North Wales, which once planted, would grow between 4 and 5 feet per annum. For some years this willow & poplar aspect has centred on Colwyn Bay on the North Wales coast where SRE has been able to supply thousands of plants produced in just a few square yards of ground. That remains the case today.

SRE hopes to relocate the Colwyn Bay aspect to the Llangollen area of south Denighshire as soon as suitable land becomes available.

Deciduous plants are still very occasionally grown, though most are derived from building development sites where SRE has secured consent to remove wild sown plants before they are destroyed. However 95% of SRE plants are willows and poplars.

As the enterprise grew, so did costs. Operating what was essentially a hobby was rapidly becoming an expensive project. It was then decided by 2000, to establish this as a not for profit project financed via fund raising and donations. The aim was to produce and donate free tree saplings to eligible good causes such as schools, community groups etc, with those groups only having to pay for P&P. The trees were free. As such, SRE has tried a variety of fund raising methods over the last decade and has now settled on advertising and promoting businesses which support it in a variety of ways.

The contact email address for SRE is stonecat@btinternet.com

The ultimate aim of SRE is to acquire a small acreage of low cost, low grade land here in North Wales, to be planted up and managed as a deciduous woodland nature reserve. The conversion of an existing sterile conifer plantation would be ideal; preserved for future generations and particularly for anyone who assists to bring this idea to fruition. There is plenty of such land available in North Wales.

The future aim of SRE therefore is to raise funds/capital to finance this project. 2-5 acres is a reasonable and manageable area and such can still be purchased for as little as £10,000, being generally the poorest of land.