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	Podcast:		Farming Today
	Episode:		09/08/2024 Woodland report, Rewilding forests, Donkey farm
	Category:		Science & Medicine
	Duration:		00:14:17
	Publish Date:		2024-08-08 05:00:00
	Description:		The latest comprehensive survey of woodland across Scotland, Wales and England has just been published. The Bunce report first carried out woodland surveys across 103 woods, back in 1971. They were revisited in 2001, and the third and last survey of the same sites in 2021, has now been published by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. Some of the things that have changed: there are now fewer larger trees, but diseases like ash dieback and Dutch elm disease have created gaps in the canopy; shade-tolerant plants like bluebells are more frequent; and climate change and warmer winters have led to an increase in holly. Forestry England is creating 8000 hectares of wild areas in four of the nation's forests, places where the focus will be on rewilding. We visit Kielder Forest in Northumberland which has been selected as part of the project. We visit a smallholding in North Wales where donkeys are helping people with disabilities or who're struggling with their mental health. A herd of twelve donkeys are working as part of a programme of equine assisted learning. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney
	Total Play:		0