The Coed Panteg Woodland Co-op in Ferryside aims to share essential skills in charcoal making with residents and small community woodlands in Carmarthenshire.
Coed Panteg works with volunteers from the local community and large groups of young people led by the Prince’s Trust.
The RDP Sir Gâr’s Zero Carbon Future (ZCF) project has now provided funding for the group to purchase a charcoal kiln and to deliver a weekend course on coppicing and charcoal making. The kiln will be available for future use by other community groups to produce charcoal and for demonstration/educational purposes. The kiln is portable and will enable the production of charcoal on small community woodlands in the immediate area.
Zero Carbon Future, part of the RDP Sir Gâr Innovative Hubs project, is funded through the Rural Development Plan (RDP) for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. Focusing on the environment, ZCF aims to deliver innovative solutions and projects which tackle climate change by reducing our carbon footprint.
ZCF Officer Paul Thomas said: “We supported this project as the majority of charcoal used in the UK comes from rainforests and threatened woodlands across the globe. Local charcoal has many benefits, being more sustainable in terms of the use of locally sourced wood, which can be sustainably managed, along with not having been transported such vast distances, thus reducing the carbon footprint and transportation mileage. Any income accrued will support the development of Coed Panteg woodland as a sustainable woodland.”
For further information on ZCF, please contact Paul Thomas on 01269 871600 or email: Paul@mentercwmgwendraeth.org.uk
Booking essential. May 10 and 11: Charcoal Making in Sustainable Woodland, Coed Panteg, Ferryside, 10am – 4pm. Cost: £5 to cover refreshments.
Contact Mike Evans 07904 313 156/ mikee@canolnet.plus.com
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