From plant to plank...Nobber students branch out to sustainable forestry in action

The Transition Year students of O'Carolan College, Nobber were introduced to the inner workings of sustainable commercial forestry last week.

Local logger Mark Curtis curated an experience to educate young people about what it takes to bring timber from our forests to our homes.

"All they get to see is all the negativity on the news, that isn't what we do here, this is different, this is sustainable forestry," says Mark who has worked in the forestry sector for over 28 years.

Students were brought to Bragan, Co Monaghan to an active site where XCut Logging Ltd. are harvesting Sitka spruce, a popular commercially grown tree in this part of the world.

Various lengths and diameters of timber were on display for the students to examine accompanied by imagery of their end product to showcase what the raw material will be used for.

Millie McDowell, contract manager from Balcas sawmill, one of the biggest in the UK and Ireland, elaborated on these differences and what is popular in the mill, explaining how this process ensures the minimal waste. Communication is key in this process as the measurements are important to the mill, and it allows Mark to categorise what he cuts.

XCut is contracted to harvest by Coillte which is the commercial forestry business in Ireland, owned by the State. Coillte was represented at the event by Mike O'Shea who explained the environmental efforts taken in this country to replenish forests and utilise land which otherwise would remain idle.

The students were surprised to learn that Coillte currently plant five trees for every one tree harvested. It was also explained that 3.25 tonnes of timber was the equivalent to one tonne in sequestered carbon. Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. It is one method of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere with the goal of reducing global climate change.

Marks says it's important that this information is heard by younger people, and said: "If we don't tell them, how will they know".

Emphasis was also placed on the need to cut forests and the land re-used or else they will rot.

Catching the TY students' interest on the day too was the large scale machinery. Ed Power from John Deere took the opportunity to explain how emissions from the machines had reduced dramatically and continue to do so with new developments. Mark then took the opportunity to introduce the students to Raitis who is a younger operator at XCut.

Raitis seized the opportunity to tell the students about his usual day, what interests him about the job and how he entered the industry when he was just 19. Students were also informed by the experts that their roles in forestry have taken them all over the world, as this trade is global.

Speakers and experts providing the tour to the O'Carolan College visitors also expressed disbelief that there is no current education on the forestry industry and environmental measures taken available in schools in Ireland, a fact backed up when the students confessed they had no idea this activity was happening yet all of them had heard predominantly negative coverage in the news regarding forestry.

As well as the on-site demonstrations and active discussion about the industry, the students seemed much more invested as the process was broken down and explained.

The event truly planted a sense of awareness about the lack of discussion between the environmental industries in Ireland and its youth, and the poor effort by the education system to facilitate it.

Mark and XCut have taken the first step in developing a better informed future generation.