Awards

In 2014 Hugh Davis was awarded for his contribution towards combatting climate change, achieving second place in a Royal Forestry Society competition.

The competition was supported by the Forestry Commission in partnership with the Climate Ready Project. The awards aimed to identify woodlands where tree plantings are creating sites resilient to predicted challenges of climate change, pests and diseases.

Prior to planting at Treworder Barton, Hugh thoroughly researched the theories of environmental change, and developed practical solutions to fit the conditions in Cornwall. He developed a small woodland operation to be part of a farm diversification scheme, looking ahead to what climate change may bring.

Having studied the planting site and researched suitable species, Hugh chose fast-growing eucalyptus. The eucalyptus has a rotation age of 15 years and a crop is viewed effectively as short rotation forestry.

Hugh had felt that the home-grown supply issue was being ignored, with imports sourced from Canada, South America and elsewhere in Europe. He could see that, particularly in the South West, there would be a shortage in wood to supply. He had already identified that the growing bio and wood fuel markets, driven by the renewable heat incentive, would contribute to the shortage and felt compelled to combat this.

Now in 2016 Hugh and his wife Tina have installed a kiln fuelled by a biomass boiler to ensure that as well as growing a sustainable source of energy, they are preparing it for use in an environmental way. Read more about our biomass boiler.