Elephant in the Woodland Project
Running over three years, the Elephant in the Woodlands project raised awareness and encouraged sustainable practices among landholders, firewood collectors and firewood users to ensure firewood is a renewable resource for future generations.
Firewood Collectors Guide
The Firewood Collector’s Guide was developed as part of the Elephant in the Woodlands project. Download the Guide here.
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Wood as a sustainably energy resource
The Elephant in the Woodland project looked at our energy use with a focus on heating, starting with sourcing wood through to maximising the use of this heating through a properly insulated house envelope and using the wood the most effectively.
The project included:
- Biodiversity studies to help landholders to understand what is Sustainable Firewood
- Sustainable Wood Collection Workshops to train landholders, private and professional wood collectors in how to collect in a sustainable manner
- Workshops for local schools
Project partners included BackTrack AgLads, Uralla Shire Council, Southern New England Landcare, Northern Tablelands Local Land Service, Scientists from UNE, plus three local landholders (Balala Station, Lana and Barrakee).
Sustainable Firewood Checklist
When you buy or collect firewood there are a number of things to check to make sure it is sustainable.
- Is it legal to take the wood from the site?
- Has the tree naturally died and fallen over?
- Are there replacement saplings nearby?
- Are there other homes for wildlife?
- Is there other dead timber on the ground to stop soil erosion?
- Has the nutrient rich bark been left?
Read the Elephant in the Woodland project wrap up and view the project photo gallery.
This project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environmental Trust.
