Disgrifiad o'r contract
1.0_Introduction
Keep Wales Tidy (KWT) in partnership with the Woodland Trust (WT) have secured funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to develop and run the Long Forest Project: a community engagement project aimed at improving the condition of hedgerows and other linear woodland features in Wales. KWT and WT have now embarked on an 11 month Development Phase, which started in February and will run until December 2015, at which point a second round application for a 3 year Delivery programme will be submitted. If successful the Delivery phase would commence around March 2016 and run until September 2019. The work will be delivered by a central team who will provide resources that can be accessed by everyone, and then more intensive work in up to five selected priority or ‘Target Areas’. During the Development phase the intention will be to scope and research the concept in sufficient detail and to prepare the second round application to the HLF. The Development Phase will require 4 individual, but related contracts. These are:
1. A scoping study on training needs and availability.
2. A technical assessment related to communication mechanisms including a website and mobile phone app.
3. Advice on how historical and cultural data should be collected and shared.
4. And finally an overarching contract which brings the above studies and other information into an Activity Plan, which will form a major component of the round two application to the HLF.
2.0 Advice on how historical and cultural data should be collected and shared
Hedgerows and earth banks, along with associated linear woodland features are an integral part of our rural landscapes – and date back in some cases many centuries and even millennia. The Long Forest project has been set up to stimulate interest in these green monuments, many of which are older than nearby buildings. There are also a variety of regional and local styles of hedges and differences in the way that they are used and managed. This is also reflected in the wide variations in the design and use of hand tools.
There are many and varied records that could be used to stimulate interest and inspire further research. Whilst the two organisations leading on the Long Forest, KWT and WT, have the necessary skills and knowledge relating to ecological and community engagement, we require additional support and advice to cover the historical and cultural aspects of the project. This information will be used as a way of engaging members of the public, community groups and businesses that would not normally be interested in a conservation project, and will also help us to develop and deliver a project that will take account of and record significant historic and cultural aspects of the Welsh countryside.
We anticipate that historical and cultural records will include:
-Historic maps
-Aerial photographs
-Parish records
-Archives
-Old photographs and paintings
-Records and articles held by History clubs and societies
-The People’s Collection
Other information held by the Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments, (RCAHM)
-Information held by Natural Resources Wales notable LANDMAP and the Historic Landscape Register
-Landscape Character Studies held by Local Authorities and National Park
-Ancient Tree surveys
-Tree Preservation Orders and other data held by Local Authorities
-Information held by Archaeological Trusts
-Information held by the National Museum of Wales especially Saint Fagans
-Non recorded knowledge held by older famers and landowners
-Records held by large estates
-The work of the Welsh Place Name Society
-Traditional recipes for food and wine
-Medicinal properties associated with traditional hedgerow plants
-Folklore and local traditions, tales and superstitions
There is therefore an extensive list of suitable sources. This research contract will assist KWT and WT in ensuring that interested groups and individuals can be encouraged to research, record and share information and thus inspire further interest.
The questions we wish to receive support on therefore include:
1. What is the extent of the existing information available?
2. What is the nature of the content, is it technical or suitable for a wider audience?
3. How easy is it for volunteers and community groups to do their own research?
4. How should we encourage individuals and groups to undertake their own research?
5. What will be the best way to present the information collected to the public?
6. How should the information be stored digitally?
7. What other organisations need to have access to the information and in what format?
8. How much information could be gathered by interviewing farmers and members of the public?
9. What existing knowledge is there on regional and local distinctiveness?
We would also like to see how this information could be developed into specific guidance, or a Toolkit, targeted at interested groups and individuals.
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