An Evolving Exploration into the Head, Heart and Hands of Energy Descent
The Woodland Way – Ben Law (2001)
**“The Woodland Wayâ€? – Ben Law. Permanent Publications (2001)**
Permaculturists are sometimes accused of naively peddling ideas and techniques suitable only to Australia, that Permaculture is somehow inappropriate here. With this landmark publication, permaculture in these islands has come of age. We are now, thanks to the dedicated work of many people over the last 20-odd years, beginning to accumulate a collective body of tried and tested experience that means we no longer have to feel inferior to, say, Australia or America.
‘The Woodland Way’ contains a vast body of insight and practical advice, all of it deeply rooted within a permaculture philosophy. I visited Prickly Nut Wood a couple of months ago and was deeply impressed by what I saw there. Apart from the fact that it is a movingly beautiful place anyway, what Ben has done there is amazing. He coppices the woods, grows mushrooms on logs, makes ponds, grows food, generates his power, makes rustic furniture, charcoal, yurts, hurdles, he teaches, he consults and now he writes books too. The real power of this book, as of all great permaculture texts, is firstly that you reach the last page and feel equipped to have a go at it yourself, and secondly the realisation of how different the world would be if more people were doing this stuff.
Ben is a man who has a deep feeling for Nature and for trees and this shines through his writing. For example, in the section on evaluating woodland, he suggests that you not only visit a wood as many times as you can but also visit it at night, to really help getting a feel for the place in all its aspects. This prompted me to wonder how many forestry ‘specialists’ have stood in a woodland at night listening to the owls?
The chapter on “From Tree to Finished Product� looks at the wide diversity of yields possible from a well-managed wood. For anyone who still thinks that making a living from the woods means flogging the occasional greenwood chair and a few hazelnuts, Ben shows that well designed woodland enterprises can be serious business and that the surface has only just been scratched in terms of potential. There are many inspiring case studies showing ‘the Woodland Way’ in practice around the UK, yielding both environmental benefits and a good economic return.
The book’s concluding chapter, “The Future�, sets out such a clear and common sense vision for the future that it deserves to be published in its own right as a small booklet. Ben and everyone involved in producing this precious addition to the permaculture library deserve our thanks for offering another steady step towards diversity, abundance and a world fit for our children to inherit.