Leighton Moss visitor centre using horse power (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Leighton Moss visitor centre using horse power

12:40pm Friday 4th February 2011 in Silverdale news

THERE is a new strapping member of the team at the RSPB Leighton Moss nature reserve in Silverdale.

Sultan, a Belgian Ardenner horse, has been draughted in to move the timber used to fuel their new woodchip boiler which provides heat and hot water for the visitor centre.

While managing the woodland at Challan Hall in Silverdale, some tree felling is required.

As the area is a site of special scientific interest it was decided to use horses to move the timber instead of machinery, which would have caused much more damage and compacted the soil.

Celtic Horse Logging, based at Witherslack, near Grange-over-Sands, is carrying out the work.

Richard Miller, assistant warden at the reserve, said: “It’s fantastic to see horses in our woodland extracting timber in this way. "It will also be wonderful to use the wood right on our doorstep to fuel our woodchip boiler.

"We are extremely grateful to The Forestry Commission for funding the horselogging at Challan Hall.”

The boiler previously used liquid petroleum gas, hich has a much bigger carbon footprint.