Hi! :) To finish up the projects we are looking for a 🪵Carpenter 🪚 to join us in Project Kamp from now till the end of the season. If you want to come and help us or know someone that could be interested go to the support page to donate your workforce. projectkamp.com/support.html
I was wondering. Do you need permits from the Forest authorities/fire department to make changes in your plot of land? If so, does it take a lot of effort to acquire them?
Epsom Salt has been used to naturally kill tree stumps for a long time. At low levels it is used as a soil amendment so when it disperses it will increase micronutrients and fertilise the surrounding soil. Drill a (~10mm) hole in the centre of the stump and add the Epsom salts, 5-10g per stump should be fine. It is hydrophilic so will desiccate the stump by drawing the water out. Since it is mildly acidic it speeds natural decomposition just like natural rot.
Mark smaller mimosas with colored painters' tape, let people not on the project know that there is a lot of work that still needs to be done. They can use hatchets and handsaws when they have free time to thin out one or two of the smaller trees. Let them know that any amount of work will be a help in the long run, be it taking down a sapling, breaking up branches, or sorting piles. This will keep the project moving, make work easier for the main team, and help space out the trees in the marked area. You don't need focus a large amount of activity on a job you intend to complete if you can wait for it be done later, then you can also work on it a here and there to make it much easier when you get around to it.
As someone whos been around chainsaws my whole life, please please please use chaps and steel toes. Being comfortable around a saw guarantees injury. Be careful!
A chainsaw is one of the few tools I will never use. A moment of complacency on a table saw will cost you your fingers. With a chainsaw it's your leg. Working in a group like that, the risk of becoming complacent is more likely, especially given the lack of awareness of how dangerous they are.
I agree and stop revving the $hit out of it for no reason , and let it cool down , its a tool and you all need to do a class on how to use it , and take care of it / fix it / clean / sharpen it a good worker never breaks his tools
Guys, @19:10 he's cutting in shorts. Please buy some chaps and steeltoes, I've worked in Northern Canada for years and I've seen experienced guys nearly lose their legs. No offense but none of you seem experienced, there is a massive accident just around the corner with this type of neglect to basic chainsaw safety!
Wholly agree with the chainsaw comments here. First, the saws you are using are completely underpowered for this task. It's not the size of the mimosas, it's the constant running of the saw. They aren't meant for that kind of use day after day. You also run into bigger trees that need to be separated and you're using the wrong saw. Sell off the small ones and get one professional level saw. It will work faster, you will be more efficient, and you will increase... Safety! I'm not an arborist but I am wincing seeing the lack of safety gear (boots and chaps) and the casual use of the saws. You're getting used to the saw, and those machines do not forgive inattention. Yes, chaps and boots are hotter but it's way better than 300 stitches in your leg. Everyone on the landscape team should be operating the saw throughout the day. Love the work you're doing and I enjoy your updates!
Yeah, working without safety gear is asking for someone to get badly hurt. As if the chain comes off or there's kick back, it could cause major life changing injuries or even death. There's a reason professional loggers use safety gear even in hot weather.
So here I was chucking the breakdowns to the chainsaws being fossil powered (an engine needs more maintenance than a motor), but reading the comments I see they're just not heavy duty enough for how much work they do at Project Kamp... so they could run into many issues with electric ones as well... as for the lack of safety gear, they remind me of my father, who is also reckless around power tools like that.
Chainsaw; Hello Boys and Girls of Project Camp. I have been following you for years and see how much fun you have in following your dream. However, I want to warn you about a serious accident in the near future. It is not a question if a serious accident will happen with the chainsaw, but rather when. The way you handle the saw and feel yourself comfortabel whit it, is definitely going wrong. At least have one person take a course so that he can instruct the other. Now I guarantee you one thing, this is going wrong. And no, I am not a 'cautious' man, I have years of experience with this work. Chainsaws make the most horrible wounds,.....oh yes! Do it, take a course.
and some proper protection clothes for the legs and steel caps for the feet. Not only are chainsaw injuries usually big and horrible but also prone to bleed a lot and with their rural location I really wouldnt want to risk it in case you need to get someone to a hospital asap. No idea how long that takes for them via car would be a good thing to find out. And as a extra cautious women I personally would make everyone wear neon colored west to know where everyone is at easily and proper hearing protection. You really dont notice and appreciate your hearing until the damage has already caught up to you best of luck
You are absolutely right, but they absolutely don t care. Volonteers are not employés. And projekt kamp is not liable for anything that will deginitely happen. Needless to say, nobody here has insurance...
Yeah, I cringed hard at the way Anselmo posed with the revving chainsaw. And that the scene was kept as part of the video. It reeks of becoming way too complacent with this effin dangerous machine. Choose your safety over more interesting footage.
A chainsaw wound will be jagged; the saw does not cut so much as tears. It will go through cloth and flesh and bone in an instant. This is not something that "might" happen. With time, it will happen.
@@vanDeudekom It’s not just the chainsaw. Standing near the cut when the tree falls down is also a great hazard. The tree can kick, and it will kick hard. Lots of people have died or got seriously injured that way. Not a big issue with those small mimosas though.
i also agree with everybody that you should probably just chip and spread all of this material, theres no point having big piles of dry timber everywhere if the point is to reduce fire risk
Your crew needs to take chainsaw safety seriously. I know it’s hot but your legs should be covered and boots are essential. Chaps are very helpful. A crash course on chainsaw safety would be very helpful. The body should not be behind the saw where if the chain comes off it could hit a leg or worse. I certainly understand how you can overestimate how much can be done in a certain space of time. I always do for my projects. I love how you are trying different strategies for using the materials to slow down the water when it rains. The only thing I would add is where you only use the poles put some of the tops on the uphill side to absorb more water and trap the soils that move with the water. Push them down so they contact the soil, they don’t need to be piled up. Just a layer to trap the soil.
hi guys, Australian viewer here. could you consider doing a planned burn in the cooler part of the year in this area? this would stimulate most of the acacia (mimosa) seeds in the soil to germinate in the first post-fire rain event - if you then kill these seedlings, the land will be largely free of this species for a long time. it's interesting as well how in your environment the mimosa patches have very little ground cover, i would also consider introducing some pasture species mix or native grass mix to this area to stabilise the soil. great work!
I think you can arranje this with the fire services. You either register your controled fire in queimas e queimadas ICNF website or you should speak with your local bombeiros, to get some help. That would be an awesome episode of future Forest management techniques ✊
@@MaacAbra it’s the safest way. Portugal is new to this and has had disastrous effects. Australia has also had disasters with fire but has learned management techniques to reduce risk. Fuel reduction burns at the correct time of year is the least dangerous way to reduce fire risk
I’ve read it some episodes ago, please consider making a tree nursery. This would be extremely helpful to cover the barren land of cut down mimosas. Plants like lavender can be cloned multiple times easily and provide lots of pollen to any kind of wildlife. Collecting acorns and establishing them to 1-3 year old trees gives them a great head start and most importantly the cheapest way to recover your land. The earlier you start, the sooner you will have useful results.
Absolutely! I also remember that episode where the locals suggested sowing acorns. A great idea would be to create a small nursery, not only for oaks but also for other native species like lavender. I imagine that in that area of Portugal there are also shrubs and other plants that could enrich biodiversity. It would be fantastic to involve local residents in this project as well, perhaps by organizing workshops to learn how to recognize local species and sow correctly.
2 месяца назад+126
PLEASE!!!! Arrange a chain saw (SAFETY) course for everybody allowed to use these tools!!!!
Yes yes yes yes YES! I second this. It'll reduce any risk of future injuries and could even help the chainsaw issues as they'll be used and looked after better. :D
Very nice video folks! Thank you for your content. I want to give you some feedback/advice as a greek wildfire volunteer firefighter: This is not going to help very much in case of a wild fire. As a matter of fact the way you position the branches will act as fire fuel that will be difficult to extinguish. You also leave some trees (for shade) but that defeats the purpose. One small spark is enough to transfer the flames for meters! I understand that you don't have the time to create a good defensible space, as you need at least 40-50 meters width for that. That is also depended on the height of the tree. Also in case you didn't already ask, the local fire department could advise you what is the appropriate buffer for the area. If you get the digger maybe you can use it to expedite the landscaping around your buildings. Again please keep a bigger buffer (at least 30-40 meters), don't put the branches like you do, and don't leave trees for shade. It defeats the purpose and your efforts :). If you want to properly stop the wild fire, make sure the fire doesn't have anything to burn and spread. My friendliest regards. I wish you guys the best!
They don't have to ask the local fire department for advise, they have to follow what is on the Portuguese law. On a circumference of 50 meters around human constructions, you should have those Mimosas trees separated by 4 meters to each other, cut the branches of those trees from the ground to 4 meters high of the tree and, trim all the bushes that grow over 50cm, and clear the land after cleaning it, meaning you can't keep the dead trees and branches you just cleared, on the land. Additionally, by law, they must have done this by the end of April, and it’s only allowed to use chainsaws on days with little fire hazard on their council, that information is available online and updated daily, which I doubt that they consulted. Specially now that we are on the peak of the summer, most of the days most likely have a high fire hazard level.
When we were given the Stihl diary we realised just how much time/cash we were spending... Here is my 2 cents worth comment from my own project. Are there any forestry companies close by who may have a forest mulcher/tigercat that you can contract? a quarter of the cost of hand clearing and for example, our 9,5Ha of much bigger trees, same density took 2.5 days to clear, no coppice afterwards and a wonderful layer of mulch left behind to inhibit seed germination. After 1 year, our indigenous pioneer spp are making their comeback. The best decision we took for our restoration project in South Africa. There may also be companies looking for biomass..even pay for it. Check out local biomass companies there. Also, good to leave a few of those big dead trees standing. The raptors and owls like to perch there and will take care of the increase in rodents you will get in your woodpiles.
Guys building large heaps of logs in a fire risk area probably not a good idea. once ignited these heaps will generate huge amounts of heat and burn for some extended period of time. The heat in turn will drive upward good sized sparks / cinders and help spread the fire to neighboring hillsides. standing timber usually flashes off by comparison. consuming the leaves and frith. For the purposes of slowing rain water on steep slopes lower heaps will do quite well. Have you considered using the mimosa to produce charcoal or bio char both saleable items that could raise income for the future of the project This area you are presently cutting could produce considerable quantities of char managed correctly. There are plenty of videos on coppicing online that will show you how to go about a venture like this. Having grown up in the African bush I can tell you that bush fires not a pleasant thing for any life forms with the obvious exception of those that rely on it to reproduce or provide extra food.
While you have a point about the large stacks of logs, they will have to store them somewhere and this is the least bad option. Leaving them in a line (or even where they fall) will spread the fire faster, putting them nearer living areas will increase the danger there. Converting them to charcoal is a good idea, but takes time. Selling off (or even giving away) the logs will be the quickest way to get rid of them, but even so those logs will need to be stored somewhere to do so.
@@apveening The logs could easily be stored on a cleared lot , once cut up into stackable/ charcoalable size. stacked properly without dead dry detritus around them , they should survive any passing bush fire. One of the things I learned in Africa keep the grass short and rubbish to a minimum that way should a fire come half a dozen able bodies can control any fire trying to spread through the short grass . Come the autumn and a new burning season they could easily be turned into char, bagged and sold, Cut through the winter, dry through the spring and summer char in the autumn bag and store in an old shipping container, sell when needed garages petrol stations shops restaurants farm gate.
I would recommend to rent a wood chipper and to chip a bout a third of the branches and leaves, and to cover the soil with a thick layer, about 30cm, of wood chips. After the first year of decomposing it will have a large population of micro organisms, it protects the soil and micro organisms against heat and water evaporation and UV light. It also prevents soil erosion. And it is a great habitat for insects. Wood chip mulch is by far the best mulch that you can have. And after that first year you can plant and grow pretty much anything in it and there will be practically no need for watering, and there will be no need to work the soil or to add any fertilizer. Just put the wood chips right on top of whatever soil you have. If needed make terraces on contour. Wood chips are also an excellent carbon additive for the compost pile. When the compost pile smells bad you need to add carbon material. 👍
I’m sure finding a chipper out there is very hard for their budget. They could get an old tractor then buy a pto chipper, they usually run about $1500 USD. Yes a chipper would help out with a lot of projects they like to work on.
@@gilbertgreens Why would it be hard to find a chipper in rural europe? Portugal is not a third world country you know. Besides they have tons of youtube revenue. They are just very carefull with their money.
A wood chipper should be priority nr 1. The way they are using bigger branches to make swales will not hold water at all, just slow it down. Spreading woodchips would be the best solution for retaining the little rainwater they get and create better soil. Big piles of brush will also take forever to break down. Considering how many of the mimosa trees are tiny, they dont need to buy the biggest most expencive chipper either.
I worked in forestry for some time - the following saved me numerous times - Best practice is to always wear chainsaw chaps (which are made of fibres that clog the chain and stop it instantly ) and steel caps when chain- sawing. It only takes one 'kick back' once to leave lifetime of misery and the risk of severing a major artery leading to far worse outcomes. It is one of the more risky jobs due to the nature of the tool. Be safe.
As an old forester, it remains unclear why you leave the stumps so high! Not only the wild animals, but also you can get seriously injured by tripping there.
I have the same thought! I cannot understand why they insist on having stumps that are so high! My only thought is they are a bit "lazy" in the sense that they don't want to bend over for each tree and cut it down to the bottom.
My best guess is that they're anxious to reduce the fire hazard and are letting the workers cut at whatever height is most comfortable to them in the name of faster initial clearing. Not sure if that pays off beyond the year you cut the first trunk, but I guess we'll find out as they go...
Hi Guys, that's a lot of work.. well done. Having done that on a smaller scale on a hillside in Portugal. we put all the dead wood in a line, however when the fire came it moved the fire across the land in a way it wouldn't have done without the dead wood. With Portuguese summer there was zero humidity in the wood. Fortunately 50 firemen and women 2 helicopters and 12 trucks got the fire under control in the low vegetation areas, we were lucky there was no wind. Please have an evacuation plan we only had 10 minutes notice and remember several large fire trucks will be coming in the opposite direction. there was quite a traffic jam down our single lane road.
Yeah, that was my thinking, it is a high oil wood and how they have it all piled up it's basically a power keg. As the wet wood burns fast, now that they have cut it, and it's in direct sunlight it will dry out really quick. They have basically made one big bonfire in the area they have cut.
@@Targe0 Well yes, but until they can remove (many) more mimosas, they already have the makings of a bonfire, as those make up most of their woodlands.
@@adrianc6975 I'm glad you're adding your real experience of this - I thought it looked rather obvious, and hoped that the lines weren't leading to either woods or them!
One thing that will help save chain saws. DO NOT saw back and forth that is why you have a moving chain. By saw back and forth with a chain saws you mess up timing and you are fighting motor. Also make sure you are using chain oil
Yeah, I think they should really consider taking a course or just watching yt tutorials lol because clearly maintenance isn't done well if it's their third chainsaw
So impressive! I’m a little surprised you couldn’t poach some help from the other teams. I know everyone is working on important projects, but keeping the camp from burning down would seem to take priority.
I agree with other commenters that a few adjustments would make your lives easier and safer and achieve what you want: - Have a forester/conservationist visit and assess and make their experienced land management advice, and also safety and training advice. - Get a large chipper to reduce the wood to either cover the land for moisture retainment and, after breaking down, enriching the soil, or use elsewhere. - And/or consider making charcoal to manage the wood, have as another income stream and use some for biochar where crops are needed. - Have a team ready in Spring to pull out all the non-native seedlings that will spring up to give the natives a chance to recover (plus a supply of acorns etc to spread). This is time-critical, seedlings small enough to pull easily, ground moist enough ditto. - stump-puller to prevent coppices regrowing.
I'm not a fan of the 'stump' walls (on contour) you've created. Those are kindling walls on contour. I would strongly recommend they be a VERY temporary solution. Chipping all of this material should (ideally) be done in conjunction with the felling of the trees. This approach serves quite a few purposes; some logistical and some psychological. Logistically, as you reduce the trees to chips you are opening spaces and immediately covering bare soil, and also limiting the stumps or off-shoots exposure to sunlight. As you have it now, they're going to respond rapidly by amping up their growth spurts and you'll have an even denser forest (but at knee-level) in very short order. From the perspective of the work crew, it's immensely satisfying to see all of the hard work of felling and removing the mimosas paying immediate dividends in the form of a (likely) wonderful smelling, clean, and aesthetically pleasing piece of land that was a huge mess hours/days before. Also, chipping as you go allows you to create processes as opposed to creating multiple projects (felling, separating, moving, stacking, etc.) I can only imagine how deflating it must be to clear a huge area and look back at massive piles of highly flammable materials. Ultimately, a simple swale(s) and a thick layer of woodchips will offer a profoundly richer return on your time and efforts. The wooded tree lengths as runoff mitigation is ... (I'm trying SO HARD to not sound rude or dismissive of your efforts) ... is just silly. Again, if it's just temporary because you currently can't access a chipper, then having it all spread out will help evenly distribute the processed chips, so that's a positive. And lastly, I have yet to see a proper cut executed with anyone running a chainsaw. Perhaps it's because I FFWD or look away. I know how to start a plane, but I'm sure as hell not going to pretend I can fly it. (Please don't draw any negative 'tone' from this missive. If it exists, it certainly isn't intentional. I speak from extensive experience in these sorts of efforts. That doesn't make me right, but I'm quite certain some far better - and FAR more productive - choices can be made). Thank you all for your efforts in documenting ProjectKamp. I really look forward to every installment.
Cliff, I really appreciate your helpful feedback. It's clear you have a lot of experience in this area and your advice is invaluable. The ProjectKamp team is enthusiastic and eager to learn, but they could definitely benefit from your expertise. Your suggestions will help them improve their skills and achieve even better results. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
In the dry season, when you're not allowed to use the chainsaw, the landscaping team can still use handsaws and big clippers to chop down the smaller mimosas to stop them becoming bigger mimosas that you will have to chop down next year!
Why, im genuinely curious? I worked with chainsaws and they do lack safety, but why is it hard for you and others to watch? 90% of comments are about the chainsaw. I see it also, but its not hard to watch, they are all adults' and im not their parent.
@@krasje28 @zogworth I like them and care about them to, in my personal opinion its disrespecting to treat them like anything less then adult intelligent people, and to answer the question about just watching, if someone told them its unsafe, that means they are aware of the general opinion, no need for everyone to tell them. This is my lackluster opinion, please do not take it to seriously, i was curious.
You guys need a woodchipper as a matter of priority! It'll get rid of all those highly flammable wood piles 😬 plus the chips can be used for your compost or enriching the ground. I remember you planted an orchard last year - woodchip mulch around that area would help water retention and feed the trees nutrients!
I've really enjoyed seeing Trevor and the landscaping team go to work this season. It's a shame he has had to leave now, he works really well on the camera!
Same comment as everybody else - wear safety equipment when using the chainsaw. It’s no toy. Great to follow your projects, love your videos. Have you considered renting a heavy duty wood chipper for the remains of the mimosas and sow grass, seeds, flowers or other less flameable vegetation instead ? I know it’s a cost but it might be worth it.
Have you guys tried a manual hydraulic root remover? You just slap a chain around the stem hoist a few times. Takes you 5 minutes per trunk and its just gone. Will help A LOT with it comming back. Plenty of DIY projects that do this.
@@artfx9 They did not cut down 100.000 trees so no.. I've done it myself for a considerable piece of land. It takes more than 5 mins to chop strip and process a tree. What you get back for it is instant soil relief. The remaining root and stump will not needlessly absorb nutrients from the ground.
Love the channel! On this one I am a bit confused though. You cut down the trees for they were a high fire risk. You then basically chopped and dropped the treed thereby creating a lot of dry, flammable material. Some of which you mounded into huge flammable fire line that will burn that entire "swale"? Is the plan to cover those mounded logs with dirt creating a hügelkultur situation? That would catch rain better, and be less of a fire risk than exposed dry wood.
you guys worked really hard on this - well done. Given that you have a small window of time to do this work I'm surprised you didn't pull in other teams to help you clear more trees back, you could help them in return on their projects down the line. I'm also surprised that you leave so much dead wood in place as surely this will be more of a fire risk than the original green trees. Keep up the good work, I enjoy your projects immensely :)
All the chainsaw concerns (which I underwrite) aside, these small mimosas can be easily cut down by hand. Invest in a few handsaws. Also a lot saver with volunteers.
For the safety and well being of all who participate at 'Project Kamp' making the place safer regarding fire protection should be high priority and I don't see why all Project Kamp participants are not getting their hands dirty and helping to create a fire break. This should be everyone's priority!
Hey, just one quick note that may be useful to you: if you plant native trees and shrubs densely, they'll compete between themselves, growing three times as fast as a single tree would on its own. This is called the Miyawaki method, and it's pretty great for creating a lush and varied biodiversity in as little as two-three years. Could be useful for creating little pockets of biodiversity.
Once clear, you should rent a heavy duty wood chipper and make good ground cover out of all those small branches and leafy material. Better for erosion and water retention.
You all may have thought of this, but you may want to leave some of the standing dead wood, if it is in a location where if it fell it would be unlikely to hurt someone (along a path or near a shelter) because a lot of native bugs and birds need dead trees for their habitat/nesting. Leaving some of those along with the occasional mimosa might be a good idea. 🙂
Yes, agree standing dead wood is great for wildlife if it is located somewhere where it's unlikely to fall on someone. When they were cutting down the dead tree with the big vertical crack in it, my immediate thought was that bats were likely to use it as a roost. Hope they checked before it got chopped down.
6:15 Cutting a directional notch is basically useless if you're gonna cut through the whole trunk anyways. (Also I agree with the other comments about chainsaw safety)
Having entry-level chainsaws (actually only one working machine) does not help. The size of land you have to manage justifies more than one much larger professional model.
Seconding this. Others have said similar. Plus the safety equipment, going on a course, mulching the piles asap and maybe even a larger firebreak without freestanding trees despite the need for shade.
With your cut Mimosa's (Acacia's) it's best to cut the leafy crown parts into small pieces as soon as you can. This is because when they dry out, which will happen quite fast, they become very hard and ultra-springy, which puts a much greater strain on your chainsaws, and unconsciously encourages sloppy and dangerous chainsaw practice. I know this though plenty of experience cutting and lopping these Mimosa's for years.
@@sroberts605 The Wentworth Tablelands, out back of Sydney in the Blue Mountains mostly, and pretty much all around Sydney, as I was clearing under the high-voltage power lines (easements) for near on ten years.
You've accomplished making huge burn piles. Really explore getting a decent chipper/shredder to reduce all those trees to mulch for use on your landscaping projects, as general ground cover and the composting latrine. There are many other tools you can use to fell the mimosas besides the chainsaw. Others in the comments have addressed the safety issues concerning the chainsaw, point being, that chain comes off, someone is bleeding out before help can arrive with your current practices. Knock down those "ruins" and recycle the building materials into a more useful structure(s). There has been an overwhelming number of comments trying to guide you and you seemingly ignore them.
First off - I love this stuff, been watching for a year or two I guess, wish I was young enough to do what you do, I find it ambitious and really fun. That said... As folks going nuts in comments have said, chainsaw safety a must. Enough. Being in California have seen my share of fires, living thru a couple, getting lung damage from one, I admire the effort. But, yeh, the piles of flammable wood is crazy. At the least drive a tractor over the top of the leafy piles to break them down, there's way too much air in the standing twig piles that are far too big. The road out to the "east" (based on photo) is a hell hole, that road is going to have zero survivability if you need to flee that way. If that's not your land, I'd contact the owner and see if they'd be cool if you could trim that back some as a firebreak. Again, I love your content, love what you do, keep coming with the videos!
Unfortunately, I think they don’t understand how fast and destructive a wildfire can be. The owner of the project is Dutch if I’m not mistaken, so I guess he never had to fight or witness a wildfire like we do in Mediterranean climate areas. 7 years ago, just 100km away from where they are, 47 people died on a small rural road, trying to escape a wildfire. 47 people, in 5 minutes, in a stretch of 500 meters of road.
@@andre_simoes_pt here in southern France it is the same. The authorities either discourage or outright ban hiking in remote forested areas when the weather has been hot and dry for days or weeks, for fear of facing man-provoked (albeit unvoluntarily) wildfires and/or having to risk firefighters to try to rescue people caught in wildfires.
Seeing the progress made by the industrious Project Kampers is really inspiring. I want to echo the other comments about the chainsaw use. Please make sure you guys work safe and invest in some safety gear. Keep up the great work.
You should look into doing a fire break the whole way around the land, a perimeter with no trees. In Australia they do fire breaks at set distances, so if a fire starts in one area it's less likely to spread to other areas around it, the fire can't burn straight through and the gap means sparks and embers are less likely to blow across. I believe they usually use 1.5x the height of the trees up to 20m
Well done guys! That was such a massive amount of work in the summer heat. You should be proud of the outcome. Remember you can always wet the lines to help them break down faster and reduce fire risk
What about throwing out seed is a variety of grasses and radishes that then get killed off in the winter but build soil fertility. Especially the kind of radish that get to be a big tuber. Not for eating. Used primarily to break up clay soils and rot making room for worms and all kinds of other soil microbes.
I would investigate "why are the chainsaws broken", to prevent it for the future or to prolong the lifetime of the chainsaws. I realy hope the new one does not brake so fast.
Untrained usage - not holding the saw still while cutting, using saws that aren't built for continuous use, not cutting both sides of a trunk before felling so that they go back to finish the job, getting it stuck.... One training session from someone who knows would sort it all out! Plus the safety..
Please forgive me for offering a criticism. The comments have covered the missed opportunities for using safety equipment. I have a different issue. STUMPS! Its agonizing to see these massive stumps when the initial cut could be made lower. That being said, please research pulling a stump with chains and a tire. Its very effective and might help the trees from repopulating the area. I think you are all amazing and I love the work you do and thank you for sharing your journey. Love from Oklahoma!
My dad used to repair chainsaws himself. Its not that hard and spare parts (that break often) are really easy to get in bulk. Just a suggestion. Saves money and you guys have your chainsaws up running faster
At the end of last season,you've dug some swails and planted lots of fruit trees. I thought i was maybe in preparation to start a food forest this season.
They planted fruit trees with the help of locals last season. I would enjoy an update on them and how they survived transplant, any production yet, and next steps (fruit trees are just one part, I hope).
many comments have repeatedly asked for it so I feel silly even adding to it but PLEASE LEARN PROPER SAFE CHAINSAW USAGE WITH PROPER SAFETY GEAR. I am eager to see videos about all you learn on the land I do not ever want to see one about all the group learned from a bad chainsaw accident etc.
oi oi my dudes quick tip from an old chainsaw user. Husqvarna almost impossible to break the husky 445 great all around saw. Also buy two of the same saw like when your saw gets old before you destroy it buy a another one of the same kind and use the old as back up and spare parts. Keeps you in business. Learn to Sharpen chains. chains are expensive and if your not cutting stuff with nails in it they last a long long time
As with the many other comments saying the same thing. You need to wear the correct safety equipment with chainsaws, it is not a risk worth taking. Also, chainsaw safety is so important. How to cut, where to cut and the clothing needed etc.
Hi everyone, I am a young farmer from a mountainous region in southern Italy, I have a couple of points I’d like to share with you. 1) I really appreciate the fact that you finally took seriously the task of chopping down the ENOURMOUS patches of Mimosa you have. I don’t understand why you took so long to start this project. I think it’s about time considering the fire risk we are all facing in the Mediterranean region (I had 2 fires hit my farm in the last week alone). I am very sorry you weren’t able to accomplish your original goal, I hope to see much more of this kind of work in the future. Might be a good idea to work SLOWLY on this project during the winter season? 2) Can anyone please explain to me why nobody is throwing out there the idea of completely replacing these damned, useless, dangerous mimosa trees with some god given OLIVE trees? I can’t help but notice that you have a patch of vineyard just neighbouring your land, I guess that it wouldn’t be too difficult to find the right expertise locally to work these kind of crops. Wouldn’t this make so much sense on a financial point of view (considering the spike in prices of olive oil we are experiencing) and also on the landscape management side? 3) You have A LOT of land, cinsidering the average ownership of land in the Mediterranean region, currently it’s completely unfruitful and unoroductive. I think this is a huge unaddressed issue. Are you on track to produce anything? I have a 100m2 vegetable garden for my family of 4. Are you going to start a serious production of vegetables? Fruits? 4) I don’t want to talk about animals because I guess you are all eating vegan, but I don’t see why you shouldn’t raise them at least to resell them to people who want to do something with these animals. You could raise them in a sustainable way. What about chickens, geese, sheep, rabbits? Thank you very much, I am a big fan and I support your effort, I can only imagine how difficult it is for you all to embark on these endeavours.
@@takix2007 as a fellow geography geek (and a PhD in regional economics) I want to point out I never wrote "Mediterranean country", instead I used the terminology "Mediterranean region", of which Portugal is part in several pooling systems (Ecology and Economics)
You could use the mimosas to build pergolas over all walking paths and grow: passion fruit, climbing beans, chayote, grapes etc. on these pergolas. Shadow and food in the same time.
That is alot of work. Great job. For future you should consider to dig a swale on contour with the new excavator (whenever it is bought) and then fill the newly dug swales with the wood you have cut. The swales will get a far better sequestering of rainfall into the land and reduce runoff, along with creating a moist environment within the swale which will promote the faster decomposition of the cut trees and any organics you place there. Over time the decomposed wood will create a very fertile carbon rich soil which will hold water and should significantly increase the productivity of the soil. This should benefit the growth of the trees you decide to plant and the ones that naturally self seed. Fruit trees in particular like Peach, Apricot, Avocado, Olive and Cherry would be ideal to plant in these swales in the years to come after the wood had broken down/decomposed.
For the love of G-d, can someone from @ProjectKamp YT team acknowledge the outpouring of comments on chainsaw safety!!! There is a clear and undeniable reason why so many comments are repeating the need for MORE SAFETY. This is not just an issue that impacts your own team, but your videos influence others too. At the very least, pin a comment saying you are working on improving chainsaw safety.
I do something like what you are doing with privet I cut. It decomposes rapidly and can be almost gone within about 2 years. Fortunately (or not) I seem to have a nearly inexhaustible supply of the stuff. About the mimosas: they seed prolifically. They don't like shade (and with the dense shade they are producing, few of their seedlings are likely to survive -- that will change as you thin them out), so as native plants get some size, you will see fewer. But that will take time. A number of trees, including some oaks, can do reasonably well in (some) shade, you might check whether the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture (or Forestry) provides seedlings at low/no cost. Failing that, the EU may do something along those lines. Finally, to add to comments I have seen on this matter: get some protective gear to wear when using the chainsaws. My brother is my best example for this. He used to never use any. Then something happened: the saw had not completely stopped and he just happened to touch his knee with the bar. He was wearing denim jeans and the touch was slight. The saw cut a line through the denim at his knee, but no farther. No injury whatsoever. He has worn protective chaps when cutting ever since. And about the trees you fell: you might consider acquiring a wood chipper. We have one that runs off the PTO of our tractor. But (substantial) standalone models exist. Well, always like to see how you are doing.
A big wood chipper may be a wise investment in the future. All those mimosa tops and small trees could be turned into high value mulch which is less combustible and can then be composted for either more fertility in your soil or sold on.
Your team is doing awesome clearing the land! I have worked for UPS for 28 years & the company preaches safety. I would offer 2 suggestions when moving the momosas. Use 2 people to move any tree limb over 5 feet long or 1.5 meters. This is because these long limbs can cause injury to muscles & tendons. Any movement with your arms or legs extended should only last about 5 seconds because in this position your arms & legs are vulnerable to tendon strain or worst case torn tendon. Also, when bending over bend at your knees & lift up in a smooth steady motion using your legs while supporting the item as close to you as possible. I also worry about a dangerous possible injury for your team from falling or bouncing tree limbs. Check yourself for mystery bruises each day that do not heal after a few days. Take care! Keep up the good work!
The hierarchy at Kamp is a problem when the work is not willingly shared by everyone. Just because it was your idea doesn’t mean everyone else is suffering. There’s definitely something dead wrong about this tree clearing by 3 people.
On their website you can see that they recruited (at least) three people specifically for cutting down trees. It doesn't seem to be a matter if hierarchy but rather a case of making decisions on where to spend manpower
it's a task that should be done by the whole team, once a week. Fire safety benefits all. Equality lasts the longest. i feel like the rest of the team let them down a bit.
Well done. Good job. I have been waiting for so long to see the clearance of rubbish trees. More clearance will get more land for development . This will contribute more funds to build a great camp.
it's a bit average that your chainsaw repairer was unable to fix the saws in 3 - 5 weeks..I fully rebuilt mine in a weekend...you guys might want to learn how to fix your own tools to save you time and money...best of luck with all the cutting ahead. and cut-safe
That mimosa is a real ecological disaster. In my part of the country in Australia, it’s started spreading in the last 5 - 10 years and it’s absolutely feral and crazy how fast it spreads! I feel sad that the government isn’t doing anything about trying to control it. So scary to see how quickly it grows and smothers any native vegetation
Im not an expert but i found it interesting that some comment here advised that you should get yourself a bobcat tractor with the tree remover and mulcher extension. Seems like a very versatile tool that can even be used for digging and even planting trees...
You should have started with the trees closer to the containers/vans/warehouses. By the Portuguese law, on a circumference of 50 meters around human constructions, you should have those Mimosas trees separated by 4 meters to each other, cut the branches of those trees from the ground to 4 meters high of the tree and, trim all the bushes that grow over 50cm, and clear the land after cleaning it, meaning you can't keep the dead trees and branches you just cleared, on the land. The "water retention lines" you created with dead mimosa wood is actually extremely dangerous. I don't know if you ever had to fight a wildfire or been close to one, but the way your land is right now, and considering that mimosas are very flammable, everything on your land would burn quite fast.
A few suggestions now that you have created a fire break. 1. You should further reduce the fire risk by shredding those tree top piles, left as they are they will dry out quickly and present you with a tinder box ready to spontaneously explode in the hot dry season. When shredded the wood chip and leaf mold will retain moisture, less risk of fire as they take time to break down. 2. Spread some manure in patches around the cleared area to introduce pockets of nutrients into the soil. Which will in-turn encourage fungi to flourish and will lead to increased insect & worm population. 3. Introduce native woodland wildflowers. 4. Damp down the area by adding some irrigation pipes with water from the lagoons during the hot season. 5. Safety. Once again I am seeing a lot of potential safety issues with team members displaying childish, adolescent behaviour whist using chainsaws and felling trees. Left unchecked someone is going to get seriously hurt. Leadership. Set safety and behavioural rules, keep tight controls on "adolescent behaviour" during working hours. Save the clown shows for play time after the working day has ended.
Hello dear Project Kampers, I always like to see the landscape-work and the visual effects after the work is done! But this time I have certain thoughts... I agree with the big amount of critics concerning working with the chainsaw versus safety, You should re-think the working group system you've installed at the kamp, I think... 4 to 3 persons to deal with this big peace of land is too few, and always the same one who uses the chainsaw (wich is tiring and gives backproblems...). Especially with this timelimit before the fire-season! Where are the other people of the kamp to jump in for such an important issue (: firerisk). It seems to me being a rather stubborn way of organising the work with the different groups!! Why not working a few days a week with 6 to 8 persons on a bigger project as clearing, wenn this is needed to be done?
A couple of thoughts. -5 weeks and the repair shop can’t repair a single chainsaw …? Instead they try and sell you an electric chainsaw. Please 🤦♂️ As well I feel the reduced exposure to fire risk is negligible at best with all those huge piles of cut trees all over the place vs standing trees. Those piles need to go. Just my opinion 🇨🇦🙏
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Hi! :)
To finish up the projects we are looking for a 🪵Carpenter 🪚 to join us in Project Kamp from now till the end of the season.
If you want to come and help us or know someone that could be interested go to the support page to donate your workforce.
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Hello from Pakistan. I think you should have a green house because it will help in the future to grow native trees and prepare seedlings.
I was wondering. Do you need permits from the Forest authorities/fire department to make changes in your plot of land? If so, does it take a lot of effort to acquire them?
@@takanto1388 acacias/mimosas are invasive in Portugal, you can get rid of them as you please
Epsom Salt has been used to naturally kill tree stumps for a long time. At low levels it is used as a soil amendment so when it disperses it will increase micronutrients and fertilise the surrounding soil.
Drill a (~10mm) hole in the centre of the stump and add the Epsom salts, 5-10g per stump should be fine. It is hydrophilic so will desiccate the stump by drawing the water out. Since it is mildly acidic it speeds natural decomposition just like natural rot.
Mark smaller mimosas with colored painters' tape, let people not on the project know that there is a lot of work that still needs to be done. They can use hatchets and handsaws when they have free time to thin out one or two of the smaller trees. Let them know that any amount of work will be a help in the long run, be it taking down a sapling, breaking up branches, or sorting piles. This will keep the project moving, make work easier for the main team, and help space out the trees in the marked area. You don't need focus a large amount of activity on a job you intend to complete if you can wait for it be done later, then you can also work on it a here and there to make it much easier when you get around to it.
As someone whos been around chainsaws my whole life, please please please use chaps and steel toes. Being comfortable around a saw guarantees injury. Be careful!
Great comment
Young people have no fear It only takes one tiny slip
Please always think safety and take great care Get some chainsaw protection 💕🕊️
12:01 I jumped from my chair when I saw this part.
A chainsaw is one of the few tools I will never use. A moment of complacency on a table saw will cost you your fingers. With a chainsaw it's your leg.
Working in a group like that, the risk of becoming complacent is more likely, especially given the lack of awareness of how dangerous they are.
I agree and stop revving the $hit out of it for no reason , and let it cool down ,
its a tool and you all need to do a class on how to use it , and take care of it / fix it / clean / sharpen it
a good worker never breaks his tools
ongelofelijk zorg dat je zaag broeken krijg, ruclips.net/video/r5VSivQe760/видео.htmlsi=-qmR7qmPuxpU0qFs
Guys, @19:10 he's cutting in shorts. Please buy some chaps and steeltoes, I've worked in Northern Canada for years and I've seen experienced guys nearly lose their legs. No offense but none of you seem experienced, there is a massive accident just around the corner with this type of neglect to basic chainsaw safety!
Wholly agree with the chainsaw comments here.
First, the saws you are using are completely underpowered for this task. It's not the size of the mimosas, it's the constant running of the saw. They aren't meant for that kind of use day after day. You also run into bigger trees that need to be separated and you're using the wrong saw. Sell off the small ones and get one professional level saw. It will work faster, you will be more efficient, and you will increase...
Safety! I'm not an arborist but I am wincing seeing the lack of safety gear (boots and chaps) and the casual use of the saws. You're getting used to the saw, and those machines do not forgive inattention. Yes, chaps and boots are hotter but it's way better than 300 stitches in your leg. Everyone on the landscape team should be operating the saw throughout the day.
Love the work you're doing and I enjoy your updates!
Yeah, working without safety gear is asking for someone to get badly hurt. As if the chain comes off or there's kick back, it could cause major life changing injuries or even death. There's a reason professional loggers use safety gear even in hot weather.
@@Targe0 Yes there is that femoral artery *shudders*
So here I was chucking the breakdowns to the chainsaws being fossil powered (an engine needs more maintenance than a motor), but reading the comments I see they're just not heavy duty enough for how much work they do at Project Kamp... so they could run into many issues with electric ones as well... as for the lack of safety gear, they remind me of my father, who is also reckless around power tools like that.
Completely agree. Need a much bigger 'industrial' saw for the amount they are doing. The saw they bought is more for short term yard work.
Chainsaw; Hello Boys and Girls of Project Camp. I have been following you for years and see how much fun you have in following your dream. However, I want to warn you about a serious accident in the near future. It is not a question if a serious accident will happen with the chainsaw, but rather when. The way you handle the saw and feel yourself comfortabel whit it, is definitely going wrong. At least have one person take a course so that he can instruct the other. Now I guarantee you one thing, this is going wrong. And no, I am not a 'cautious' man, I have years of experience with this work. Chainsaws make the most horrible wounds,.....oh yes! Do it, take a course.
and some proper protection clothes for the legs and steel caps for the feet. Not only are chainsaw injuries usually big and horrible but also prone to bleed a lot and with their rural location I really wouldnt want to risk it in case you need to get someone to a hospital asap. No idea how long that takes for them via car would be a good thing to find out.
And as a extra cautious women I personally would make everyone wear neon colored west to know where everyone is at easily and proper hearing protection. You really dont notice and appreciate your hearing until the damage has already caught up to you best of luck
You are absolutely right, but they absolutely don t care.
Volonteers are not employés.
And projekt kamp is not liable for anything that will deginitely happen.
Needless to say, nobody here has insurance...
Yeah, I cringed hard at the way Anselmo posed with the revving chainsaw. And that the scene was kept as part of the video. It reeks of becoming way too complacent with this effin dangerous machine. Choose your safety over more interesting footage.
A chainsaw wound will be jagged; the saw does not cut so much as tears. It will go through cloth and flesh and bone in an instant. This is not something that "might" happen. With time, it will happen.
@@vanDeudekom It’s not just the chainsaw. Standing near the cut when the tree falls down is also a great hazard. The tree can kick, and it will kick hard. Lots of people have died or got seriously injured that way. Not a big issue with those small mimosas though.
i also agree with everybody that you should probably just chip and spread all of this material, theres no point having big piles of dry timber everywhere if the point is to reduce fire risk
It will also decompose faster into the soil.
Would also help reduce soil degradation and erosion
I worry that creating large piles of dry timber are perhaps an even worse fire danger
I imagine the wood chips could also be used on the poop palace...
Your crew needs to take chainsaw safety seriously. I know it’s hot but your legs should be covered and boots are essential. Chaps are very helpful. A crash course on chainsaw safety would be very helpful. The body should not be behind the saw where if the chain comes off it could hit a leg or worse. I certainly understand how you can overestimate how much can be done in a certain space of time. I always do for my projects. I love how you are trying different strategies for using the materials to slow down the water when it rains. The only thing I would add is where you only use the poles put some of the tops on the uphill side to absorb more water and trap the soils that move with the water. Push them down so they contact the soil, they don’t need to be piled up. Just a layer to trap the soil.
hi guys, Australian viewer here. could you consider doing a planned burn in the cooler part of the year in this area? this would stimulate most of the acacia (mimosa) seeds in the soil to germinate in the first post-fire rain event - if you then kill these seedlings, the land will be largely free of this species for a long time. it's interesting as well how in your environment the mimosa patches have very little ground cover, i would also consider introducing some pasture species mix or native grass mix to this area to stabilise the soil. great work!
One of the best advice ive read here
Sounds really dangerous. I think that should be first deeply discussed with fire department experts from the local area
I think you can arranje this with the fire services. You either register your controled fire in queimas e queimadas ICNF website or you should speak with your local bombeiros, to get some help. That would be an awesome episode of future Forest management techniques ✊
@@MaacAbra it’s the safest way. Portugal is new to this and has had disastrous effects. Australia has also had disasters with fire but has learned management techniques to reduce risk. Fuel reduction burns at the correct time of year is the least dangerous way to reduce fire risk
Definitely not a good idea. Bad for the environment and very risky in a country with fire problems. I am Portuguese.
I’ve read it some episodes ago, please consider making a tree nursery. This would be extremely helpful to cover the barren land of cut down mimosas. Plants like lavender can be cloned multiple times easily and provide lots of pollen to any kind of wildlife. Collecting acorns and establishing them to 1-3 year old trees gives them a great head start and most importantly the cheapest way to recover your land. The earlier you start, the sooner you will have useful results.
Absolutely! I also remember that episode where the locals suggested sowing acorns. A great idea would be to create a small nursery, not only for oaks but also for other native species like lavender. I imagine that in that area of Portugal there are also shrubs and other plants that could enrich biodiversity. It would be fantastic to involve local residents in this project as well, perhaps by organizing workshops to learn how to recognize local species and sow correctly.
PLEASE!!!! Arrange a chain saw (SAFETY) course for everybody allowed to use these tools!!!!
Yes yes yes yes YES! I second this. It'll reduce any risk of future injuries and could even help the chainsaw issues as they'll be used and looked after better. :D
Very nice video folks! Thank you for your content. I want to give you some feedback/advice as a greek wildfire volunteer firefighter: This is not going to help very much in case of a wild fire. As a matter of fact the way you position the branches will act as fire fuel that will be difficult to extinguish. You also leave some trees (for shade) but that defeats the purpose. One small spark is enough to transfer the flames for meters!
I understand that you don't have the time to create a good defensible space, as you need at least 40-50 meters width for that. That is also depended on the height of the tree. Also in case you didn't already ask, the local fire department could advise you what is the appropriate buffer for the area. If you get the digger maybe you can use it to expedite the landscaping around your buildings. Again please keep a bigger buffer (at least 30-40 meters), don't put the branches like you do, and don't leave trees for shade. It defeats the purpose and your efforts :). If you want to properly stop the wild fire, make sure the fire doesn't have anything to burn and spread.
My friendliest regards. I wish you guys the best!
They don't have to ask the local fire department for advise, they have to follow what is on the Portuguese law. On a circumference of 50 meters around human constructions, you should have those Mimosas trees separated by 4 meters to each other, cut the branches of those trees from the ground to 4 meters high of the tree and, trim all the bushes that grow over 50cm, and clear the land after cleaning it, meaning you can't keep the dead trees and branches you just cleared, on the land.
Additionally, by law, they must have done this by the end of April, and it’s only allowed to use chainsaws on days with little fire hazard on their council, that information is available online and updated daily, which I doubt that they consulted. Specially now that we are on the peak of the summer, most of the days most likely have a high fire hazard level.
When we were given the Stihl diary we realised just how much time/cash we were spending... Here is my 2 cents worth comment from my own project. Are there any forestry companies close by who may have a forest mulcher/tigercat that you can contract? a quarter of the cost of hand clearing and for example, our 9,5Ha of much bigger trees, same density took 2.5 days to clear, no coppice afterwards and a wonderful layer of mulch left behind to inhibit seed germination. After 1 year, our indigenous pioneer spp are making their comeback. The best decision we took for our restoration project in South Africa. There may also be companies looking for biomass..even pay for it. Check out local biomass companies there.
Also, good to leave a few of those big dead trees standing. The raptors and owls like to perch there and will take care of the increase in rodents you will get in your woodpiles.
Guys building large heaps of logs in a fire risk area probably not a good idea. once ignited these heaps will generate huge amounts of heat and burn for some extended period of time. The heat in turn will drive upward good sized sparks / cinders and help spread the fire to neighboring hillsides. standing timber usually flashes off by comparison. consuming the leaves and frith. For the purposes of slowing rain water on steep slopes lower heaps will do quite well. Have you considered using the mimosa to produce charcoal or bio char both saleable items that could raise income for the future of the project This area you are presently cutting could produce considerable quantities of char managed correctly. There are plenty of videos on coppicing online that will show you how to go about a venture like this. Having grown up in the African bush I can tell you that bush fires not a pleasant thing for any life forms with the obvious exception of those that rely on it to reproduce or provide extra food.
While you have a point about the large stacks of logs, they will have to store them somewhere and this is the least bad option. Leaving them in a line (or even where they fall) will spread the fire faster, putting them nearer living areas will increase the danger there. Converting them to charcoal is a good idea, but takes time. Selling off (or even giving away) the logs will be the quickest way to get rid of them, but even so those logs will need to be stored somewhere to do so.
@@apveening The logs could easily be stored on a cleared lot , once cut up into stackable/ charcoalable size. stacked properly without dead dry detritus around them , they should survive any passing bush fire. One of the things I learned in Africa keep the grass short and rubbish to a minimum that way should a fire come half a dozen able bodies can control any fire trying to spread through the short grass . Come the autumn and a new burning season they could easily be turned into char, bagged and sold, Cut through the winter, dry through the spring and summer char in the autumn bag and store in an old shipping container, sell when needed garages petrol stations shops restaurants farm gate.
Making charcoal from the trunks is indeed a great idea.
I would recommend to rent a wood chipper and to chip a bout a third of the branches and leaves, and to cover the soil with a thick layer, about 30cm, of wood chips. After the first year of decomposing it will have a large population of micro organisms, it protects the soil and micro organisms against heat and water evaporation and UV light. It also prevents soil erosion. And it is a great habitat for insects. Wood chip mulch is by far the best mulch that you can have. And after that first year you can plant and grow pretty much anything in it and there will be practically no need for watering, and there will be no need to work the soil or to add any fertilizer. Just put the wood chips right on top of whatever soil you have. If needed make terraces on contour.
Wood chips are also an excellent carbon additive for the compost pile. When the compost pile smells bad you need to add carbon material. 👍
U guys need a big chipper. It will help tremendously with the brush and give u lots of chips for multiple uses.
The wood is soft aswell. It will help regenerate the soil very quickly
I’m sure finding a chipper out there is very hard for their budget. They could get an old tractor then buy a pto chipper, they usually run about $1500 USD. Yes a chipper would help out with a lot of projects they like to work on.
@@gilbertgreens Why would it be hard to find a chipper in rural europe? Portugal is not a third world country you know. Besides they have tons of youtube revenue. They are just very carefull with their money.
Yeah. And a stump grinder.
A wood chipper should be priority nr 1. The way they are using bigger branches to make swales will not hold water at all, just slow it down. Spreading woodchips would be the best solution for retaining the little rainwater they get and create better soil. Big piles of brush will also take forever to break down. Considering how many of the mimosa trees are tiny, they dont need to buy the biggest most expencive chipper either.
I worked in forestry for some time - the following saved me numerous times - Best practice is to always wear chainsaw chaps (which are made of fibres that clog the chain and stop it instantly ) and steel caps when chain- sawing. It only takes one 'kick back' once to leave lifetime of misery and the risk of severing a major artery leading to far worse outcomes. It is one of the more risky jobs due to the nature of the tool. Be safe.
As an old forester, it remains unclear why you leave the stumps so high! Not only the wild animals, but also you can get seriously injured by tripping there.
I have the same thought! I cannot understand why they insist on having stumps that are so high! My only thought is they are a bit "lazy" in the sense that they don't want to bend over for each tree and cut it down to the bottom.
My best guess is that they're anxious to reduce the fire hazard and are letting the workers cut at whatever height is most comfortable to them in the name of faster initial clearing.
Not sure if that pays off beyond the year you cut the first trunk, but I guess we'll find out as they go...
Hi Guys, that's a lot of work.. well done. Having done that on a smaller scale on a hillside in Portugal. we put all the dead wood in a line, however when the fire came it moved the fire across the land in a way it wouldn't have done without the dead wood. With Portuguese summer there was zero humidity in the wood. Fortunately 50 firemen and women 2 helicopters and 12 trucks got the fire under control in the low vegetation areas, we were lucky there was no wind.
Please have an evacuation plan we only had 10 minutes notice and remember several large fire trucks will be coming in the opposite direction. there was quite a traffic jam down our single lane road.
Yeah, that was my thinking, it is a high oil wood and how they have it all piled up it's basically a power keg. As the wet wood burns fast, now that they have cut it, and it's in direct sunlight it will dry out really quick. They have basically made one big bonfire in the area they have cut.
@@Targe0 Well yes, but until they can remove (many) more mimosas, they already have the makings of a bonfire, as those make up most of their woodlands.
@@Targe0 That's exactly the mistake I made.. we we so lucky it was not windy and the fire station with helicopter was 2miles away.
@@adrianc6975 I'm glad you're adding your real experience of this - I thought it looked rather obvious, and hoped that the lines weren't leading to either woods or them!
One thing that will help save chain saws. DO NOT saw back and forth that is why you have a moving chain. By saw back and forth with a chain saws you mess up timing and you are fighting motor.
Also make sure you are using chain oil
and sharpen that chain every few working hours!
Yeah, I think they should really consider taking a course or just watching yt tutorials lol because clearly maintenance isn't done well if it's their third chainsaw
So impressive! I’m a little surprised you couldn’t poach some help from the other teams. I know everyone is working on important projects, but keeping the camp from burning down would seem to take priority.
I agree with other commenters that a few adjustments would make your lives easier and safer and achieve what you want:
- Have a forester/conservationist visit and assess and make their experienced land management advice, and also safety and training advice.
- Get a large chipper to reduce the wood to either cover the land for moisture retainment and, after breaking down, enriching the soil, or use elsewhere.
- And/or consider making charcoal to manage the wood, have as another income stream and use some for biochar where crops are needed.
- Have a team ready in Spring to pull out all the non-native seedlings that will spring up to give the natives a chance to recover (plus a supply of acorns etc to spread). This is time-critical, seedlings small enough to pull easily, ground moist enough ditto.
- stump-puller to prevent coppices regrowing.
I'm not a fan of the 'stump' walls (on contour) you've created. Those are kindling walls on contour. I would strongly recommend they be a VERY temporary solution.
Chipping all of this material should (ideally) be done in conjunction with the felling of the trees. This approach serves quite a few purposes; some logistical and some psychological.
Logistically, as you reduce the trees to chips you are opening spaces and immediately covering bare soil, and also limiting the stumps or off-shoots exposure to sunlight. As you have it now, they're going to respond rapidly by amping up their growth spurts and you'll have an even denser forest (but at knee-level) in very short order.
From the perspective of the work crew, it's immensely satisfying to see all of the hard work of felling and removing the mimosas paying immediate dividends in the form of a (likely) wonderful smelling, clean, and aesthetically pleasing piece of land that was a huge mess hours/days before.
Also, chipping as you go allows you to create processes as opposed to creating multiple projects (felling, separating, moving, stacking, etc.) I can only imagine how deflating it must be to clear a huge area and look back at massive piles of highly flammable materials.
Ultimately, a simple swale(s) and a thick layer of woodchips will offer a profoundly richer return on your time and efforts. The wooded tree lengths as runoff mitigation is ... (I'm trying SO HARD to not sound rude or dismissive of your efforts) ... is just silly.
Again, if it's just temporary because you currently can't access a chipper, then having it all spread out will help evenly distribute the processed chips, so that's a positive.
And lastly, I have yet to see a proper cut executed with anyone running a chainsaw. Perhaps it's because I FFWD or look away. I know how to start a plane, but I'm sure as hell not going to pretend I can fly it.
(Please don't draw any negative 'tone' from this missive. If it exists, it certainly isn't intentional. I speak from extensive experience in these sorts of efforts. That doesn't make me right, but I'm quite certain some far better - and FAR more productive - choices can be made).
Thank you all for your efforts in documenting ProjectKamp. I really look forward to every installment.
Cliff, I really appreciate your helpful feedback. It's clear you have a lot of experience in this area and your advice is invaluable. The ProjectKamp team is enthusiastic and eager to learn, but they could definitely benefit from your expertise. Your suggestions will help them improve their skills and achieve even better results. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Bro wrote a whole novel.
In the dry season, when you're not allowed to use the chainsaw, the landscaping team can still use handsaws and big clippers to chop down the smaller mimosas to stop them becoming bigger mimosas that you will have to chop down next year!
The lack of chainsaw safety is hard to watch.
Why, im genuinely curious? I worked with chainsaws and they do lack safety, but why is it hard for you and others to watch? 90% of comments are about the chainsaw. I see it also, but its not hard to watch, they are all adults' and im not their parent.
@@RedStarKB Because we care? So if your colleague or somebody you know does something unsafe, you just watch?
@@RedStarKB because these all seem like lovely folks and I'm willing to bet the nearest emergency hospital is not nearby.
@@krasje28 @zogworth I like them and care about them to, in my personal opinion its disrespecting to treat them like anything less then adult intelligent people, and to answer the question about just watching, if someone told them its unsafe, that means they are aware of the general opinion, no need for everyone to tell them. This is my lackluster opinion, please do not take it to seriously, i was curious.
I think chopping the trees and leaving them in the same place dry it’s even worse in case of fire. And can even start easily a new fire
You guys need a woodchipper as a matter of priority! It'll get rid of all those highly flammable wood piles 😬 plus the chips can be used for your compost or enriching the ground. I remember you planted an orchard last year - woodchip mulch around that area would help water retention and feed the trees nutrients!
I've really enjoyed seeing Trevor and the landscaping team go to work this season. It's a shame he has had to leave now, he works really well on the camera!
Same comment as everybody else - wear safety equipment when using the chainsaw. It’s no toy.
Great to follow your projects, love your videos.
Have you considered renting a heavy duty wood chipper for the remains of the mimosas and sow grass, seeds, flowers or other less flameable vegetation instead ? I know it’s a cost but it might be worth it.
Have you guys tried a manual hydraulic root remover? You just slap a chain around the stem hoist a few times. Takes you 5 minutes per trunk and its just gone. Will help A LOT with it comming back. Plenty of DIY projects that do this.
5 minutes per root means they will need years to get that patch out.
@@artfx9 They did not cut down 100.000 trees so no.. I've done it myself for a considerable piece of land. It takes more than 5 mins to chop strip and process a tree. What you get back for it is instant soil relief. The remaining root and stump will not needlessly absorb nutrients from the ground.
@@rh.m6660 Mimosas or other types of trees? This shit will grow back from any left over roots.
Love the channel! On this one I am a bit confused though. You cut down the trees for they were a high fire risk. You then basically chopped and dropped the treed thereby creating a lot of dry, flammable material. Some of which you mounded into huge flammable fire line that will burn that entire "swale"? Is the plan to cover those mounded logs with dirt creating a hügelkultur situation? That would catch rain better, and be less of a fire risk than exposed dry wood.
you guys worked really hard on this - well done. Given that you have a small window of time to do this work I'm surprised you didn't pull in other teams to help you clear more trees back, you could help them in return on their projects down the line. I'm also surprised that you leave so much dead wood in place as surely this will be more of a fire risk than the original green trees. Keep up the good work, I enjoy your projects immensely :)
All the chainsaw concerns (which I underwrite) aside, these small mimosas can be easily cut down by hand. Invest in a few handsaws. Also a lot saver with volunteers.
That was a tremendous amount of work! Well done Landscape team. Bravo!
For the safety and well being of all who participate at 'Project Kamp' making the place safer regarding fire protection should be high priority and I don't see why all Project Kamp participants are not getting their hands dirty and helping to create a fire break. This should be everyone's priority!
Dry trees piled up, branches piled up. Fire says thank you very much :).
Enjoying Trevor's presentation skills!
I am being a little paranoid about using chopped down mimosas as a water retention in a "fire hazard" zone.
Wont they be more flammable?
Good to see a chainsaw being used properly and wood bonfires being used to reduce water runoff, excellent work
Hey, just one quick note that may be useful to you: if you plant native trees and shrubs densely, they'll compete between themselves, growing three times as fast as a single tree would on its own. This is called the Miyawaki method, and it's pretty great for creating a lush and varied biodiversity in as little as two-three years. Could be useful for creating little pockets of biodiversity.
Anselmo’s smile for the surprise gift was awesome!
Once clear, you should rent a heavy duty wood chipper and make good ground cover out of all those small branches and leafy material. Better for erosion and water retention.
This was very satisfying to watch as it was for your team to accomplish. Great work guys.
You all may have thought of this, but you may want to leave some of the standing dead wood, if it is in a location where if it fell it would be unlikely to hurt someone (along a path or near a shelter) because a lot of native bugs and birds need dead trees for their habitat/nesting. Leaving some of those along with the occasional mimosa might be a good idea. 🙂
This
Yes, agree standing dead wood is great for wildlife if it is located somewhere where it's unlikely to fall on someone. When they were cutting down the dead tree with the big vertical crack in it, my immediate thought was that bats were likely to use it as a roost. Hope they checked before it got chopped down.
will miss Trevor he introduced and explained beautifully and drfinetly happy hard working sad he is gone
He reappears in the next update 😊 Saw it on Patreon. Great communicator
Hard watch, watching that big guy using the chainsaw with limited safety precautions. Come team kamp. Look after your number one assets.
6:15 Cutting a directional notch is basically useless if you're gonna cut through the whole trunk anyways.
(Also I agree with the other comments about chainsaw safety)
That's a lot of hard work. Well done clearing team!
Having entry-level chainsaws (actually only one working machine) does not help. The size of land you have to manage justifies more than one much larger professional model.
Seconding this. Others have said similar. Plus the safety equipment, going on a course, mulching the piles asap and maybe even a larger firebreak without freestanding trees despite the need for shade.
3rd this. They should invest in some series 3 chainsaw from stihl. Also safety gear and course.
With your cut Mimosa's (Acacia's) it's best to cut the leafy crown parts into small pieces as soon as you can.
This is because when they dry out, which will happen quite fast, they become very hard and ultra-springy, which puts a much greater strain on your chainsaws, and unconsciously encourages sloppy and dangerous chainsaw practice.
I know this though plenty of experience cutting and lopping these Mimosa's for years.
Interesting, where was that?
@@sroberts605
The Wentworth Tablelands, out back of Sydney in the Blue Mountains mostly, and pretty much all around Sydney, as I was clearing under the high-voltage power lines (easements) for near on ten years.
With your chainsaw handling, it'll be "Project Woodleg" soon.
You've accomplished making huge burn piles. Really explore getting a decent chipper/shredder to reduce all those trees to mulch for use on your landscaping projects, as general ground cover and the composting latrine. There are many other tools you can use to fell the mimosas besides the chainsaw. Others in the comments have addressed the safety issues concerning the chainsaw, point being, that chain comes off, someone is bleeding out before help can arrive with your current practices. Knock down those "ruins" and recycle the building materials into a more useful structure(s). There has been an overwhelming number of comments trying to guide you and you seemingly ignore them.
First off - I love this stuff, been watching for a year or two I guess, wish I was young enough to do what you do, I find it ambitious and really fun. That said... As folks going nuts in comments have said, chainsaw safety a must. Enough. Being in California have seen my share of fires, living thru a couple, getting lung damage from one, I admire the effort. But, yeh, the piles of flammable wood is crazy. At the least drive a tractor over the top of the leafy piles to break them down, there's way too much air in the standing twig piles that are far too big. The road out to the "east" (based on photo) is a hell hole, that road is going to have zero survivability if you need to flee that way. If that's not your land, I'd contact the owner and see if they'd be cool if you could trim that back some as a firebreak. Again, I love your content, love what you do, keep coming with the videos!
Unfortunately, I think they don’t understand how fast and destructive a wildfire can be. The owner of the project is Dutch if I’m not mistaken, so I guess he never had to fight or witness a wildfire like we do in Mediterranean climate areas.
7 years ago, just 100km away from where they are, 47 people died on a small rural road, trying to escape a wildfire. 47 people, in 5 minutes, in a stretch of 500 meters of road.
@@andre_simoes_pt here in southern France it is the same. The authorities either discourage or outright ban hiking in remote forested areas when the weather has been hot and dry for days or weeks, for fear of facing man-provoked (albeit unvoluntarily) wildfires and/or having to risk firefighters to try to rescue people caught in wildfires.
Seeing the progress made by the industrious Project Kampers is really inspiring. I want to echo the other comments about the chainsaw use. Please make sure you guys work safe and invest in some safety gear. Keep up the great work.
Sad that Trevor did not get a proper goodbye. Seemed a cool dude and good energy.
You should look into doing a fire break the whole way around the land, a perimeter with no trees.
In Australia they do fire breaks at set distances, so if a fire starts in one area it's less likely to spread to other areas around it, the fire can't burn straight through and the gap means sparks and embers are less likely to blow across. I believe they usually use 1.5x the height of the trees up to 20m
love that i can see folks names as they pop up on screen! it’s so nice to get to know them better outside intro videos
Wow. Incredible what this small team accomplished with the patches cleared. Well done!
Well done guys! That was such a massive amount of work in the summer heat. You should be proud of the outcome. Remember you can always wet the lines to help them break down faster and reduce fire risk
That Sthil dealership did you a disservice letting you walk out without some chaps
What about throwing out seed is a variety of grasses and radishes that then get killed off in the winter but build soil fertility. Especially the kind of radish that get to be a big tuber. Not for eating. Used primarily to break up clay soils and rot making room for worms and all kinds of other soil microbes.
I would investigate "why are the chainsaws broken", to prevent it for the future or to prolong the lifetime of the chainsaws. I realy hope the new one does not brake so fast.
Untrained usage - not holding the saw still while cutting, using saws that aren't built for continuous use, not cutting both sides of a trunk before felling so that they go back to finish the job, getting it stuck....
One training session from someone who knows would sort it all out! Plus the safety..
Please forgive me for offering a criticism. The comments have covered the missed opportunities for using safety equipment. I have a different issue. STUMPS! Its agonizing to see these massive stumps when the initial cut could be made lower. That being said, please research pulling a stump with chains and a tire. Its very effective and might help the trees from repopulating the area. I think you are all amazing and I love the work you do and thank you for sharing your journey. Love from Oklahoma!
If u deforest further try to get a shredder for the upper mimosa parts ! U will get nice compost later on and it will decomposed faster.
Also less fire hazard
My dad used to repair chainsaws himself. Its not that hard and spare parts (that break often) are really easy to get in bulk. Just a suggestion. Saves money and you guys have your chainsaws up running faster
At the end of last season,you've dug some swails and planted lots of fruit trees. I thought i was maybe in preparation to start a food forest this season.
They planted fruit trees with the help of locals last season. I would enjoy an update on them and how they survived transplant, any production yet, and next steps (fruit trees are just one part, I hope).
many comments have repeatedly asked for it so I feel silly even adding to it but PLEASE LEARN PROPER SAFE CHAINSAW USAGE WITH PROPER SAFETY GEAR. I am eager to see videos about all you learn on the land I do not ever want to see one about all the group learned from a bad chainsaw accident etc.
oi oi my dudes quick tip from an old chainsaw user. Husqvarna almost impossible to break the husky 445 great all around saw. Also buy two of the same saw like when your saw gets old before you destroy it buy a another one of the same kind and use the old as back up and spare parts. Keeps you in business. Learn to Sharpen chains. chains are expensive and if your not cutting stuff with nails in it they last a long long time
As with the many other comments saying the same thing. You need to wear the correct safety equipment with chainsaws, it is not a risk worth taking. Also, chainsaw safety is so important. How to cut, where to cut and the clothing needed etc.
Hi everyone, I am a young farmer from a mountainous region in southern Italy, I have a couple of points I’d like to share with you.
1) I really appreciate the fact that you finally took seriously the task of chopping down the ENOURMOUS patches of Mimosa you have. I don’t understand why you took so long to start this project. I think it’s about time considering the fire risk we are all facing in the Mediterranean region (I had 2 fires hit my farm in the last week alone). I am very sorry you weren’t able to accomplish your original goal, I hope to see much more of this kind of work in the future. Might be a good idea to work SLOWLY on this project during the winter season?
2) Can anyone please explain to me why nobody is throwing out there the idea of completely replacing these damned, useless, dangerous mimosa trees with some god given OLIVE trees? I can’t help but notice that you have a patch of vineyard just neighbouring your land, I guess that it wouldn’t be too difficult to find the right expertise locally to work these kind of crops. Wouldn’t this make so much sense on a financial point of view (considering the spike in prices of olive oil we are experiencing) and also on the landscape management side?
3) You have A LOT of land, cinsidering the average ownership of land in the Mediterranean region, currently it’s completely unfruitful and unoroductive. I think this is a huge unaddressed issue. Are you on track to produce anything? I have a 100m2 vegetable garden for my family of 4. Are you going to start a serious production of vegetables? Fruits?
4) I don’t want to talk about animals because I guess you are all eating vegan, but I don’t see why you shouldn’t raise them at least to resell them to people who want to do something with these animals. You could raise them in a sustainable way. What about chickens, geese, sheep, rabbits?
Thank you very much, I am a big fan and I support your effort, I can only imagine how difficult it is for you all to embark on these endeavours.
Portugal *technically* not a Mediterranean country but living in Provence I agree with all your points.
@@takix2007 as a fellow geography geek (and a PhD in regional economics) I want to point out I never wrote "Mediterranean country", instead I used the terminology "Mediterranean region", of which Portugal is part in several pooling systems (Ecology and Economics)
Hippies creating a huge fire risk while pretending to decrease that risk.
You could use the mimosas to build pergolas over all walking paths and grow: passion fruit, climbing beans, chayote, grapes etc. on these pergolas. Shadow and food in the same time.
Maybe with the extra tractor funds you could buy a really nice chipper.
Or laybe they ll get scammed again. Who knows...
That is alot of work. Great job. For future you should consider to dig a swale on contour with the new excavator (whenever it is bought) and then fill the newly dug swales with the wood you have cut. The swales will get a far better sequestering of rainfall into the land and reduce runoff, along with creating a moist environment within the swale which will promote the faster decomposition of the cut trees and any organics you place there. Over time the decomposed wood will create a very fertile carbon rich soil which will hold water and should significantly increase the productivity of the soil. This should benefit the growth of the trees you decide to plant and the ones that naturally self seed. Fruit trees in particular like Peach, Apricot, Avocado, Olive and Cherry would be ideal to plant in these swales in the years to come after the wood had broken down/decomposed.
You can sell the trees, there are companies which will cut and transport just for the gains.
For the love of G-d, can someone from @ProjectKamp YT team acknowledge the outpouring of comments on chainsaw safety!!! There is a clear and undeniable reason why so many comments are repeating the need for MORE SAFETY. This is not just an issue that impacts your own team, but your videos influence others too. At the very least, pin a comment saying you are working on improving chainsaw safety.
Terraforming is my favorite thing to see in a Kamp episode.
Good job, all ! Not gonna say anything about you know what, since everyone else has. I just like seeing progress!
I do something like what you are doing with privet I cut. It decomposes rapidly and can be almost gone within about 2 years. Fortunately (or not) I seem to have a nearly inexhaustible supply of the stuff.
About the mimosas: they seed prolifically. They don't like shade (and with the dense shade they are producing, few of their seedlings are likely to survive -- that will change as you thin them out), so as native plants get some size, you will see fewer. But that will take time. A number of trees, including some oaks, can do reasonably well in (some) shade, you might check whether the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture (or Forestry) provides seedlings at low/no cost. Failing that, the EU may do something along those lines.
Finally, to add to comments I have seen on this matter: get some protective gear to wear when using the chainsaws. My brother is my best example for this. He used to never use any. Then something happened: the saw had not completely stopped and he just happened to touch his knee with the bar. He was wearing denim jeans and the touch was slight. The saw cut a line through the denim at his knee, but no farther. No injury whatsoever. He has worn protective chaps when cutting ever since.
And about the trees you fell: you might consider acquiring a wood chipper. We have one that runs off the PTO of our tractor. But (substantial) standalone models exist.
Well, always like to see how you are doing.
Isn't dry mimosa more flamable than green living mimosa?
A big wood chipper may be a wise investment in the future. All those mimosa tops and small trees could be turned into high value mulch which is less combustible and can then be composted for either more fertility in your soil or sold on.
and used in the poop compost
Your team is doing awesome clearing the land! I have worked for UPS for 28 years & the company preaches safety. I would offer 2 suggestions when moving the momosas. Use 2 people to move any tree limb over 5 feet long or 1.5 meters. This is because these long limbs can cause injury to muscles & tendons. Any movement with your arms or legs extended should only last about 5 seconds because in this position your arms & legs are vulnerable to tendon strain or worst case torn tendon. Also, when bending over bend at your knees & lift up in a smooth steady motion using your legs while supporting the item as close to you as possible. I also worry about a dangerous possible injury for your team from falling or bouncing tree limbs. Check yourself for mystery bruises each day that do not heal after a few days. Take care! Keep up the good work!
Cool! You can use the thicker straight cuts to do a retaining wall by the road. May as well use all that wood!
Looking forward to the part where you guys plant native trees 👌
The hierarchy at Kamp is a problem when the work is not willingly shared by everyone. Just because it was your idea doesn’t mean everyone else is suffering. There’s definitely something dead wrong about this tree clearing by 3 people.
On their website you can see that they recruited (at least) three people specifically for cutting down trees. It doesn't seem to be a matter if hierarchy but rather a case of making decisions on where to spend manpower
@@user-nt8ms1sk5v but I agree there is something wrong... this task is much too big for 4 à 3 persons. Flexability in life is a good thing...
it's a task that should be done by the whole team, once a week. Fire safety benefits all. Equality lasts the longest. i feel like the rest of the team let them down a bit.
Well done. Good job. I have been waiting for so long to see the clearance of rubbish trees. More clearance will get more land for development . This will contribute more funds to build a great camp.
it's a bit average that your chainsaw repairer was unable to fix the saws in 3 - 5 weeks..I fully rebuilt mine in a weekend...you guys might want to learn how to fix your own tools to save you time and money...best of luck with all the cutting ahead. and cut-safe
Hello from Pakistan. I think you should have a green house because it will help in the future to grow native trees and prepare seedlings.
You guys are legends. That was a massive task.
That mimosa is a real ecological disaster. In my part of the country in Australia, it’s started spreading in the last 5 - 10 years and it’s absolutely feral and crazy how fast it spreads! I feel sad that the government isn’t doing anything about trying to control it. So scary to see how quickly it grows and smothers any native vegetation
Amazing teamwork!! Well done everyone ❤
You have created a fire hazard instead of fire break. Get a wood chipper.
They just want cheap forest land
Good update Julie. Team did well to clear around the road in time for fire season.
It looks like Trevor got the feedback I wanted to give for last video. Good job projecting your voice and showing enthusiasm :D
Im not an expert but i found it interesting that some comment here advised that you should get yourself a bobcat tractor with the tree remover and mulcher extension. Seems like a very versatile tool that can even be used for digging and even planting trees...
You should have started with the trees closer to the containers/vans/warehouses. By the Portuguese law, on a circumference of 50 meters around human constructions, you should have those Mimosas trees separated by 4 meters to each other, cut the branches of those trees from the ground to 4 meters high of the tree and, trim all the bushes that grow over 50cm, and clear the land after cleaning it, meaning you can't keep the dead trees and branches you just cleared, on the land. The "water retention lines" you created with dead mimosa wood is actually extremely dangerous.
I don't know if you ever had to fight a wildfire or been close to one, but the way your land is right now, and considering that mimosas are very flammable, everything on your land would burn quite fast.
Get a teacher for using the chainsaw or the chainsaw will become the teacher.
Great job guys and always with fun. Keep an eye on your safety, especially with dangerous tools, fun and safe 😉
A few suggestions now that you have created a fire break. 1. You should further reduce the fire risk by shredding those tree top piles, left as they are they will dry out quickly and present you with a tinder box ready to spontaneously explode in the hot dry season. When shredded the wood chip and leaf mold will retain moisture, less risk of fire as they take time to break down. 2. Spread some manure in patches around the cleared area to introduce pockets of nutrients into the soil. Which will in-turn encourage fungi to flourish and will lead to increased insect & worm population. 3. Introduce native woodland wildflowers. 4. Damp down the area by adding some irrigation pipes with water from the lagoons during the hot season. 5. Safety. Once again I am seeing a lot of potential safety issues with team members displaying childish, adolescent behaviour whist using chainsaws and felling trees. Left unchecked someone is going to get seriously hurt. Leadership. Set safety and behavioural rules, keep tight controls on "adolescent behaviour" during working hours. Save the clown shows for play time after the working day has ended.
Hello dear Project Kampers, I always like to see the landscape-work and the visual effects after the work is done! But this time I have certain thoughts...
I agree with the big amount of critics concerning working with the chainsaw versus safety,
You should re-think the working group system you've installed at the kamp, I think... 4 to 3 persons to deal with this big peace of land is too few, and always the same one who uses the chainsaw (wich is tiring and gives backproblems...). Especially with this timelimit before the fire-season! Where are the other people of the kamp to jump in for such an important issue (: firerisk).
It seems to me being a rather stubborn way of organising the work with the different groups!!
Why not working a few days a week with 6 to 8 persons on a bigger project as clearing, wenn this is needed to be done?
A couple of thoughts.
-5 weeks and the repair shop can’t repair a single chainsaw …? Instead they try and sell you an electric chainsaw. Please 🤦♂️
As well I feel the reduced exposure to fire risk is negligible at best with all those huge piles of cut trees all over the place vs standing trees. Those piles need to go.
Just my opinion
🇨🇦🙏