Bought a woodland recently and wondering how to take care of it properly?

Own an area of woodland that you’ve always wondered what to do with?

Wondering how to get started working in the woods?

Or maybe you’re an entry level forester wanting more experience assessing different woodlands?

This course will give you the building blocks you need to make an informed plan for your woodland. We will walk you through from the first steps of making an assessment of your woodland to identify strengths and features as well as any threats or challenges it might be facing, to figuring out your aims and then how to decide what management operations to carry out. In the afternoon there will be chance to get hands on and have a go at coppicing.

Throughout the course of the day we will provide an overview of the following subjects. Although there won’t be time to go into detail on everything, you should go away feeling much clearer about what the next steps are for you and we are happy to answer any questions you have.

• Getting to know your wood: history, ecology, and resources…

• Why manage your wood: biodiversity, resilience, produce…

• Woodland management plans, woodland law and engaging contractors…

• Principles of woodland sustainability: diversity, light, and regeneration…

• Types of woodland management: coppice, continuous cover, commercial…

• The working woodland year: felling, extraction, processing

• Woodland produce: wood, timber, and income

We will look at how to manage woodlands sustainably for biodiversity, carbon sequestration and productivity.

**Please wear practical footwear and prepare for the weather (waterproofs!) as there is no shelter and the ground can be uneven and muddy.**

The event will take place in a woodland near Pentewan, St Austell. Travel logistics and a more specific location will be provided closer to the date, via email. We will have a lunch break around midday, so please bring your own water and lunch.