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Owning a Wood
Once you have bought a woodland there are so many things you can do for enjoyment and conservation. However, many people prefer not to do major woodland management for twelve months, but rather study it closely throughout the seasons, to get to know the woodland and see what surprises it holds in store.
Small Woodland Owners' Group
SWOG helps woodland owners share their knowledge and experience with each other through events and an online forum.
For information please do read our book, Badgers, Beeches and Blisters available free on the website, or if you’ve bought a woodland from us we’ll happily post out a hard copy of the book – just ask. You should also be getting information packs from the Royal Forestry Society and Small Woods Association, as we will have joined you up to both these organisations (unless you ask us not to).
There are lots of creative activities you can do in your woodland, some of which we have listed or described on the website here. We also discuss just this kind of thing in our blog, particularly the Woodland Activities section.
In assessing your woodland during the early months you can collect a great deal of advice and information relevant for your particular wood. You can often arrange for the officer from the Forest Commission to visit and advise for free. Should you be planning to plant, or even to actively encourage natural regeneration of existing stock, they may be able to help you with grant aid. There are also grants for the clearance of very substantial areas of rhododendron. There are grants for specific activities, which conserve endangered species, for example the dormouse. It's at least worth looking into.
You may be expecting to coppice some of your wood, or to create a clearing or a pond, and suspect that it's going to take more work than your family can cope with. The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers may be able to offer help, in exchange for your encouragement and co-operation and their expenses. If you are in a Site of Special Scientific Interest you must contact Natural England, previously English Nature, to discuss management of the site, contact their local officer who will make an appointment to visit to explain what is special and how to protect it and still use and enjoy it as you want to.
The Forestry Commission also offer tree planting grants in England, Wales and Scotland.
Woodlands.co.uk Suppliers Directory
A directory of suppliers of forestry tools, tree planting resources, woodland training and courses, and much more. Visit the directory »
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