The Woodlands.co.uk Blog - Community use
Social Forestry in Glede Wood.
Visits to ‘Glede Wood’, Shropshire, provided for the use of the Small Woods Association by Woodlands.co.uk, have begun again with the start of our new project ‘Branch Out’
Our Social Forestry projects have targeted a range of disadvantaged groups from NEET’s (Not in Employment Education or Training) to women offenders. This time we are engaging members of Telford’s black and ethnic minority.
We have managed to gain some funding to buy a minibus, bought cheaply courtesy of Hitachi Capital, which allows us to pick people up from the town centre. As a result this broadens participation and removes another barrier to exploring the forestry sector. Read more…
Smile Meadow – a forest school
St Mark’s CE Primary School (Sussex) were surprised and delighted to be given the use of a piece of woodland and meadow, only 400 metres from the school.
First the whole school visited the Ashdown Forest (under the aegis of the Sussex Wildlife Trust ), Then all the staff took part in an INSET day – also led by the Sussex Wildlife Trust. This gave the staff the opportunity to develop and refine some ideas on how to use the wood and meadow land to enhance children’s learning. Read more…
Woodland Shelter Build.
A priority when staying out in the woods is a good water and wind proof shelter
The following photos show the construction of a hazel wood shelter to sleep 2-3 people.
We are out a lot, so we built it to last.
The photographs in the ‘strip’ below show the various stages in the construction of the shelter. Read more…
Yew-turn on Forestry Commission sell-off
On 17th February 2011 the Environment Minister, Caroline Spelman (DEFRA’s Cabinet minister), announced that the consultation on the Forestry Commission sell-off was being cut short and that the Government would rethink the whole thing.
However, things are never as simple as they seem. The Government is still committed to reducing DEFRA’s costs and whether the vast woodland and forestry estate in England will remain under the management of the Forestry Commission is debatable. Read more…
Forestry Comission disposals – more surprises!
Public access has dominated the debate on the proposed Forestry Commission (FC) forestry disposals, but behind the official documents there are a few less obvious but perhaps important implications:
The government don’t really trust the Forestry Commission, DEFRA or even politicians any longer as owners of the forests. There have been some kind words said publicly about current management but it is clear from what’s being proposed that the government want to get this land out of FC hands just as soon as possible. Read more…
What does the Forestry Commission consultation really say?
Few people have actually read the 64-page consultation document on the future of the Forestry Commission’s English estate. I am one of those who have, and when I finished reading it my eyes were popping out because it doesn’t say what you’d expect. Here is a short summary of the proposals. You certainly wouldn’t guess them from what most of the press have said.
When you read what DEFRA says it turns out that the sell-off of 100,000 acres has already been decided and the consultation document is not about that at all. It is in fact principally about a lease-off and a give away. Read more…
What do you think of the forestry commission sell-off?
This government proposal has raised enormous public interest and a large amount of misinformation: celebrities seem to be taken as the experts and the forestry commission officers sometimes treated as the villains of the piece. Two months ago we decided to research the issues and the history of Forestry Commission sell-offs in the last 20 years and we have produced a very factual report which we hope will help the debate. Read more…
BTCV – Conservation Volunteers
BTCV is a social enterprise group and charitable organisation that enables people to make a difference to their lives and to improve the places around them. They have the largest team of environmental volunteers in the country and have assisted at 50,000 sites across the UK. With 50 years worth of experience for engaging, reaching and inspiring volunteers and their communities, they are the confident pioneers of creating environmental capital. Read more…