My shooting coach was Stewart Lees from Cornwall, an experienced trainer whose first experience of firing a gun was over 30 years ago with shoulder-jolting .303′s at school in his CCF (Combined Cadet Force or school soldiery with real weapons).  Stewart is tall and has sharp eyes which are immediately weighing you up to see which way your body leans and which of your eyes is the dominant one.  He’s one of those people you like as soon as you meet him, even when he’s been giving shotgun lessons for the previous 8 hours in the hot sun.  He handed me a shooting jacket, ear defenders and safety glasses.

How you hold the gun and good shooting posture
“Are you right- or left-handed and which is your dominant eye?” he enquired.  We soon established that I was right-handed and my left eye was dominant which is far from ideal so to stop me trying to use my left eye Stewart stuck some black  tape onto the left lens of my safety glasses which then meant that I had no option but to use my right eye with my right shoulder, a simple and effective solution. He then introduced me to “my gun” which was surprisingly light and I could see all the BASC trainers were treating the guns with great care making sure that the guns were seen to be unloaded by either being “broken”, or in the case of my semi-automatic having a safety blocker fitted, except where the shotguns were actually being used.  I needed to be shown how to hold the gun properly – into the shoulder and significantly higher up in the shoulder than I’d expected.  My stance was to be with my left foot placed forward, my left knee bent and myupper body leaning forward without tilting my head sidewaystoo much and keeping my right cheek touching the stock.  He made me feel like a professional, although I knew that as soon as he stopped arranging my limbs I’d be all over the place!

Into action – firing live shots at clay pigeons
“Right”, explained my coach, “we’ve talked about safety, I’ve shown you the gun mount, the gun fit and now I’ll show you how to hit a clay pigeon.   We’ll do a dozen or so and I can’t see why youshouldn’t hit all of them” his confidence was inspiring and I felt that I didn’t want to let him down!.  We went forward to the shooting position and Stewart pointed out where the clays would be fired from and then pressed a magic button showing how he would fire the moving targets.  These “clay pigeons” are in fact circular disks made from compressed clay particles and they are very brittle so that when they are hit they shatter dramatically.  They are fired from an automatic “trap” (a sort of catapult-like machine) and spin as they shoot upwards so that they move at a pace which you can follow but they are definitely moving quite fast.  As I was a complete beginner, the clays were only going to be sent up vertically and always in the same direction and I would even be told when they were being fired.  Even I could see that this would make it much easier to hit one of these discs than to hit a real bird.

The technique that I was to use meant following the clay upwards with the gun, catching up with it, overtaking it so that the muzzle of the gun hides it and then firing just in front of where the clay pigeon was going.  I really couldn’t see how a single shot could hit this small, moving target until my coach explained that the “cartridge” had over 500 pieces of lead shot and that these would spread out into a progressively larger circular pattern, until about 40 metres when the pattern would become so large that holes would appear in the pattern and the “clays” would be able to pass through the pattern without being hit, this, he pointed out is in fact the maximum effective range of a shotgun.I begun to think I just might hit one  – with luck!

Breaking the clay pigeons with the shotgun
“Bang!” – I’d fired at about the right time and surprised us both by hitting my first clay, with considerable help.  Behind the glasses I must have smiled the biggest grin of the day and eagerly reloaded for the next shot.  Other shots included some hits and a few misses but I started to see the difference between a direct hit smashing the clay into smithereens and just catching the edge of the disc and I certainly felt the thrill of actually hitting the target full on.  When I’d finished Stewart handed me one of the empty cartridges as a souvenir and told me to have an occasional sniff of the acrid burnt gunpowder which he promised would make me want to come back for more.

Outside BASC training, Stewart Lees also shoots rifles helping to manage the deer population on the Duchy of Cornwall’s woodlands where he’s part of a syndicate of 18 marksmen.  Stewart also runs a venture offering clay pigeon shooting in the Tamar Valley in Cornwall and he’s always willing to offer private coaching – ring him at 01579 384714 or e-mail him at stewart@tslassociates.co.uk .  You can also look him up through his ski guiding website at http://www.sunandskizellamsee.com/contactus.php .

Although I still have reservations about shooting animals for sport, I now see the immense satisfaction of shooting even as an outright beginner and I’ll be going back for more shotgun training.

Since then he has set up a wildlife reserve of 100 acres near Seaforth Docks which is now managed by the Lancashire Trust for Nature Conservation.  Baz won several awards for his work there and which included organising 50 Manpower Services workers and investing £100,000 of Mersey Council’s conservation budget.

Nowdays, Baz concentrates on teaching bushcraft and he’ll travel to your woodland to run a course on bushcraft, bow making, coracle making or help you to do a wildlife survey.  Surveys identify what is there and well as seeing what damage is being done.  For example Baz often identifies squirrel damage and works out ways to reduce the squirrel population.  He will see what badger activity there is, find evidence of deer, though he regrets how few deer there now are on the Wirral.  However buzzards are on the increase on the Wirrall and there are now hundreds of pairs whereas when Baz was working in the country park in the late 1960s there were hardly any.

Coracle making is one of Baz’s specialities – we asked Baz how he learnt and he says he thinks “it’s in the blood – my grandad used to build wooden frames for the buses for Warrington Corporation”.  He adds, “after 15 years of building them I went on a course at The Greenwood Centre in Ironbridge with Terry Kenny.  It turned out I was doing things right but he taught me a few new tricks”

Baz doesn’t use the internet but you can contact him by phone 0781 865 7756.

Mike (my husband) and I spent two days and one night learning how to survive in difficult circumstances.  John Hayward and Antony Quinn are lovely instructors, both with military training and a passion for woodlands.   They are great teachers.    We started the weekend with a safety briefing and a quick check of our equipment. Hiking to the site with loads of things in our rucksacks was the first challenge!

John then introduced the course, and then gave us our knives and survival packs that we could take home with us.   He talked us through the key acronym – PLAN:

• Protection (i.e. shelter and fire to keep dry and warm)
• Location (how to make sure a rescuer can find you)
• Acquisition (of water and food, in that order)
• Navigation (with and without a compass)

So, the first job was to build a shelter. Mike and I decided on the A frame , whereas Joel and Chris used the tarp. There are pros and cons to both of these. We were warmer, they were drier and had more space!  We created a ‘wall’ with logs to reflect the warmth of the fire into our home – such a great idea and so warm all night. It kept away mosquitoes and midges as well. This activity took a long time as we learned many new skills along the way and safe use of the tools we’d been given.

We also learned how to build a signal fire to call for help. Naturally John was going to surprise us about when to light it, and he usefully waited until I had our fire nice and low for making toast before yelling ‘spotter plane!’   Because it was wet during the night we had some trouble lighting the signal fire within the designated minute – which meant we were not rescued and had to go back to making toast. Oh well!  Most woodland owners already know how to make fire – but John and Antony showed us so many more ways to do it, very exciting – and now Mike has found a use for lip salve (Vaseline); he is more appreciative that I always have some in my pocket. I am less appreciative at how quickly it is disappearing and how many bits of leaves and sticks are now in it!  (Vaseline spread on cotton wool catches sparks very easily.)

We also learned about snares, to use only in very difficult food conditions, filtering water and even gutting a squirrel. (that part is voluntary!).   Antony and John taught us ways of finding North without a compass and methods of counting steps to estimate distance. We then had to practise some orienteering. First time I have ever really understood how to use a compass!

It was an absolutely brilliant weekend and we highly recommend it. It doesn’t matter if you are male or female, experienced or not – you will love it!   Many thanks to Woodlands.co.uk who provide the use of the woodland through their community woodlands project.

You can see more photos of the weekend on our website.   Contact John to book your place through this link : http://www.landrock-training.com/.    Landrock is also on Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=105588086151445&ref=ts

Don’t forget that Woodlands.co.uk now offers £300 towards the cost of courses as part of its new woodland owner package – further details are available at http://www.woodlands.co.uk/buying-a-wood/free-woodland-courses-for-buyers.php .   If you have been on a course that you enjoyed, why not add a recommendation in the box below on this page?

The Sustainability Centre is there to offer information and help with ‘renewable energy, bushcraft skills, kids’ crafts, sustainable forestry, permaculture’. It offers a variety of courses from green wood working, clay oven building, soap making, applied renewables (heat pumps, solar and wind) – for full details visit their web site http://www.sustainability-centre.org/courses_adult.php

The Centre for Alternative Technology has been around since 1973 offering information and courses.   It is based in the Llwyngwern slate quarry near Machynlleth.   If you visit them, you can easily spent a day looking around the site and have a meal at the Quarry Café, and visit the quarry shop. Their courses fall into six basic categories :

• renewables,
• ecology/gardening,
• building / water,
• education/economics,
• woodlands/crafts,
• and holidays/nature.

Their course calendar is here:      http://www2.cat.org.uk/shortcourses/course_calendar.php

The Field Study Council is once again running a vast range of courses from Understanding hedgerows, Woodland plants, Wildlife ponds, Trees and woodland in the British landscape, Digital imaging, Family Wildlife Discovery, Getting to know conifers.   This link should give you a starting point for searching for their courses : http://www.field-studies-council.org/i_and_f/index.aspx

Like the FSC, the National Trust (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-chl.htm ) organises a diverse collection of courses in its many properties across the country – Dry Stone Walling, Bee and Honey Day, Dowsing, Felt Making, Advanced Survival Skills to mention but a few.  Their courses can be accessed through their events page  by selecting ‘activities, workshops and courses’ from the drop down menu -

The Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management is based in Winchester but organises courses and training across the U.K., topics include Outdoor First Aid, Working in Rivers and Streams, Botany for beginners, Invasive and non-native Plants, Using Satellite Data in GIS etc; a full list of their current courses may be found here http://www.ieem.net/workshops.asp .

Previous posts have listed many different organisations and people that offer specialist courses – so perhaps have a look at  these as well.

• http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-activities/woodland-courses-2010-pt-1/
• http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-activities/woodland-courses-2009-pt-2/
• http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-activities/woodland-courses-2008/

Please make sure you check with the training supplier for times, dates,  prices and availability.

Woodland Management

BTCV offer a range of woodland management & practical skills courses.  See their website for details.

The Greenwood Centre at Ironbridge are running various courses in woodland management and related subjects, including:

OCN Hedgelaying – 15-19 Feb

OCN Introduction to Small Woodland Management – 17-18 April

With WoodNet:

Emergency First Aid for Farmers & Foresters – 11 Feb

Introduction to Chainsaw Use & Maintenance – 5 Mar

Introduction to Tree Climbing – 11 Mar

Practical Wood Management Using Hand Tools – 18 Mar

With the Field Studies Council:

Woodland Conservation & Management – 9-13 April

Site Surveys for Biological Surveying – 6-9 April & 21-24 May

NVC: Woodlands – 14-17 May

Archaeology

With WoodNet .  Essential for all those who’ve been following David Brown’s archaeology blog on Woodlands.co.uk:
Woodland Archaeology with David Brown – 10 Feb

Coppicing

Coppicing at the Greenwood Centre – 13-14 Mar

Charcoal

Charcoal Making with WoodNet – 29 Jan
WoodfuelWoodfuel:  Making the Switch, WoodNet – 24 Feb

Flora & Fauna

With Kent Wildlife Trust:

Badgers – 17 Feb

Bees & Beekeeping – 15 April

Dawn Chorus Walk – 18 April & 15 May

Trees & Early Spring Birds (walk) – 24 May

Bluebell Walk at Cole Wood West – 24 May

The Woodland Year – 10 May

Wildlife at the Warren – 29 May

With the Field Studies Council:

Arboriculture & Bats – 15 Feb & 8 Mar

Identifying Lichens – 19-21 Mar & 5-12 Apr

Special Spring Moths – 5-10 Apr

Bats & Bat Surveys – 12-14 Apr

Woodland Plants – 14-17 May

Butterfly & Moth Identification – 28 May-3 Jun

Fungi Foray with the Greenwood Centre – 11 Oct

Woodworking & Craft Skills

At the Field Studies Council, A Week of Willow Basketry – 26 Feb- 4 Mar

At the Greenwood Centre:

Wooden Hazel Hurdles (Sheep Hurdles) – 17-18 April

Sussex Trug Making – 1-2 May

Longbow Making – 26-28 May

Welsh Stick Back Chair Making – 5-10 June

Cleft Wood Gate Making – 19-20 June

With WoodNet :

Hazel Hurdle Making – 19 Mar

Willow Structures – 9 April

Introduction to Green Woodworking – 29 April

Trees

With the Field Studies Council:

Identifying Trees without Leaf – 24 Jan

Trees & Woodland in the British Landscape with Oliver Rackham – 6-11 April  

Understanding Trees – 7-9 May

The Natural History of Veteran Trees – 8 May

Big Tree Country:  Introduction to Tree Identification – 14-17 May

Big Tree Country:  Tree Identification for Improvers – 17-21 May

Veteran Trees with Kent Wildlife Trust – 24 Oct

Photography

Advanced Wildlife Photography with Kent Wildlife Trust – 11th July

David Plummer runs photography courses for all levels of expertise in and around East Sussex and at his own woodland with opportunities for photographing both flora and fauna.  Details on his website at www.davidplummerimages.co.uk/courses.html

 
Art

There are courses on Botanical Illustration for various degrees of experience at the Field Studies Council  

Walking with a Sketchbook at the Field Studies Council – 28-30 May

Drawing & Painting Birds & Other Wildlife – 2-6 June

Hedgerows

Field & hedgerow survey techniques with Kent Wildlife Trust – 12th Sep

Bushcraft

Down2Earth run various bushcraft and survival skills courses in South East Wales.  Contact them through their website for more details: www.down2earthsurvival.com

From June 2009 anyone buying a woodland from us will be entitled to a payment of up to £300 towards the cost of  a woodland management course.  This will be available for any course which relates in some way to managing or enjoying a woodland.  Buyers can choose their own course – which could, for example, be on butterfly identification, chainsaw training or coppice management.   For most one-day courses this will pay the full cost and for longer courses we hope that it will cover a large part of the cost.

We hope owners who go on these training courses will help each other by commenting on how useful the course was and whether they would recommend it to others.

You can see some courses that are available this summer at http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/conservation/woodland-courses-2009-pt-2/ or you might like to suggest a course you feel would be most useful to new woodland owners.

Please check with the training supplier for times, dates and prices and availability.

Woodland Management

The Greenwood Centre at Ironbridge are running various courses in woodland management and related subjects, including:

An Introduction to Tree Safety & Inspection – 1 July

OCN Introduction to Small Woodland Management – 17 & 18 Oct

Introduction to Hedge Laying – 17 & 18 Oct

OCN Sustainable Woodland Management – 2-4 Nov

Treebog Building – date to be confirmed

With WoodNet in East Sussex:

Accessing Grants for Wildlife-friendly Farm & Woodland Management – 26 June

Emergency First Aid for Farmers & Foresters – 8 Oct

Introduction to Chainsaw Use & Maintenance – 30 Oct

Introduction to Woodland Management – 6 Nov

Coppicing

OCN Coppicing at the Greenwood Centre – 30 Nov-4 Dec

Coppice Products – Generating and Income from Coppice with WoodNet – 19 Nov

Charcoal

Charcoal Making with WoodNet – 17 July

Flora & Fauna

With Kent Wildlife Trust:

Introduction to Wild Flowers – 24 June           

Introduction to Insects  - 4 July                 

Introduction to Moths – 1 August 

Introduction to Biological Recording – 1 Sep     

Identification of Fungi 1, 2 & 3 – 26 Sept, 17 Oct & 7 Nov               

Beginners’ guide to Fungi – 7 Oct                          

Small mammals: identification, recording & surveying – 7 Nov    

Fungi Foray with the Greenwood Centre – 11 Oct

Woodworking & Craft Skills

At the Greenwood Centre:

Willow Obelisk Making -15 & 16 Aug

Ironbridge Coracles – 28-30 Aug

Welsh Stick Back Chair Making – 6-11 Sep

Longbow Making – 12-14 Oct

Sussex Trug Making – 7-8 Nov

Chestnut Gate Hurdles with WoodNet – 16 Oct

Trees

With the Field Studies Council:

Treemendous Trees – 3-5 July                             

Trees & Woodland in the British Landscape – 3-7 Aug  

Identifying Trees in Leaf – 12 Sep            

Broad-leaved trees in Autumn – 25-27 Sep    

Identifying Trees:  The Challenge of Late Autumn – 13-15 Nov

Getting to Know Conifers – 20-22  Nov  

Veteran Trees with Kent Wildlife Trust – 24 Oct

Photography

Advanced Wildlife Photography with Kent Wildlife Trust – 11th July

David Plummer runs photography courses for all levels of expertise in and around East Sussex and at his own woodland.  Contact him through his website at www.davidplummerimages.co.uk/courses.html          

Hedgerows

Field & hedgerow survey techniques with Kent Wildlife Trust – 12th Sep

Bushcraft

Down2Earth run various bushcraft and survival skills courses in South East Wales.  Contact them through their website for more details: www.down2earthsurvival.com

Dan Watson runs various woodworking, bushcraft and wild food courses – contact him for details through his website: www.dwwp.co.uk      

Woodland Management 

31 January – 1 February  Coppicing – a 2-day course at the Green Wood Centre, Coalbrookdale, Shropshire

7 February  Willow Cultivation with AJS Crafts at Woodchurch, Kent

21 & 22 February  Hedgelaying – 2-day course at the Green Wood Centre

27 & 28 February  Woodfuel Workshops – a free, drop-in event at Woodnet, Flimwell, East Sussex. 

Woodnet are running a 4-part course on Managing Woodlands for Biodiversity at Flimwell, East Sussex:

14 March  Managing Woodlands for Biodiversity:  Woodland Types25 April  Managing Woodlands for Biodiversity:  Fauna9 May  Managing Woodlands for Biodiversity:  Flora13 June  Managing Woodlands for Biodiversity:  Management Planning 

17 March  Emergency First Aid for Farmers & Foresters  at Woodnet, Flimwell, East Sussex

28 March Fruit/Apple Tree Pruning at the Green Wood Centre, Coalbrookdale, Shropshire

17 May  Hazel Layering  with AJS Crafts at Rolvenden, Kent

Working with Wood and Coppicing Products 

A selection from AJS Crafts in Kent and East Sussex :

14 March  Hedgerow Basketry

27 March Willow Plant Supports

24 April  Hazel Hurdles

25 April Garden Plant Supports16 May  Willow Sculpture30 May Hexagonal Plaited Basketry

6 June  Trug Making

13 June  Bentwood Furniture

27 June Shave Horses

With the Green Wood Centre, Coalbrookdale, Shropshire

18 & 19 April  Making Sussex Trugs – a 2-day course

25 & 26 April  Making an Ironbridge Coracle – 2-day course

13 to 15 May  Longbow Making – 3-day course

No dates for 2009 going to press, but also watch out for the Woodland Skills Centre at Bodfari, Denbigh which runs a selection of courses throughout the year, including regular Open Workshop Weekends giving those with some woodworking skills access to their specialist equipment.  Camping facilities available.

Bushcraft

Down2Earth run various bushcraft and survival skills courses in South East Wales.  Contact them through their website for more details:  http://www.down2earthsurvival.com

Dan Watson runs various woodworking, bushcraft and wild food courses – contact him for details through his website:  http://www.dwwp.co.uk/

Photography

David Plummer runs various photography courses both for beginners and the more advanced in and around East Sussex:

5 or 18 April    Adders and Spring Flowers

14, 19 or 28 February (Day 1) and 7, 12 or 14 March (Day 2) – Beginning Nature Photography (2-day course)

21 and 22 March  Beginning Wildlife Photography at the Arundel Wetland Centre

26 April  Bluebells, Orchids and Woodland Flowers

7 & 8 February or 28 & 29 March  Capture to Computer – learn the essentials of digital photography

13 June or 4 July or 25 July Downland Flowers and Butterflies

Wild Food

12-14 Sep  Seasonal Wild Food with Dan Watson, Sicklinghall, Wharfedale

28 Sep  Growing Edible Woodland Mushrooms, Woodnet, Flimwell, E Sussex

Crafts and Woodland Skills

4-6 July Build a Pole Lathe or Shave Horse, Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

8 July Charcoal Production, Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari, Denbigh

12 July Rope & Cordage, AJS Products, Kent

13 July Arrow Making, AJS Products, Kent

12-13 July Basket Making 2, Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari, Denbigh

19 July Working with Willow, Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari, Denbigh

19-20 July Basic Green Woodwork, Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

20 July Introduction to Coppice Crafts, Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari, Denbigh

27 July Willow Basketry, AJS Products, Kent

26/27 July Timber Framed Buildings, Sustainability Centre, Hants

2 Aug Primitive Bow Making, AJS Products, Kent

2/3 Aug Primitive Bow Making, Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

2-3 Aug  Charcoal Burning, Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

2-3 Aug  Make a Pole Lathe, Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari, Denbigh

6 Aug Spoon Carving, Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

9-10 Aug Build an Earth Oven, Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

15 Aug  & 27 Sept & 18 Oct Willow Sculpture, AJS Products, Kent

23-28 Aug  Intermediate Green Woodwork, Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

2 Sep Spoon Carving, Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

6-7 Sep Bowmaking, Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

13 Sep Corn Dollies, AJS Products, Kent

13-14 Sep Hurdle Making, Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

18-16 Sep Project Week – Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

20 Sept Introduction to Pole-Lathing, Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari, Denbigh

21 Sept Make a Rustic Stool, Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari, Denbigh

19-21 Sep Bow Making with Dan Watson, Sicklinghall, Wharfedale

27-28 Sep Arrow Making, Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

3-5 Oct Make an Oak Swill Basket, Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari, Denbigh

11-12 Oct Introduction to Green Wood Work, Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari, Denbigh

11/12 Oct Willow Basketry, AJS Products, Kent

25/26 Oct Gate & Wattle Hurdles, Sustainability Centre, Hants

1-2 Nov Make a Shave Horse, Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari,

6 Dec Yule Decorations, AJS Products, Kent

Dan Watson offers courses in Backwood Crafts, Spoon Carving, Bushcraft & Self Reliance and Family Camp Crafts & Woodland Skills by arrangement. 

The Field Studies Council offer a range of courses in traditional skills at their centres around the country.

Woodland Management

5 July Assessing & Mapping Woodland, Woodnet, Flimwell, E Sussex

13 Sept Managing a Small Woodland, Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari, Denbigh

4 & 5 Oct Practical Coppicing, Sustainability Centre, Hants

18 Oct Growing Native Trees from Seed, Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari, Denbigh

29 Nov Practical Coppicing, AJS Products, Kent

tba Discover the Hidden Archaelogy of Woodlands, Woodnet, Flimwell, E Sussex

tba Continuous Cover Forestry for the South East, Woodnet, Flimwell, E Sussex

tba Intro to Producing Heating Grade Woodchip, Woodnet, Flimwell, E Sussex

Family Activities

23 July Parents & Children Woodland Activity Day, Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

25-27 July Family Woodland Weekend, Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

15-17 Aug  Family Woodland Weekend, Cherry Wood Project, nr Bath

18-22 August Week in the Woods, Woodland Skills Centre, Bodfari, Denbigh

Photography

6 Sep Moths & Dragonflies with David Plummer

11 Oct Red Deer Rut,  David Plummer

18 Oct Red Deer Rut,  David Plummer

25 Oct Woodland birds, David Plummer

Badger Watching Weekends – by arrangement with  David Plummer

Beginning Nature Photography – 2 Day Course,  David Plummer

Day 1 – 1, 6 or 8 Nov

Day 2 – 22, 27 or 29 Nov

2 Nov Woodland Birds, David Plummer

9 Nov Woodland Birds, David Plummer

15 Nov Fungi, David Plummer

 As usual, feel free to add details of courses in the comments box if you know of anything interesting or run relevant courses yourself.

Please check with the organisers in case of changes.  Let us know if you run a course which might be of interest to  woodland owners or if you’ve attended one you’d recommend.

Backwood Crafts, May 16th with Dan Watson Woodland Products at Sicklinghall, W Yorks  

Bird Watching for Beginners, April 19th with Kent Wildlife Trust

Bowl and Spoon Carving Weekend, July 5th  with Dan Watson Woodland Products at Sicklinghall, W Yorks

Bushcraft – The Original Bushcraft Show, August 28th  Knoyle, Wiltshire

Charcoal Making, April 5th with the Dorset Coppice Group

Charcoal Production, April 15th at the Woodland Skills Centre, Bidfar, Denbigh 

Conifers - Getting to Know Conifers, November 21st at FSC, Juniper Hall

Continuous Hurdle Fencing, January 30th at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, Chichester

Coppice Crafts, An Introduction, March 16th at the Woodland Skills Centre, Bidfar, Denbigh 

Coppicing, February 2nd at the Green Wood Centre

Digital Nature Photography, August 8th at FSC, Slapton Ley

Digital Nature Photography in Close-up, May 9th at FSC, Dale Fort

First Aid for Remote Places, March 31st at FSC, Kindrogan

Forestry First Aid: 1 Day Appointed Person Certificate, January 18th at the Woodland Enterprise Centre, Flimwell

Green Wood Working, May 2nd at FSC, Flatford Mill

Hedgelaying, February 23rd at the Green Wood Centre

Hedgelaying – Practical Hedgelaying Skills, October 31st at FSC, Flatford Mill, Suffolk 

Hedgerows, May 9th at FSC, Preston Montford

Management – OCN Introduction to Small Woodlands Management Planning, March 8th  at the Green Wood Centre

Management – Woodland Conservation & Management, April 24th with FSC, Orielton

Mosses – Woodland Mosses for Beginners, March 1st with Kent Wildlife Trust 

Mushrooms – Introduction to Growing Edible Woodland Mushrooms, March 16th at the Woodland Enterprise Centre, Flimwell, Kent

Plants – Woodland Plants, May 5th with FSC Slapton Ley

Stick Making Workshop, March 1st at Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, Chichester

Tools – Full-Day Sharpening Course, April 12th  with www.davebudd.com  Devon

Trees and Identification in Winter, February 1st at FSC Flatford Mill, Suffolk

Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape (Oliver Rackham), March 25th at FSC Flatford Mill, Suffolk

Trees – Broadleaved Trees in Spring, April 26th with the Kent Wildlife Trust 

 Trees - Identifying Trees in Leaf, September 14th at FSC, Epping Forest

Veteran Trees, March 15th with Kent Wildlife Trust

Wild Food – Seasonal Wild Food, May 16th & September 12th with Dan Watson Woodland Products at Sicklinghall, W Yorks

Wild Food & Medicine, May 25th with FSC, Epping Forest

Willow - Working with Willow, March 15th at the Woodland Skills Centre, Bidfar, Denbigh

Willow – Living Willow Aftercare, April 5th at the Green Wood Centre