Woodland Courses 2009 Pt 1
Now that you have your new 2009 diary, book some time to brush up your woodland skills or learn new ones. From the purely practical to the extremely esoteric, whatever you want to learn, there’s a course out there for you. Here is a brief selection from some of our favourites up to the summer, but check locally, on websites like Woodlots and in the Small Woods Association magazine for more. If you know of any courses you would like to share, or run some yourself, please add details in the comments box below.
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
Leave a comment
Badgers, Beeches and Blisters
A book about the practicalities of managing your own woodland. Available free here.
3 comments so far
Tracy
28 January, 2009
For chainsaw training in the SE contact Dave Rossney
esusforestry@btinternet.com
Excellent trainer with some grant funding too!
Chris
3 March, 2009
Some interesting wild life study days here
http://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/work/wildlife-study-days/2009-programme/
Andrew Kyle
11 December, 2009
The course I attended was Lantra Certified, ‘Chainsaw Maintenance, Cross Cutting and Felling to 200mm’ held by by Lynher Training at Tiverton. It was essential for a beginner, gave me a good grounding in safety aspects, and increased my confidence. This course should be considered before buying and using a chainsaw.