Small Woodland Owners' Group (SWOG)

Author: Rich

  • Wondering what to do about ash dieback?

    Tim Rowland, development Officer with the Future Trees Trust, as sent us their latest press release about a project they are running aimed at combating ash dieback. Here’s how you can help   A unique project is hoping to stem the tide of the ash dieback disease by encouraging people to help in finding the…

  • Turbosawmill Demonstration Day

    Thanks to Matt Kenyan the new UK distributor of Turbosawmills for bringing to our attention the demonstration day he is putting on together with the Jake Peterson, the designer of the mill.

  • Survey – do you get a commercial return from your wood?

    Christine Meadows,  a Forestry and Woodland Management degree student at Plumpton College has contacted us with a request for woodland owners to fill in a short questionnaire.  Her particular interest is in how well  small woodland owners understand and feel able to address the opportunities for commercial return from their woodlands.

  • Farm Business Innovations 2015

    The Farm Business Innovation Show is for more than just the diversifying farmer, we have leading woodland and forestry experts speaking across the two days (11th & 12th November, NEC Birmingham) who can help you reach your financial, sustainability and rural business goals. This, combined with experts in areas including planning, funding and rural tourism, makes this…

  • Free Woodland Restoration Workshop

    We are indebted to the Woodland Trust for inviting woodland owners to a free woodland restoration workship.  Please contact Jim Smith-Wright (details below) if you are interested in attending. Friday 4th December in Laughton, East Sussex 11 am to 4pm This will include sessions on woodland management, planning and grants available. The afternoon session will…

  • Free Consultancy for Foresters and Timber Processers

    Thanks to Mathew Woodcock of the Forestry Commision for alerting us to this useful offer. FACE – the Forest Advisory Consortium – are pleased to support Grown in Britain Week by offering all forestry and timber processing businesses operating in England a free 30 minute telephone consultancy from Monday 12th to Friday 16th October. This…

  • Artizans of Wood – Roundwood Timber Framing Course

    Earlier this month I attended the first roundwood timber framing course run by Artizans of Wood at the Dangstein Conservancy in Rogate. The course showed us how to construct a cruck or ‘A’ frame style building from round and somewhat irregular poles.

  • Made from Wood from the Wood

    I’ve been quite aware that a lot of my woodland craft products have been reaching a stage of functionality which will just about do, then pressure of time and other projects seem to move into my field of vision and take over.

  • Seed Collection Workshop

    Vanessa Sutcliffe would like to invite  members of the Small Woodland Owners’ Group to attend a one-day workshop on Seed Collection, focussing on tree species in Wilderness Wood, Hadlow Down, East Sussex. Participants will learn how to approach and identify a group of trees, make a high quality seed collection and gather data and other…

  • Oriental Chestnut Gall Wasp

    Charlton Clark from the The Forestry Commission has issued the following statement regarding the discovery of the orienteal gall wasp in an area of kent.

  • Launch of the Observatree Project

    Kate Hutchinson,   has  announced the official launch of the Observatree project today. More than 200 UK-wide Observatree volunteers have been trained as citizen scientists and we encourage everyone to be more observant and report possible signs of tree pests and diseases. Read the full story in our media release.     You can help us…

  • Planting a New Hedge

    For many woodland owners especially those with ancient woodlands, our hedges are our boundaries. They may have been planted 100’s of years ago, some still managed as hedges, having been layed, pollarded or coppiced many times, others are unrecognisable as a hedge, more a line of full grown trees which is what all hedges aspire…