A selection of useful resources for new (and not so new) woodland owners, and for those creating new woodlands:
Online resources
Looking after a woodland from woodlands.co.uk
An introductory guide to woodland management, originally published by the Forestry Commission, now available on the Royal Forestry Society’s website.
How to Manage your Woodland, a collection of resources from the Forestry Commission on management techniques for healthy and resilient woodlands.
Managing woodland for wildlife, from the Bulworthy Project.
The Woodland Wildlife Toolkit, for advice on managing woodlands for wildlife, tailored to the location and type of your woodland.
myForest, an online mapping platform with digital tools to support the sustainable management of woodlands, produced by Sylva Foundation.
The Ecological Site Classification tool from Forest Research, for help with selecting tree species ecologically suited to specific sites.
Forest Research Tree Species Database, information on over 60 tree species that are currently grown in British forests or could play an increasing role in the future.
Magic Map, an interactive mapping tool with information from government agencies about the natural environment, such as designated nature reserves, SSSIs and priority habitats.
TreeAlert from Forest Research, for reporting signs of tree pests & diseases.
Community Woodlands Association Information Notes, covering everything from management plans to working with volunteers, aimed at community woodlands in Scotland but with lots of more generally applicable information.
WoodlandsTV, short films on all aspects of woodlands and their management.
Back issues of Living Woods magazine.
The Woodland Trust’s Wood Wise magazine.
Books & Guides
Please see the main Books page for publications covering everything from woodland management to forest folklore. Some useful free e-books and guides include:
Badgers, Beeches & Blisters: Getting started in your own wood by Julian Evans, from woodlands.co.uk
Managing your woodland for wildlife by David Blakesley and Peter Buckley, from woodlands.co.uk
A guide to planning new woodland in England, a detailed publication on relevant procedures from the Forestry Commission.
The Tree Grower’s Guide, a beginners’ guide to identifying and growing trees from seed, from The Tree Council with accompanying videos and other resources.
Your Tree Planting Companion, a guide from the Irish agriculture agency Teagasc.
Courses
A number of organisations run excellent introductory woodland management courses, including Small Woods and the Royal Forestry Society – please see the main Courses page for more information.
Many more course providers across the UK provide training in woodland crafts, skills such as coppicing and charcoal-making, chainsaw use, bushcraft, etc. that can help you get even more out of your woodland.
Free Trees & Grant Support
If you are planning to create new woodland it can be worth investigating whether you can get free saplings from charities such as the Woodland Trust and Protect Earth or carbon-offsetting companies such as Carbon Footprint.
For larger projects, funding can be obtained via schemes such as the Woodland Trust’s MOREwoods, the FC’s England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), the Forestry Grant Scheme in Scotland, and the Woodland Creation scheme in Wales.
In England there is also funding available to deal with the effects of tree pests and diseases: Woodland Tree Health grants and the tree health pilot scheme.
Further Resources
Woodland Management Consultants and Contractors
Conservation & Wildlife Societies
Insurance
Insurance is not compulsory, but if you feel more comfortable insuring against third party risks, these companies offer dedicated woodland insurance:
Gary Alexander at Beech Tree Insurance
National associations such as the NFU or the CLA, run specialist schemes for landowners.