Category: News

  • Growing the National Forest

    In the late 1980s a group of visionaries came together with the idea of revitalising a large swathe of the Midlands that had been decimated by heavy industries. Daniel Small, Woodland Management Officer at the National Forest, looks back at how a forest was created.

  • Butterflies at Flatropers

    The White Admirals were out in force in the glorious July weather, when Alice Parfitt, Reserves Manager of the Sussex Wildlife Trust guided a group of SWOG members round Flatropers Wood Nature Reserve. She described the work that Sussex Wildlife  has carried out to encourage butterflies and birds in the woodland. Flatropers is managed by…

  • Bent to their will

    Sue and Andy Malleson needed a bit more seating in their wood, so took themselves off on a bentwood chair-making courses at Hanwell Wine Estate with John Hollins. 

  • Butterflies Flutterby

    Many thanks are owed to Martin and Marilyn Garwood of  Crow Wood, part of the Old Park Wood in Goudhurst.  They hosted a wonderful afternoon of butterfly ID and general ‘woodie’ type chat in their wood in July. 

  • Gimme Shelter – Building a Simple Woodland Shelter

    Once you’ve spent any amount of time in the woods, you’ll probably discover that you need some kind of protection from the elements.  Or as Mick Jagger once sang “If I don’t get some shelter …Oh yeah, I’m gonna fade away” . 

  • In search of the Purple Emperor

    About 20 people met up in Cotgrave Forest to hear about managing woodlands for butterflies from Ben Driver, Southern Conservation Officer with the Notts Wildlife Trust.

  • Sarah Walters

    We received news of the death of Sarah Walters with great sadness on 8 April.

  • Torthworth’s trees

    Tortworth Churchyard in South Gloucestershire is home to one of Britain’s most ancient sweet chestnut trees, so old in fact, that the first commemorative plaque about the tree is itself 200 years old.

  • Culverts – a soggy story

    Woodland owners in Waste Wood have a proud history of working together to tackle shared woodland tasks. Richard Cooper has written in to tell us about the ‘fun’ he and his partner Fi had while unblocking their culvert.

  • Woodfairs 2018

  • Confor and small woodland owners

    Confor is a membership organisation that promotes sustainable forestry and timber production through political engagement, market promotion and supporting members.

  • Culverts – keeping them clear

    For many of us, the first time we encounter a culvert is when we fall in the ditch around it, and notice the pipe before clambering out.