What happens to your wood after you're gone

[Dexter's Shed]

What I hadn't anticipated is how much the wood has come to mean to me, the immense pleasure I get from being there,

changing the subject here totally, do any other owners worry about what happens after were gone
I actually worry about our little bit of heaven, and what will become of it, should I leave it to someone in my will, but would they just see £££ signs and sell it (I aim to have my ashes scattered there, as does my wife, alongside my parents, who without their contribution, none of this would have been possible
or leave it to a trust of some organization, for the benefit of all

[oldclaypaws]

Think you should start that as another thread Dexter, its a fair point but off topic. Have some experience and frustrations along that line which I'll be happy to share.

[SimonFisher]

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[oldclaypaws]

I'd had my wood for only a few weeks when this thought occurred to me. Its not a wood of major importance, but it is an ancient county wildlife site and a very pretty spot with a fine show of bluebells, some 400 year old veteran oaks, high woodbanks and some interesting archaeology.

I rang the woodland trust and offered to leave it to them. Much to my amazement, they politely declined ! We'll accept it and then sell it for the money, they said, but we wouldn't hang on to it. We could send someone out to have a look, but they never bothered to contact me and follow this up ! -A woodland charity which doesn't want woodlands. ??? Apparently they are most interested in looking after larger ancient ones or planting new ones, anything else is seen as a liability and using resources to manage.

You'll find if you want to give a wood away, its harder than you think. Its a bit of a puzzle therefore how you go about ensuring the best new custodians to continue the good work you've started, particularly if you want to put in 20 years of effort planting for wildlife and bio enrichment.

Friends of mine have 48 acres full of Herb Paris, they found the same problem when they approached a Wildlife Trust. It seems they all want money for marketing, staff, office expenses and campaigns to save the lesser spotted trousersnake, but nobody wants habitat or actual trees.

Its a sore point from my RSPCA days. The wildlife centre cost £900,000 a year to run, with an average per animal of £700 spent, including pigeons, crows, rabbits, etc, 70% of which don't survive. If the last 20 years running costs had been spent instead on habitat, they could have bought something like 2,000 acres as a wildlife reserve.