How to Attract Woodland Birds to Your Nest Boxes Webinar: Monday 2nd December, 6 pm Richard Lloyd Evans from Project Nestbox will talk to us about his fascinating conservation work with various species of bird and the suitability of woodlands for different types of nest boxes.

An Introduction to Truffles Join us to learn about these famous fungi. James Feaver from The English Truffle Company will explain what truffles are and how and where they grow naturally – maybe you could have them in your woodland!

Woodland Success through Succession Join us to hear from ethnoecologist Paul Moseley about achieving success in woodland management through understanding and implementing the natural process of succession.

Continuous Cover Silviculture in Small Woodlands Bron Haul farm in North Wales has received awards for the quality of its woodland management. David Brown will share his experience (including mistakes!) of turning a mixed broadleaf plantation into productive and biodiverse woodland, which is the basis for his growing business Broadleaf Wales.

Tree Health and Managing Pests and Diseases in Small Woodlands Join us to learn about notifiable pests and diseases including Ips typographus and Phytophthora ramorum. Elliot Carpenter from the Forestry Commission will advise on managing to improve woodland health and biosecurity, as well as information on available grant support and regulations that may apply.

How to Reduce the Use of Plastics in Woodlands Join Mike Appleton from YDMT to learn about how they are reducing plastic use in woodland creation projects, the aims of the Forest Plastics Working Group, and what we can all do to manage woodland in a more sustainable way.

An Introduction to Foraging Join us for a fun and informative online event where you’ll learn all about the wonderful world of foraging. Our expert speaker Lizzy Maskey will share tips to help you safely and sustainably gather wild foods. We promise a walk through the woods will never be the same again.

An Introduction to Forest Bathing Join us to learn about the benefits of forest bathing, a practice rooted in Japanese culture that involves immersing oneself in nature to reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing. Expert practitioner Emma Weaver will show us how to benefit from the natural healing power of woodlands.

Online Tea and Talk Celebrate the start of spring with a chat with fellow SWOG members. Message us beforehand with woodland-related questions and we will endeavour to source answers from our team. All welcome, email Sarah to receive joining information. The planned Lyme Disease Awareness webinar will be rescheduled for a later date.

An Introduction to Woodland Fungi Join Ben Davis from the Norfolk Fungus Study Group to discover the magic and mystery behind these incredible organisms. Learn how to identify common woodland fungi species and gain a deeper understanding of their ecological importance.

The Importance of Woodlands and Nature for Health Explore the incredible benefits of woodlands and nature for our wellbeing. Our expert speakers, Matilda van den Bosch and William Bird will provide an evidence-based look at how spending time in nature benefits mental and physical health and how it can be incorporated into practice.

Join expert tracker John Rhyder for An Introduction to Wildlife Tracking. This event will focus mostly on the track and sign aspect of wildlife tracking, covering the recognition and interpretation of tracks, scats and feeding signs of the main groups of woodland mammals. Delivery is online using images and real examples to illustrate these concepts.

Tackling the Needs of Different Woodlands. Join Carrie and Jamie from Cumbria Woodlands to learn about why management may sometimes be essential to improve the health of small woodlands. Don’t feel overwhelmed, join in the conversation and together we can learn all about the dilemmas, pitfalls, risks, costs but most importantly the benefits of managing small woodlands.

The second in our new series of webinars features Kay Haw from UK Squirrel Accord giving An Overview of Invasive Species. Join us to learn how to prevent and control invasive species in woodlands, from rhododendron and Himalayan balsam to grey squirrels. 

We are very excited to be hosting the first in a new series of SWOG Webinars on Bumblebees and Trees. If you would like to learn more about helping bees to thrive in woodland, please join us to hear from Gill Perkins of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.