Felix Gregory MICFor
Managing Director
About Us
Woodland expertise and enthusiasm, ready to partner with you
Who we are
Your woodland experts
Here at South West Woodland Management, we live and breathe woodlands. We are based near Exeter, in Devon, and are fortunate to be surrounded by some particularly diverse woodland, which we do enjoy in our leisure time as well as for work.
Our management team is comprised of highly-trained and experienced professionals, and we aim to provide a high-quality service to existing and prospective woodland owners.
Each woodland requires a different approach, and we bring a mixture of silvicultural expertise, local knowledge and passion for management of trees and woodlands to every job. We offer all levels of management services, as well as operational works via a network of tried and trusted contractors. We are all professionally qualified, experienced and fully insured.
Who we serve
May we help you?
From our base in mid-Devon, we can quickly put boots on the ground for clients in the South West; Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset.
Whether you have a small, ecologically sensitive site, a sporting estate, amenity woodland or a commercial plantation, we are happy to help you with every aspect of growing trees. Our portfolio includes estates, farms, charities and conservation organisations, and this variety means that we are on top of regulations and market conditions across the whole sector. We apply our knowledge to each site to best suit the owner’s objectives, and are able to take on work at all scales, from one-off jobs to ongoing management advice and intervention.
For landowners throughout the UK, we offer an expert, independent woodland carbon consultancy service. We can advise on all parts of woodland carbon, from designing and registering a scheme, to undertaking longer term verification audits, and the realisation of Woodland Carbon Units.
Why choose us
- Local knowledge plus national (and international) experience
- High-level training, natural affinity for woodlands and hard-won practical skills
- Excellent connections across the sector, at all levels
Our team
Who we are
We are a small, passionate team of foresters with a wide variety of expertise. These are the key players.
Ilona Coulson-Ashworth MICFor
Forest & Carbon Manager
Jamie Heron
Forest Manager
FAQs
What else do you need to know?
Nuts and bolts of working with us
Are your services able to be funded by grants?
We are often able to access grant funding on your behalf to fund woodland creation and management projects. Not everything is grant fundable, but we are expert at helping owners to make the most of funding available.
Which areas do you cover?
For woodland management and hands-on expertise, we can work with landowners in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset.
For Woodland Carbon projects and grant-funding consultancy, we can advise you anywhere in the UK. [link] We can supply tree planting material to anywhere on the mainland UK.
Our practical woodland management services generally focus on Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, but do get in touch if you have a project to discuss further afield.
Are your services able to be funded by grants?
We are often able to access grant funding on your behalf to fund woodland creation and management projects. Not everything is grant fundable, but we are expert at helping owners to make the most of funding available.
Which areas do you cover?
For woodland management and hands-on expertise, we can work with landowners in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset.
For Woodland Carbon projects and grant-funding consultancy, we can advise you anywhere in the UK. [link] We can supply tree planting material to anywhere on the mainland UK.
Our practical woodland management services generally focus on Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, but do get in touch if you have a project to discuss further afield.
Woodlands management
What is a Woodland Management Plan?
A Woodland Management Plan is a structured guide document which outlines the future intended management of a woodland against a set of objectives. Normally drafted by a qualified forestry professional, it is bespoke to the woodland in question. It will articulate the woodland’s vision, aims and objectives, operations, monitoring activities and threats to the woodland over a 10 year period or more.
It is a good starting point for bringing woodlands back into management, or for new woodlands when they reach 15 years of age or more. Woodland Management Plans are renewed once their term expires, and objectives are revised during this process to meet the needs of the owner and the woodland.
In most cases, Woodland Management Plans are grant fundable and can open doors to further Forestry Commission grant funding.
What sort of species should I be planting?
The key to establishing a successful new woodland, or diversifying an existing woodland, is to choose the right species. This should not only be suited to your certain management objectives, but it is also vital to suit species to the site characteristics too.
Due to increasing threats to woodlands in the UK from a changing climate, pests and disease, woodland owners and planters are encouraged to diversify species to increase resilience today and in the future. Threats to woodland habitats include:
- Global temperature rises due to climate change, suiting tree species from warmer climates used to milder winters
- Existing and new pests and diseases weakening and causing damage to or death of a wide range of tree species
- Increasing populations of grey squirrel and deer, damaging native trees in particular
- Increasing demand for timber as the human population increases
Why do woodlands need management?
Over recent decades, there has been a decline in the condition of woodlands and their associated biodiversity. Today, between 40-50% of England’s woodlands remain unmanaged, according to Forestry Commission figures. Methods of management can vary, but benefits include improving access into the woodland, timber production, increasing biodiversity, improving habitats for wildlife, introducing light for flora to flourish, and increasing the woodland’s future resilience to pest and disease.
If you would like some advice on managing your woodland or would be interested in a quote for a Woodland Management Plan, to begin or guide you in the process of managing your own woodland, do get in touch.
What grants are available to help me manage my woodland?
There has never been a better time to invest in the management of a woodland, whether large or small. The first step is to produce a Woodland Management Plan (for woodlands over 0.5 hectares you will be eligible for a grant to help with this process). Once the Woodland Management Plan has been approved, this will enable you to access grants through Higher Tier funding under Countryside Stewardship. These grants will enable you to carry out essential tasks such as squirrel and deer control, as well as controlling unwanted vegetation. At SWWM we can help steer you through this process.
Will my woodland provide a financial return?
Usually, yes. As well as the grants that are available to help manage your woodland, your woodland is a long-term investment that will provide a financial return. Active management is essential in producing good quality timber, whether that is fast growing conifers or long-term broadleaf species for hardwood timber. There is a diverse market for timber products. There are many other income streams available including Carbon Credits (via the Woodland Carbon Code), as well as the value that biodiverse, ecologically rich and quality amenity woodland can provide.
What about the practical work involved?
Whether your wood is an established broadleaf woodland or a young conifer plantation, active management is essential. A woodland is a long-term investment and without active management, tree health and woodland condition will suffer. The work involved in managing a woodland involves using specialist trades, whether that is for initial planting, tree establishment and maintenance, right to up to when the trees are harvested for timber. At SWWM we have access to expert contractors who can perform all the tasks that are essential for first class woodland management whatever stage your woodland is at.
What is a Woodland Management Plan?
A Woodland Management Plan is a structured guide document which outlines the future intended management of a woodland against a set of objectives. Normally drafted by a qualified forestry professional, it is bespoke to the woodland in question. It will articulate the woodland’s vision, aims and objectives, operations, monitoring activities and threats to the woodland over a 10 year period or more.
It is a good starting point for bringing woodlands back into management, or for new woodlands when they reach 15 years of age or more. Woodland Management Plans are renewed once their term expires, and objectives are revised during this process to meet the needs of the owner and the woodland.
In most cases, Woodland Management Plans are grant fundable and can open doors to further Forestry Commission grant funding.
What sort of species should I be planting?
The key to establishing a successful new woodland, or diversifying an existing woodland, is to choose the right species. This should not only be suited to your certain management objectives, but it is also vital to suit species to the site characteristics too.
Due to increasing threats to woodlands in the UK from a changing climate, pests and disease, woodland owners and planters are encouraged to diversify species to increase resilience today and in the future. Threats to woodland habitats include:
- Global temperature rises due to climate change, suiting tree species from warmer climates used to milder winters
- Existing and new pests and diseases weakening and causing damage to or death of a wide range of tree species
- Increasing populations of grey squirrel and deer, damaging native trees in particular
- Increasing demand for timber as the human population increases
Why do woodlands need management?
Over recent decades, there has been a decline in the condition of woodlands and their associated biodiversity. Today, between 40-50% of England’s woodlands remain unmanaged, according to Forestry Commission figures. Methods of management can vary, but benefits include improving access into the woodland, timber production, increasing biodiversity, improving habitats for wildlife, introducing light for flora to flourish, and increasing the woodland’s future resilience to pest and disease.
If you would like some advice on managing your woodland or would be interested in a quote for a Woodland Management Plan, to begin or guide you in the process of managing your own woodland, do get in touch.
What grants are available to help me manage my woodland?
There has never been a better time to invest in the management of a woodland, whether large or small. The first step is to produce a Woodland Management Plan (for woodlands over 0.5 hectares you will be eligible for a grant to help with this process). Once the Woodland Management Plan has been approved, this will enable you to access grants through Higher Tier funding under Countryside Stewardship. These grants will enable you to carry out essential tasks such as squirrel and deer control, as well as controlling unwanted vegetation. At SWWM we can help steer you through this process.
Will my woodland provide a financial return?
Usually, yes. As well as the grants that are available to help manage your woodland, your woodland is a long-term investment that will provide a financial return. Active management is essential in producing good quality timber, whether that is fast growing conifers or long-term broadleaf species for hardwood timber. There is a diverse market for timber products. There are many other income streams available including Carbon Credits (via the Woodland Carbon Code), as well as the value that biodiverse, ecologically rich and quality amenity woodland can provide.
What about the practical work involved?
Whether your wood is an established broadleaf woodland or a young conifer plantation, active management is essential. A woodland is a long-term investment and without active management, tree health and woodland condition will suffer. The work involved in managing a woodland involves using specialist trades, whether that is for initial planting, tree establishment and maintenance, right to up to when the trees are harvested for timber. At SWWM we have access to expert contractors who can perform all the tasks that are essential for first class woodland management whatever stage your woodland is at.
Ready to discuss your woodland project?
Speak with our expert foresters about sustainable woodland management solutions tailored to your specific needs.
Contact Us