Free webinars for woodland owners in the North-East and Yorkshire

Woodlands are increasingly being recognised as a significant factor in counteracting the climate and biodiversity emergencies. They can produce a range of sustainable products, help improve air and water quality, provide a setting for recreation and tourism, support jobs and businesses in the rural economy – and just make us feel better about the world!

In most cases though, to do this, woodlands need to be managed and a woodland that isn’t is likely to decline in value for both wildlife and timber. As the light is excluded from the lower canopy, the ground flora suffers and new trees can’t get a hold. Regeneration is limited to a narrow range of species and the timber quality of the remaining trees decline. Unmanaged woodlands are also less resilient to the increasing threats from pests and diseases. Despite this, over 40% of woodlands in England are unmanaged.

To counter this, a series of free webinars has been launched aimed at woodland owners in the North-East and Yorkshire who are not currently managing their woodlands. The webinars have been designed to introduce people to the key steps to successful woodland management, including: –

·         management planning

·         regulations and incentives

·         selling timber

·         woodlands and climate change

They will be presented by experts in each subject delivered in a way that is accessible to all. Each webinar will last about an hour and consist of a presentation plus an opportunity to ask questions. Participants may also be offered a free one to one online advice session and additional support, depending on their location.

All webinars will take place at 5pm on a Tuesday, starting on 30th November. For more information about the series and to book your free place, see https://www.ruraldevelopment.org.uk/free-woods-into-management-webinars/ or https://bit.ly/3HkRzsW.