What we offer

Landowners

Planting

Even the most productive farms have room for small areas of tree planting and would benefit from hedgerow restoration. These are especially valuable where they link existing woodland to create wildlife corridors.  You might be considering larger scale changes in your land use strategies.

We can provide advice on designing, planting and managing new woodlands.  We will be able to help at every step from guidance on tree species, mixtures and tree protection to where to plant and help with grant applications or signposting you to commercial agents who can provide additional services. 

We offer funding for woodland creation of areas between 0.1 and 3ha, to plant hedgerows and parkland trees. 

Managing woodlands

There are lots of simple things that can be done to improve the condition of existing woodland. It can be a source of firewood and provide timber and wood products to sell or use around the home and garden.  Woodland habitats also benefit wildlife, provide shelter from wind, filter dust and noise, as well as being places to be enjoyed.

We will work collaboratively with woodland owners to overcome some of the current economic barriers to woodland management - particularly for smaller sites.

We can offer support and training on writing woodland management plans, applying for grants, producing licenses, production forecasts, marketing, health and safety, contract management, wood fuel, forest certification, tree health, restoration of Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) and gaining permission from the Forestry Commission to create new woodland.

If you own or manage land in the Durham Woodland Revival area and would like to find out more please Contact us.

Contractors

Advice and support

Successful management relies on a chain between owners, contractors and end-users/processors of timber and forest products. We will work with contractors to make better links between woodland owners and the skills market.  Support to contractors could include facilitating technical training days or business management advice, arranging machinery demonstrations, and making better links with owners and markets.

We and our partners will be offering a series of training courses to cover a range of topics related to woodland creation, management, grants available and income generation.

Download our Landowner and Contractor Support (PDF, 3.5mb) leaflet for quick reference or to share with others.

Contractor training

Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th October 2022 at Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels and Gardens

The training will be a combination of classroom teaching and site visits to local woods and is based on the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) and UK Woodland Assurance Scheme (UKWAS). We will cover how to work with woodland management plans, complying with key legislation and industry best practice in forest management, including health and safety. The training will enable contractors to demonstrate to potential clients that they can fulfil all areas expected of them.

For more information and to book a place on this course please Contact us.

Communities

Volunteering opportunities

Woodland Trust are creating three new woodlands around Durham, with opportunities at each for local schools and members of the public to get involved in the planting activities and possibly their long-term care. 

Community schemes

The benefits of getting involved in looking after your local woodland can be huge, and include learning new skills, making new friends, improving health and wellbeing whilst working to improve the biodiversity, access and the general appearance of, and pride in your local area.

We can help you set up a new group by matching your community to a local Durham County Council owned woodland and then helping to find others in your area who are interested in looking after it; we can advise on advertising, meeting protocol, funding, finance and health and safety. If you are a group considering community ownership of a local wood, we can help with permissions and agreements.

We are offering training to all groups, to raise their capacity and help them undertake sustainable woodland management activities. This could include assessing a woodland, species identification, management planning, running practical volunteer days, safe use of power tools such as chain saws, woodland crafts, funding, marketing and much more. We are also offering training to individuals to learn how to investigate the history of a woodland and the surrounding landscape, to ensure any archaeological features are not harmed during subsequent woodland management activities.

We have funding to assist groups with hiring specialist equipment, buying tools and equipment and running woodland events and activities. Our funds has more information about these.

Please Contact us if you are interested in any of these activities.