Learn skills to help woodland habitats thrive

We are pleased to announce that a range of subsidised training courses that teach traditional woodland management and green woodworking skills are available to book with the Lost Woods of the Low Weald and Downs project.

If you live, volunteer or work in the project area, then you can join one of our courses and learn skills that actively manage woodlands to boost biodiversity and strengthen habitats.

A range of green woodworking courses teaching heritage crafts are also on offer, including how to make your own walking stick and gate-hurdle making.  

The subsidised courses are available from February until 2027, thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Simon James, chief executive of Small Woods Association which is leading the training programme, said: “We need more actively managed woodlands in Sussex, the key to this will be training people so they can learn how to make woodlands healthier habitats that are more resilient to climate change.

“The woodland management courses will be particularly helpful to woodland owners or woodland workers, but if you’re apprentice-level, a conservation volunteer or someone considering a career change, then we’d really like to hear from you and we encourage you to join us and learn practical woodland skills.”

Woodlands once covered a vast area of Sussex and for thousands of years were maintained by natural processes, wildlife activity and traditional woodland management techniques. Over centuries, ancient woodlands have become smaller and fragmented due to development and some 60 per cent of woodlands in the Lost Woods project area are neglected.

By training local people in the skills needed to actively manage woodlands, and by working directly with landowners to restore their ancient woodlands, we can improve together the condition of woods across the largely unprotected landscape.  

Courses are open to people living, working or volunteering in the project area in Sussex. Find out more or book a course.

The project is also supporting disadvantaged community groups in Sussex to access and enjoy woodlands, and working with landowners and conservation groups to restore ancient woodlands across the project area. There are lots of ways to get involved in 2024.