The Worcestershire Woodland Project (WWP) offers participants an opportunity to experience working in an outdoor woodland setting, learning new skills, building social skills and raising levels of confidence. The project aims to equip participants with vocational skills to use in the workplace whilst also involving people in conservation work and improving levels of physical and mental health and wellbeing through the use of social forestry. Activities range from coppicing, weaving fences, pole lathe wood turning, cooking on camp fires to walking through the woodland learning the history and dynamics of the woodland environment. Our base camp is in Churchill Wood, Spetchley. Materials are sourced from the wood itself.







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Friday, 20 January 2012

Old Friends and New

Another glorious and satisfying day today at Churchill Wood with the WWP gang. Our newest member of the gang Dan has settled in so well already it's like he's always been with us. Same goes for his great support worker Jim. Well despite the cold we all got stuck into some coppicing today. Coppicing has been used in woodlands for thousands of years. It allows light into the lower layers of the woodland canopy, which enables plants, such as wildflowers to grow; in turn these wildflowers provide food for birds, insects and mammals.

Gary and Graham very ably assisted Chris on the chainsaw and made short work of getting some massive trees to the ground - gotta love them tree fellas - get it?....tree fellers....three fellas.....Irish accent?....oh, forget it, my humour is wasted here! Anyway, the rest of us led by Mike, our trusty leader, made short work of several 'stools' - cutting back lengths of hazel, which we use for weaving and chair making and is an important part of the woodland management. This ensures that the hazel continues for centuries, as it has already in this ancient woodland. A real priviledge to be a part of.



Next week our new boy Dan has threatened us with   promised us a curry made by his own fair hands! I'll hopefully be back next week to report how well it went down. great to see him getting so stuck in. Thanks and welcome to the WWP Dan.

well before i sign out, I haven't forgotten that this post is titled 'Old Friends and New'. I've talked about our new friends Dan and Jim but wanted to also to take the opportunity to say how we miss our 'old' friends Chris and Martin and all look forward to getting them back where they belong really soon. it's their turn to make the tea you see :)
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