woodland trust - spring 2005 – volunteer newsletter edition 1

VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER

As a volunteer for the Woodland Trust, you

won’t need any persuading that woods are

pretty important places. Of course they are

and yet some new research, the first study

of its kind in the UK, has shown that the

woodland cover in this country is simply not

enough to meet our social needs.

At the end of 2004, the Trust published an

important document called Space for People. In it,

we revealed eye-opening new evidence which

states an extremely strong case for creating more

woods and improving access to existing woods,

crucially, in places where people can gain maximum

benefit from them. It makes interesting reading.

Did you know for example, that woodland

contributes to 11 out of 15 of the Government’s

own quality of life indicators?

Woods and trees improve our health by

encouraging exercise and reducing stress. They

improve air quality, provide shade, encourage

learning and recreation, and can even increase

property values.

Nick Collinson, who

led on the research

explains;“Location is

everything. Many of

the social benefits

which woods provide are

dependent on them being located close to people.

Our research shows that people value woods and

enjoy visiting them.We now know how far people

are prepared to travel to woods, and what they

want from them when they get there.”

So what are we doing about it? We have developed

Spring 2005

Newsletter for the Woodland Trust volunteers www.woodland-trust.org.uk/getinvolveded in England No. 1982873

Making spacefor people

INSIDE

News

e-woods, threatened woods,

BBC Springwatch and

more… pages 2 & 16

Phenology

Why 11,000 recorders are

watching the clock page 3

Speaker’s bulletin page 4

Community Woodland

Network page 5

In the woods

News and views for

people involved in the

woods page 6

Viewfinder

A new scheme for keen

photographers page 7

Millions and millions

The low down on

our biggest campaign

ever page 8

Out of the woods

How people are making a

difference without leaving

their desks page 10

Ancient trees page 12

In business

Could working with

companies work for

you? page 13

Frequently asked

questions

How form filling

saves woods page 14

Volunteer

opportunities page 15

story continued on page 10

WTPL/Nick Spurling

2814 NewsletterPRINT 29/3/05 10:56 am Page 2

The Government has declared 2005 the Year

of the Volunteer and it’s only right that your

crucial activities should gain such

recognition.And what better time for the

Woodland Trust to be producing its first ever

newsletter for all its volunteers?

We have done our best to make it as

informative and compelling as we can. But it

would really help if you can take a few minutes

to fill out the short survey that came with

this newsletter and tell us if we’ve got it right.

Some of our volunteer networks already had

their own newsletter that is now

incorporated into this one. In doing so we

have saved costs that can be redirected into

caring for woods. It means we can also

provide you with even more information

than you had before.

In time, it would be fantastic if most of the

content was generated by volunteers.We

know the talent and interest is out there. Just

let us know where!

In the meantime, enjoy, be inspired and we

look forward to hearing from you.

The Volunteer Team

PS.Thank you for all you do as a volunteer.

The UK’s woods are benefiting immeasurably.

2 email: [email protected] tel: 01476 581111

NEWSIS YOUR WOOD AN E-WOOD?

Jon Parsons, e-communications manager

We have over 1,000 woods and almost all are featured on our website.

I reckon there are a great many pages out there in cyberspace that

could tell people even more about these fabulous woods.

If you have created a website about a Woodland Trust wood near or

dear to you, then please drop us an email and, if it’s appropriate we will

gladly create a link from the details about the wood on our main site,

to your site. Or if you know there is a site run by another person or

organisation that has information on it about a Trust wood please let us

know that too. If there isn’t already a link, we will make one. Thanks.

THREATENED WOODS –what can you do?

by Graham Bradleynational planning casework officer

Ancient woodland is our richest

wildlife habitat and yet there is very

little of it about. Did you know that

in the UK, only 14 per cent of it is

protected by law? Far too

frequently it comes under threat

from development, misuse or abuse.

But you can take action. If you hear

of an ancient wood under threat you

can let me know via www.woodsunderthreat.info or telephone 01476 581102.

If you’d like to help us save ancient woods on an ongoing basis, either by

campaigning or by factfinding we’d like to hear from you. A little of your time

could ultimately save one of nature’s most precious, irreplaceable assets.

Ancient woods contain no fewer than 78 threatened species,more than any other type of natural habitat in the UK.

New volunteers to lead the TrustVolunteers are crucial to the success of the Woodland Trust in so many ways but did

you know that the trustees that guide the organisation are themselves volunteers?

We are really pleased to welcome two more trustees onto our board. Dr Nicola

Nicholls from London, has worked in the financial services industry for 19 years.

Professor Michael B Usher of Perthshire was previously Chief Scientist of Scottish

Natural Heritage and is also a trustee of the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh.

Opportunities on our board are advertised on: www.woodland-trust.org.uk/getinvolved

WELCOME

From top to bottom: Julie Beals, CarlHughes, Karen Lifford and Merle Dekanski

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VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER 3

PHENOLOGYThe Woodland Trust

has been running

the UK Phenology

Network with the

Centre for Ecology

and Hydrology for four years.We

are gathering crucial information

about how climate change is

affecting UK wildlife with the help

of over 11,000 recorders.

Phenology is the study of the times of

recurring natural phenomena especially in

relation to climate. Like recording hearing

the first cuckoo or seeing the first

blackthorn blossom.This can then be

compared with other records.

Anyone can become a phenology

recorder and the more records we have

the more meaningful the results become.

We are also always looking for good

quality photographs that will help others

to identify species and which may

provide evidence. Historical phenological

records are extremely

important too (see

page 11) and if you

could help with

this fascinating

area of research, we’d

like to hear from

you.

In this issue we’re

focusing on Nature

Detectives, our new

initiative that aims to

get children involved in phenology.

There’s a great new website at

www.naturedetectives.org.uk

To find out more about phenology and

how you can get involved,visit

www.phenology.org.uk or contact the

volunteers team.

looking out forladybirdsThis spring we’re trying to

get as many children as

possible to tell us when

they see their first ladybird.

An average seven spot

ladybird eats

more than

5,000 aphids in

its year long life

so, if you’re a

gardener, you might want

to spread the word. The

more we know about the

ladybird, the more we can

do to look after it. Visit

www.naturedetectives.org.uk

The naturedetectives and meUntil I joined the conservation group at college, I was going to be a speech

therapist.After working with the group, I wanted to save the world. When my

family came along, my enthusiasm for nature conservation grew again.A walk

with the dogs was a chance to show the children how to identify grasses, or watch

water boatmen in the pond.

When I became a governor at my children’s school, I realised that very few children had the

opportunity to learn about the detail of the environment around them.We are a rural

community, and yet few can tell the difference between Yorkshire fog and meadow grass, or

identify an ash twig in winter.

A chance conversation with an old colleague from the Woodland Trust gave me the idea to start

an after school club.This wasn’t easy. All the child protection issues had to be covered. But with

the help of an expert friend and another parent, I started Thriplow School Nature Detectives.

We have the support of the local farmers who let us use their land to investigate ponds, hedges,

meadows and woodland.The Wildlife Trust lets us use the small, orchid rich reserve in the

village. I was amazed to find that before Nature Detectives many of the parents had never

visited this incredible resource on their doorstep.To see them wonder at this habitat was

worth setting the whole thing up for alone.

Nature Detectives offers an alternative way for children to learn outside of the classroom. I

know that even children who normally exhibit ‘challenging behaviour’ in school are enthused

by the practical work we do.

As I work out the programme of activities for summer term I am amazed by the response.The

local farmers have contacted me asking when we would like to go back.The Botanic Gardens

have invited us again and we’ve got trips pencilled in to the local RSPB reserve.The children are

already excited and the parents want to know dates so that they can come along too. I had

better get on with it!

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SPEAKERS’ BULLETINThe Woodland Trust has a network of nearly 90voluntary speakers all over the UK have aninvaluable role spreading the word about the Trust’s work.

To find out more about becoming a speaker or if youknow of an organisation or group that might like tobook a presentation, contact: Nick Sandford on01476 581135 or email [email protected]


In my years as co-ordinator of our voluntary

speaker scheme, I had never actually done a

talk myself, until now. I happened to handle

an enquiry from a National Trust group that

holds meetings at a URC church just half a

mile from where I live. So I thought why not

have a go at it myself?

The talk itself went quite well but, as many

speakers have told me in the past, it’s the little

things that cause the problems. Like attempting

to carry a (supposedly) portable slide

projector and bulging bag of leaflets on a train.

When I got to the hall, the projector table had

been positioned in the second row of the

audience and the cord to my slide changer

was too short. Fortunately, they had a

projector exactly like mine with a longer lead.

So I started my talk.They switched off all the

lights, plunging the room into total darkness.

Luckily, I remembered a tip I had been given

by one our speakers and had taken a torch,

so at least I could refer to my notes.

After a break, I did a second mini-presentation

on phenology, which went down very well.They

took quite a few leaflets but there were lots

left over and I remembered I still had to carry

them home, together with the projector…

But I got some really positive feedback after

the talk, and a £30 donation, so it all seemed

worthwhile in the end.

Leads, lights and my first talkby Nick Sandford

voluntary speakers co-ordinator

New slidesJust a reminder that we have a set of slides available for amini-presentation on Nature’s Calendar (phenology) (seepage 3). They will also work as an add-on to yourmain talk. Contact Nick, if you would like one.

If the idea proves popular, we may developother mini-presentations such as on theTree For All campaign (see page 8).

FREE TRAININGRobert Alan-Haven is a professional trainer who has

worked with senior executives in industry and

commerce. Some of you will have enjoyed his

stimulating presentation at the Speaker’s Forum in

Grantham last September. He has kindly agreed to

volunteer his services to the Woodland Trust.

Robert is offering coaching to small groups of

voluntary speakers to help them give more effective

talks. If this is something you might be interested in,

please let Nick know. If we get interest from several

people in one area of the country, we will look to set

something up.

Have voice, will travelSome of our voluntary speakers are able to give talks

well away from their home area. For example,Tom Cole

in Brighton has friends all over the country and has

done talks for us in places as far apart as Lancashire and

Norfolk. John Greaves from North Yorkshire has given

talks in the Blackpool area, Peter and Rosemary Dodd

from Newcastle have been across into Cumbria and

Cameron Low from Glasgow has been to many distant

parts of Scotland.

If you have links with another part of the country and

would like to give talks there, please let us know. It may

help us to respond to requests in areas where we do not

have many speakers.

And, if you come across anyone who you think

would make a good speaker for the Woodland

Trust, why not suggest that they contact us?

We are always on the look out for new talent.


COMMUNITY WOODLAND NETWORK


Money isn’t everything,but, when you’ve got awood to run, it sure helps.The CommunityWoodland Networkannually provides grantsto groups to spend ontheir ongoing activities.

Over the past three yearsit has supported over 50groups and allocated morethan £85,000 in grantsupport. Groups havespent it on training, newtools and events designedto attract new members.If you’d like to know more,get in touch (see above).

The CWN conference is a fantastic chance to meet othergroups, share knowledge, learn a little and enjoy the companyof like minded people. Network members may already have

heard that the conference scheduled for March has beenpostponed due to a fire at the venue. Now it will be held inJune or July.These conferences are held every two years andall Groups are invited.We hope you can make it.

The Community Woodland Network (CWN)supports community groups that are managingwoodland or creating new woods.

It offers advice, networking opportunities andfunding.To find out more, call 01476 581155 orvisit www.yourwoods.org.uk

CWN IN ACTION

Conference call – update

Brookings Down,Noss Mayo, South DevonAt least two centuries old, Brookings DownWood lies 10 miles from Plymouth, on the edgeof the small village of Noss Mayo.When the landcame up for sale, a group of local people couldn’twait to take it off the hands of the seller, aspeculative builder whose bids to secure planningpermission had thankfully proved fruitless.

As the new millennium dawned in January 2000, the purchase

was completed and the local group decided that linking in with

the Woodland Trust’s

Community Woodland

Network would really

boost their efforts to

care for and fund the

wood. Having raised

£18,000 to buy it, the

group then gave it to the

Trust, drawing upon its

ample experience as a

landowner.The volunteers

then leased the wood

back from the Trust.

Since then, with a lot of hard work by an enthusiastic group of

around 30 volunteers, Brookings Down Wood has gone from

strength to strength.They raised a further £20,000, from

Friends of BDW and various other sources including a £2,000

CWN grant.With it, they bought insurance, tools and trees,

equipping them to clear 2.5

acres of suffocating laurel, put

up bird boxes and planted

about 700 native saplings.

Jeremy Spooner, chairman for

the group, is modest about their considerable efforts but he is

obviously proud and very clear on why they do it. “We really

feel like we’re making a difference.” he says.

And they really are. Now wildlife in the wood is thriving with

bluebells and red campion peppered around the many

varieties of native tree including ash, oak and holly. It’s time for

the group to let nature take its course for a while. But they

are not complacent.This year, they are putting up an

information board and making a new entrance as a way of

encouraging others to come and see this natural asset that’s

well worth showing off.

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IN THE WOODSWe have nearly 700 people volunteering in our woods, doing practical tasks, running

events, surveying and generally taking good care of these special places. If you would like to write a piece about your patch, contact the volunteers team.

Join the hunt for dormicein the Wye Valley

by Dr Stefan BodnarBiodiversity officer, Birmingham City council

With its adorable looks it’s easy to see the appeal

of the dormouse. But sadly, in the 20th century,

its numbers fell dramatically as its favoured habitat

began to disappear.

Crucially, we have discovered a key stronghold for the animal

in the Wye Valley where it is inhabiting both coniferous and

deciduous woodland. Over the past few years, the Woodland

Trust has taken on the task of recording and monitoring its

presence in the woods here.

As the dormouse is a protected species, licences are needed

to survey it. So in October, we ran a very successful training

event. Rob McKenzie was one of the team who volunteered.

“We had an incredible day out with the dormice of

the Wye Valley.” he said.“I learned a lot

about the little creatures and their habitat.”

This summer we are looking for more volunteers to help us

check the specially constructed dormouse boxes for signs,

nests and the animals themselves.

If you would like to join us for three survey training days

between July and October 2005 let us know.

My patch by Peter Lyons, Kilcooley Wood, Bangor

It all started with a visit to the Woodland Trust

website. I found they needed a Volunteer Warden to

patrol the newly created Kilcooley wood on a regular

basis. I thought this would be a good way to help in a

practical manner, so I volunteered.

I’ve been patrolling since May 2003; it’s not an onerous task, in

fact it’s a very rewarding one. During my visits I’ve been

pleasantly surprised. In June I saw meadow brown butterflies

in their hundreds, while parts of the wood were alive with

orchids. The August visit saw more types of butterfly and a

startlingly bright common blue damselfly.

Since I started, there have

been two instances of

damage to young trees, but all in all Kilcooley Wood, alongside

the busy Rathgael Road and close to a thriving centre of

population, is a wonderful oasis for wildlife. I hope by

reporting each month that I can help the Woodland Trust to

develop it into a wood that will draw visitors from afar to see

the natural diversity that we have on our doorstep.

If you would like further information on woodland based

volunteer opportunities in Northern Ireland, please contact

the volunteers team.

Dor

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Portmoak group braves the elements

Sunday 20th November 2004 was not the

brightest of days.The temperature hovered

just above freezing and sleet and drizzle

took turns to float down through the fog.

But still 150 trees were planted at

Kilmagad Wood.

Situated between the villages of Kinesswood and

Scotlandwell, Kilmagad Wood is just 30 miles from

Edinburgh. Being so close to major population

centres means that the work carried out by the

enthusiastic volunteers that form Portmoak

Community Group can be appreciated by many.

It was the Group that organised this, an event to

launch Tree For All in Scotland, the Trust’s biggest

ever tree planting campaign. Several school

children were included in the 15 people who

turned out to plant native oak, ash, birch and

rowan.They were the first of many thousands of

school children in Scotland who will plant and

enjoy trees because of the Tree For All campaign

– come rain or shine.

See pages 8 and 9 for more about Tree For All.

i e w f i n d e r

An eye for a good picture? Then the Woodland Trust needs you . . .

Inspired by nature . . .captured by you

by Deborah Morris, information manager

Have you ever seen an image of

nature that made you wish you

were out there soaking it all

in? Or that inspired you so

much that you wondered

why there isn’t more like it

and made you want to

protect it?

Well these are the types of

images that the Woodland Trust

uses to help promote the work that it

does.Their uses range from web to presentations, leaflets to funding bids.

We often hear people telling us

that ‘a picture says a thousand

words’ and it is so true. More and

more images are used to get

across an important message in a

way that will stick in people’s

minds and the Woodland Trust

makes full use of this method on a

daily basis.

So could you help provide these types of images?

If the answer is yes, then the Woodland

Trust’s Volunteer Photographer’s

Scheme is for you. All that is needed is a

suitable camera, the knowledge to use

it well, a keen eye for an image and a

willingness to help.

Find our more by either contacting the

volunteers team or going to the website

www.woodland-trust.org.uk/woods

Keen photographer? see also page 16

for details of an exciting competition.

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Planting trees is a truly

inspirational experience.“I felt

very proud that I was helping

the world bring oxygen…I liked

the tree planting and the

squelching mud.” said one

young Tree For All planter.“I

will always remember it.” said

another. It is a supremely

optimistic act.

Already,Tree For All

is well underway

and thousands of

trees have been

planted. But now it’s

spring.We can’t

plant trees again until the autumn so what happens in between?

“Tree For All was never meant to be just about planting trees,”

says Andy Beer campaign manager.“This act is simply a starting

point which will help children to build an appreciation of the

landscape as a

whole, to nurture

an attachment to

the natural world.

We don’t want

them to plant a

tree and then just

forget about it.”

Of course, once a

tree has been

planted, it needs

looking after too.

We have teamed

up with the Tree

Council to provide

information about how to care for young trees once they are

planted.We will also be holding an exciting range of events as

part of a cultural festival this summer.All year round we will

be shouting about Tree For All, making news and building

enthusiasm so that millions of people know about it and feel

compelled to get involved.

As a supporter of the Woodland

Trust, we really hope we can

count on you to add to

our voice. On the left

you will see some

suggestions on ways

you can help.This is

a vital opportunity

to really make a

difference. Please

take it.

Northern Ireland, 8 per cent in

England, 14 per cent in Wales

and 17 per cent in Scotland.And

all the time, the spectre of

climate change looms large.

This makes depressing reading

but there is something positive

we can do, and that’s where Tree

For All comes in.We are holding

events nationwide to get children planting and working with a

great variety of partners to make it happen from the Guide

movement, to Barnardo’s to big companies and schools. It’s

not just in Trust woods either (although we’re taking every

opportunity we can to plant in places where the biodiversity

benefits are greatest).Trees are being planted in school

grounds, business centres, people’s gardens and woods owned

publicly and privately.

You may have already heard about Tree For All. But

we make no apologies for writing about it again here.

It’s our biggest campaign ever, with ambitions that

have serious implications for the future of the UK’s

woods.As a volunteer, we

would like to invite you

to grasp the opportunity

to be part of it. Now’s

your chance to play a key

role in making it the

success it needs to be.

Let’s cut to the chase. Over

the next five years, the

Woodland Trust intends to

get one million children

involved in planting 12 million

trees – that’s one tree for

every child in the UK.As a supporter of the Trust, you’ll

know how important this is. But just in case you need

convincing, here’s why.

We know that children are

growing up in an

environment in which they

are increasingly disconnected

with nature as the MORI

research shows. More

research shows that children

in the UK spend more time

watching TV and are less

active than anywhere else in Europe.

Yet now we are facing a future where our native woods are

more threatened than ever before. Frighteningly we are one of

the least wooded countries in Europe. Finland has over 60 per

cent cover. Compare this with a measly 6 per cent in

8 email: [email protected] tel: 01476 581111 VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER 9

MILLIONS AND MILLIONS

Research by MORI

shows that 39 per

cent of 15-24 year

olds claim they

“don’t have time

to be green.”

What you can doSpread the word by telling friends and family about Tree for All.

Plant native trees and shrubs in your garden or give them as presents to others.Visit www.native-tree-shop.com

Organise a local tree planting event – we offer guidance and a small grant for community events

Get your local school involved. More than 2,000 schools have already signed up to plant trees in their grounds and we

have more free trees available for 2005.

Plant an e-tree on the website.

Be seen. Display the sticker sent to all members. If you haven’t got one contact us.

Get digging. Come along to a planting event and encourage any children you know to come too (with parental

permission of course).

You can get in touch with us or visit the website for information about where to get saplings, how to plant themand how to care for them afterwards (see below).

Thank you

To get more detailed information about local Tree For All events and ways to get involved, visit www.treeforall.org.uk or call 01476 581155

“The Tree For All campaign is the Woodland Trust

in a cheerful mood . . . looking forward with hope.”Clive Anderson,Woodland Trust President

“At its heart this campaign is about muddy boots and hands. It’s

about real, simple, honest action . . . children planting trees.”Jonathan Dimbleby

“Every child should havethe chance to hear birdssing. Every child shouldhave the chance to feelthe breeze blowingthrough the trees.Tree For All can makethat happen.Tree For Allcan help children to careabout their world, theirfuture. Help them tocare. Help them to planta tree.”

Gail Porter

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Planting trees is a truly

inspirational experience.“I felt

very proud that I was helping

the world bring oxygen…I liked

the tree planting and the

squelching mud.” said one

young Tree For All planter.“I

will always remember it.” said

another. It is a supremely

optimistic act.

Already,Tree For All

is well underway

and thousands of

trees have been

planted. But now it’s

spring.We can’t

plant trees again until the autumn so what happens in between?

“Tree For All was never meant to be just about planting trees,”

says Andy Beer campaign manager.“This act is simply a starting

point which will help children to build an appreciation of the

landscape as a

whole, to nurture

an attachment to

the natural world.

We don’t want

them to plant a

tree and then just

forget about it.”

Of course, once a

tree has been

planted, it needs

looking after too.

We have teamed

up with the Tree

Council to provide

information about how to care for young trees once they are

planted.We will also be holding an exciting range of events as

part of a cultural festival this summer.All year round we will

be shouting about Tree For All, making news and building

enthusiasm so that millions of people know about it and feel

compelled to get involved.

As a supporter of the Woodland

Trust, we really hope we can

count on you to add to

our voice. On the left

you will see some

suggestions on ways

you can help.This is

a vital opportunity

to really make a

difference. Please

take it.

Northern Ireland, 8 per cent in

England, 14 per cent in Wales

and 17 per cent in Scotland.And

all the time, the spectre of

climate change looms large.

This makes depressing reading

but there is something positive

we can do, and that’s where Tree

For All comes in.We are holding

events nationwide to get children planting and working with a

great variety of partners to make it happen from the Guide

movement, to Barnardo’s to big companies and schools. It’s

not just in Trust woods either (although we’re taking every

opportunity we can to plant in places where the biodiversity

benefits are greatest).Trees are being planted in school

grounds, business centres, people’s gardens and woods owned

publicly and privately.

You may have already heard about Tree For All. But

we make no apologies for writing about it again here.

It’s our biggest campaign ever, with ambitions that

have serious implications for the future of the UK’s

woods.As a volunteer, we

would like to invite you

to grasp the opportunity

to be part of it. Now’s

your chance to play a key

role in making it the

success it needs to be.

Let’s cut to the chase. Over

the next five years, the

Woodland Trust intends to

get one million children

involved in planting 12 million

trees – that’s one tree for

every child in the UK.As a supporter of the Trust, you’ll

know how important this is. But just in case you need

convincing, here’s why.

We know that children are

growing up in an

environment in which they

are increasingly disconnected

with nature as the MORI

research shows. More

research shows that children

in the UK spend more time

watching TV and are less

active than anywhere else in Europe.

Yet now we are facing a future where our native woods are

more threatened than ever before. Frighteningly we are one of

the least wooded countries in Europe. Finland has over 60 per

cent cover. Compare this with a measly 6 per cent in

8 email: [email protected] tel: 01476 581111 VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER 9

MILLIONS AND MILLIONS

Research by MORI

shows that 39 per

cent of 15-24 year

olds claim they

“don’t have time

to be green.”

What you can doSpread the word by telling friends and family about Tree for All.

Plant native trees and shrubs in your garden or give them as presents to others.Visit www.native-tree-shop.com

Organise a local tree planting event – we offer guidance and a small grant for community events

Get your local school involved. More than 2,000 schools have already signed up to plant trees in their grounds and we

have more free trees available for 2005.

Plant an e-tree on the website.

Be seen. Display the sticker sent to all members. If you haven’t got one contact us.

Get digging. Come along to a planting event and encourage any children you know to come too (with parental

permission of course).

You can get in touch with us or visit the website for information about where to get saplings, how to plant themand how to care for them afterwards (see below).

Thank you

To get more detailed information about local Tree For All events and ways to get involved, visit www.treeforall.org.uk or call 01476 581155

“The Tree For All campaign is the Woodland Trust

in a cheerful mood . . . looking forward with hope.”Clive Anderson,Woodland Trust President

“At its heart this campaign is about muddy boots and hands. It’s

about real, simple, honest action . . . children planting trees.”Jonathan Dimbleby

“Every child should havethe chance to hear birdssing. Every child shouldhave the chance to feelthe breeze blowingthrough the trees.Tree For All can makethat happen.Tree For Allcan help children to careabout their world, theirfuture. Help them tocare. Help them to planta tree.”

Gail Porter

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2814 NewsletterPRINT 29/3/05 11:03 am


carried on from front page

a ‘Woodland Access Standard.’ Based on robust

research, this is a tool that will help planners and

green space managers to assess where woods are

needed most.The Woodland Access Standard

aspires that:

no person should live more than 500 metres

from at least one area of accessible woodland

of no less than 2 hectares in size;

there should also be at least one area of

accessible woodland of no less than 20

hectares within 4 kilometres of people’s

homes.

Astonishingly, at the moment the percentage of

the UK population which does not have access to

a wood of at least 2 hectares within 500 metres is

90 per cent in England, 85 per cent in Wales, 85

per cent in Scotland, and 93 per cent in Northern

Ireland.

Of course, in some places, it may not be

appropriate to increase access to woods, for

example, where there is already other accessible

wildlife habitat...The Woodland Access Standard

won’t be applicable everywhere and it needs to be

used with common sense.

“By our calculations there is a deficit of woodland

in the UK,” explains Nick,“We want to open up a

debate over the months ahead about the

importance of expanding our woodland resource

to provide even greater public benefit.”

We hope you will join the debate.

Find out more by reading the Space for People report atwww.woodland-trust.org.uk

or call us for a copy.

If you are a green space manager or aplanner, or have links with people who are, please use the report

or pass on details.

What you can do tomake space for people

Meet some fellow volunteers involved in awhole variety of tasks out of the woods.

Build a new communityOn www.woodland-trust.org.uk you’ll find a large family of

websites covering a whole range of woodland related topics.

Many of these are home to online communities where

interested parties can post information, ask questions, discuss

best practise or share any other news.

We’re looking for people who would like to become volunteer hosts for these

communities.The role of the hosts will be to stimulate discussions, help

members find information, welcome new participants and make sure everyone

is having a good time.Training will be given but this is a new role so there’ll be

a chance to take a lead in developing it.

OUT OF THEWOODS

Malcolm

Happened to meet

with a Trust staff

member at an event

just as he was due to retire from his job

as a lawyer. He now offers us his legal

expertise.

Stuart

Helps us with all

manner of computer

related tasks.With us

he is getting further experience and he

has the flexibility to do something to fit

in with his role as a carer.

Mary

Helps with a whole range of admin tasks. She responded to a members’ appeal for

volunteers four years ago.

Olwyn

Olwyn has health

problems but finds that

the admin jobs she

does for the Trust give her the flexibility to

work at her own pace.

Hema

Involved in our picture

library scanning images.

When her husband’s

job led to a move to the UK from Madras

she wanted an opportunity to get out of

the house and improve her skills at the

same time.



S P O T L I G H T

Name: Gary Mead

Volunteer role: Historical dataresearcher for the UK PhenologyNetwork

Age: 28

Location: Wickford, Essex

Q: How did you first get involved?

A: Initially I did some data handling for the Centre for Ecology and

Hydrology* They put me in touch with the Woodland Trust and

I subsequently got involved in going through diaries, some of

which span more than fifty years, and entering records into

spreadsheets for the phenology database.

Q: What do you enjoy about the work you do?

A: The experience is improving my observation skills - interpreting

records and hidden meanings as well as looking for anomalies

and entries of further interest. It is also rewarding to be able to

put to good use the work of the diarists who have obviously

committed much time and effort to recording their observations

as well as being aware that many have unknowingly contributed

to a worthwhile project.

It’s put me in contact with some very interesting and helpful

people.

Q: Why do you think the Trust’s work is important?

A: In a world where space is becoming more of a commodity and

climate change an increasing concern, conserving our trees and

woods, whether they be ancient or newly planted, can only be a

good thing.

I think it is also important to praise the Woodland Trust’s

attitude to its volunteers.The support and feedback I have

received has been of enormous benefit and encouragement, and

it is this mutual respect that makes volunteering with them all

the more worthwhile.

Read more about Gary’s role in Seeking out the past (see left).

Gary has Marfan Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that

weakens the connective tissue. Because of this, he tires easily but

this makes him even more determined to achieve his goals.

* The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology are our partners in the

UK Phenology Network.

Seeking outthe past

by Phil Croxton,phenology historical research officer

When we made a press appeal for phenology

records (see page 3) the office was flooded

with journals and diaries from across the

country.This was great news but the volume

of work seemed insurmountable.

That’s where Elaine Gathercole and Gary Mead

came in.They are voluntarily transcribing the

records onto computer spreadsheets ready for

incorporation into the UK Phenology Network

database.The value of this to the Woodland

Trust is clear but there are also benefits for the

volunteers.

“It is a real privilege to make such good use of the

painstaking work of these pioneers of phenology.”

Elaine told me. “So far, I’ve converted the work of

one gentleman from Kent who kept records from

1856 to 1898. Now I’m half way through 40 years

worth of diaries kept by a lady from Ipswich.”

Elaine, who is retired and an experienced

birdwatcher, is inspired by her involvement.

“There have been interesting challenges such as

grappling with the Latin names of flowers, or

working out what a fern owl was (nightjar) or a

grove pettychaps (wood warbler). I never did find

out what a laughing fauvette was so if anyone

knows, please tell me!”

You can read more about Gary’s experience

(opposite).

If you have any historical data you would like

to contribute to the UK phenology project,

or would like to enlighten Elaine about the

laughing fauvette, contact the volunteers team.



ANCIENT TREES

THE HUNT IS ONLast year we launched a brand new website,

www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk and already

it’s helped us to find out about more

than 3,000 ancient trees. This

information is incredibly useful not least

because if we know where the trees are we

have a better chance of taking action

to conserve them. Even if you

don’t have anything to report

about ancient trees, the

site is well worth a visit.

There’s a map which shows

the location of all the

ancient trees we know about and it’s

packed with fascinating stories

about these magnificent finds.

ANCIENT TREESIN PERIL

Sadly, despite their

incredible ecological

value, their beguiling looks

and the history that they

hold, ancient trees often aren’t

protected.They face even

more threats than ancient

woods. If you know of any particular cases

where exceptional ancient trees are under

threat for whatever reason, please report it.

Knowing about such cases will give us more

evidence to support our

campaign for legislation to be

strengthened and we may even

be able to help save that

particular tree.

Contact us via either of

the ancient tree websites,

or call the

volunteers team.

Trees on your travelsWe want to hear about exceptional

ancient trees you may have met on

your travels.We have a lot

to learn from our foreign

neighbours.

In other northern European

countries, individual heritage

trees are protected by law

whereas our Tree Preservation

Orders have exemption clauses which mean

that dead, dying and dangerous trees can be

felled. The very trees we most want to

protect are therefore the most vulnerable.

We are actively campaigning with other

organisations to change our legislation.

If you have Internet

access, look on

the ancient

trees

website

for more information

about what to look out

for on your travels.

This oak, where Oliver Cromwell

is said to have hanged

four royalists, is over

600 years old. One

of many intriguing finds

on the Ancient Tree Hunt Website.

We have teamed up with the Ancient Tree Forum to celebrate ancient trees and do all we can to conserve them. Read about what’s happening in this section and if you have

Internet access please help keep the discussion forum alive which can be found on bothwww.ancient-tree-forum.org.uk and www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk

“Ancient trees are precious

– there is little else on earth

that plays host to such a rich

community of life within a

single living organism.”Sir David Attenborough

Pete

r Wel

ls

A plaque on a protected tree in Sweden.



Name: Claire Balding

Volunteer role: Corporateresearcher

Occupation: Research scientist

Age: 29

Location: Liverpool

Q: Describe what you do for the Woodland Trust?

A: I am involved in profiling companies that the Trust would like to

engage as sponsors or partners. Profiling entails compiling

information such as the size of the company, its environmental

policies, activities in the community, charities it supports and key

personnel. I also profile industry sectors, identifying trade

associations, the major players within the industry and gaining

insights into environmental trends.

Q: How did you first get involved?

A: I have been a supporter of the Trust since 2002. In 2003 I

decided I wanted to get more actively involved. I would have

liked to have volunteered in a nature reserve, or done some sort

of ecological monitoring, but I live in the centre of Liverpool and

have no car.Then I saw this position advertised on the Woodland

Trust s website, and thought it was perfect for me.

Q: What do you get out of it?

A: I play an active role in promoting the protection of the

environment and creation of new woodland, despite living in the

city. It also adds to my CV, and gives me insights into companies

environmental activities — an area I would like to work in.

Q: Why do you think the Trust’s work is important?

A: The UK was once covered by forests. Humans have really taken

over the whole landscape — if you fly on a clear day, you can

see how it is covered by fields, towns, cities . . . it s important to

ensure woodland habitats are preserved and new woodland

created. I don t think we can justify criticising the logging of

tropical rainforests unless we are willing to put some effort into

preserving our own natural habitats.

The work the Trust does with companies gives a huge boost to our native woods. There are also some really stimulating volunteer roles in this area.

IN BUSINESS

A thousand thanks

A thousand thanks to those volunteers who

helped us to distribute around 10,000 posters to

help us promote this year s Christmas Card

Recycling Scheme.As we go to press we are

counting and weighing the number of cards

recycled at branches of WHSmith and Tesco.

We ll then add this to the total of nearly 5,000

tonnes of cards recycled since the scheme began

seven years ago. Money raised will go towards

our Tree For All campaign (see page 8). It s a

brilliant scheme made all the more successful by

your help. For more information visit

www.woodland-trust.org.uk/recycling

Yellow woodsby Penny Pulfrey

Corporate Partnership Team

Since 2002, half a

million children have

taken the Yellow

Woods Challenge (YWC).

Teaming up with Yell, the

Yellow Pages people, and

schools all over the UK, the Trust encourages children

to recycle their Yellow Pages and learn about the

environment at the same time.

Schools are rewarded for their efforts and so lots of

events are held to celebrate their success. Some

voluntary speakers are already involved by

representing the Trust at these events and they really

help us to run the campaign effectively.

If you are a speaker interested in getting involved in

YWC events in your area, please contact the

volunteers team. For more information visit

www.yellow-woods.co.uk

S P O T L I G H T

Yell/

Citi

gate



FREQUENTLY ASKEDQUESTIONS

by Gordon Pfetscher, certification manager

Starting with the last question first, ‘FSC’ stands for ‘Forest Stewardship Council’.

FSC is an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to the crucial task of

promoting responsible management of the world’s forests. It was founded over ten years ago

in response to public concern about deforestation and demand for a wood-labelling scheme

that customers could trust.

The Woodland Trust is proud to have become the first major landowner in the UK to have

all its woods certified by the FSC. Others like the Forestry Commission, National Trust,

RSPB and English Nature have since followed our lead.

In order to meet the stringent requirements of the FSC, we have to comply with a certain

minimum standard and we are rigorously audited against this standard (called the UK

Woodland Assurance Scheme – UKWAS) every year.The UKWAS Standard is broad in its

remit and covers aspects of law, management planning, operations, protection, conservation,

the community and the forest workforce.

Most of the paperwork that our woodland officers need from volunteers such as risk

assessments, first aid training, powertool certificates and insurance is as a result of health and

safety legislation.The FSC ensures that we are responsible landowners and complying with

the law including this legislation.This paperwork may seem tiresome at times but the safety of

our volunteers is paramount and we also have a great respect for the credibility of the FSC.

by Merle Dekanski, volunteers officer

For those who don’t already know, this activity diary comprises a simple form to be

completed regularly and tells us the time you have donated to the task. It can then be given

to your task manager or sent directly to the volunteers team in the office at Grantham. Or

if it’s easier for you, the information can be emailed to us.

There are various reasons why this is needed, for instance it enables us to report to

supporters and trustees the benefit volunteers give the organisation. Another tangible one is

that on specific projects funders will convert the hours to a notional value which we can use

for match funding. In 2004 the hours volunteers donated gave us a notional value of over

£1.2m. If every volunteer had provided us with information of their time donation – it could

have been even more.

What you do already for the Trust as a volunteer is hugely appreciated. But we hope that,

knowing how much of a difference it will make, you won’t mind spending a few additional

moments completing this information.Thanks.

Is it really necessary

to fill out paperwork

before we work in a wood?

I’ve heard we have to do it

because of ‘FSC certification.’

What is this?

QQ AA

Why do volunteers

need to complete

an activity diary for the

Woodland Trust? Surely my

time would be better spent

doing something that more

directly helps native woods?

QQ AA

In the next edition we’d like to introduce a letters page. Is there something you’ve learnt that other volunteers may find useful?

Do you have a question for Trust staff or other volunteers? Would you like to provoke a debate on a particular issue?

Whatever your point, here’s a chance to make it in front of more than 1,400 other volunteers.

Please mark your letters for the attention of: Sallyanne Flemons, Editor,The Volunteer Newsletter,

c/o Volunteers Team at the usual Woodland Trust Grantham address (see back cover) or email

[email protected] with ‘letters page’ in the subject area.

LETTERS PA

GE

COM

ING

SOON

Look out for the FSC logo when buyinganything made of wood. It is the onlywood labelling scheme to trust.

SA-FM/COC-12701996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C



CommunityGroupMembers andWardensHainault Forest, Essex

We are looking to run a

regular series of conservation

tasks and events and hope

that this will lead to the

creation of a sustainable

community group at Hainault.

Later on this year we will

also be looking for wardens

to keep an eye on the wood.

Web illustratorNature Detectives

Based anywhere

Nature Detectives is the

new junior wing of the UK

Phenology Network (see

page 3).This is an exciting

chance for someone to

create some inspiring

cartoon style illustrations to

illuminate the website at

naturedetectives.org.uk

WardensUK-wide

We need wardens to visit

woods and watch over them

all over the UK. In particular,

we need to monitor the

Woodland Creation Scheme

plots at Stratton near

Swindon and Wheatley Wood

in Rayleigh, Essex.

HistoricalresearchersUK-wide

Some of our sites have

hidden histories that we, and

many others, would like to

know more about.This

fascinating role would involve

research including visits to

libraries and records offices.

Woodland Trust volunteer cartoonist required (any species)

BotanicalsurveyorsPontburn Wood, Durham

Could you help carry out a

survey of species present on

the site to aid the collection

of useful data and to act as a

baseline for further

monitoring? You would need

basic plant ID skills to

include flowering plants,

grasses and lower species if

possible.The role would

involve systematically

surveying specific areas of

this site.An understanding of

the importance of various

species would also help.

OrdnanceSurvey MapsResearcherAncient woodland

inventory project

Bangor, Northern Ireland

This role needs someone

based in or near Bangor as

it’s mainly visiting the library

and possibly the Northern

Ireland Woodland Trust office

as well. An interest in

researching historical

information and an

understanding of historical

maps and records would help.

AdministratorsAround Grantham,

Lincolnshire

Volunteers are needed to

help with mailings and data

entry on an ad hoc basis in

the Trust’s Grantham Office.

Most of the tasks are likely

to be during normal office

hours but this is flexible as

some work can be done

from home.

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIESHere are just a few of the inspiring volunteering opportunities available at the Woodland Trust. To

find out about others, please get in touch with the volunteers team to find out more about these opportunities.These and other opportunities can also be found on our website.


VO

Newsletter forThe Woodland Trust logo is a registered trademark Registered Charity No. 294344 A non-profit making company limited by guarantee Registered in England No. 1982873� Printed on recycled paper

We have teamed up with the BBC to give the

phenology project (see page 3) a huge boost.

Many of you will

have seen Bill

Oddie launching

Springwatch live on

How to Watch

Wildlife in January.

The public has been invited to look out for six key species,

and record them on bbc.co.uk/springwatch.The results will

feed into the UK Phenology Network so we hope to recruit

hundreds of new recorders.The initial findings will be broadcast

on a special programme at Easter and feature in the new BBC

TWO series Springwatch with Bill Oddie starting on 30 May.

NEWS . . .16 email: [email protected] tel: 01476 581111

BBCSpringwatch

National ForestlandscapephotographycompetitionTIMEframe is an exciting new

photography competition being

run by the National Forest.

Capture your favourite

landscape views and heritage

features within the National

Forest area and have the chance

to win £300 worth of vouchers

for photographic equipment

and a National Forest adopt a

tree pack worth £125.Your

picture must have been taken

between 1 November 2004

and 31 October 2005.

For more information visit the National Forest website

at www.nationalforest.org/fscene/w2004/heritage.html

or call 01283 551211.

Getting in touchThe Woodland Trust

Autumn Park, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 6LLTel: 01476 581111 Fax: 01476 590808

BT Textdirect: 18001 01476 581135

email: [email protected]/getinvolved

The volunteers online community is atwww.woodland-community.org.uk/volunteers

e-copiesYou can opt to receive future issues of this

newsletter via email.To do so, please indicate on

the questionnaire on the back of the letter that

came with the newsletter or send an email to

the volunteers team.

Over to youPlease spare a moment to complete the questionnaire that

came with this newsletter. We want to do all we can to

make this a resource that you will really want to read so

do tell us what you want. If you would like to get involved

with any aspect of the production of this newsletter, get in

touch with the volunteers team in Grantham.Thanks.

MembershipleafletsWe have new membership

leaflets for 2005. If you would

like a supply, please get in touch

with us at the Grantham office.

To avoid confusion, older leaflets

should no longer be used.

?NEW NAME

Can you think of a better namethan Volunteer Newsletter?

If so, let us know in the questionnaire that

came with this newsletter.

� W e b e t y o u c a n ! �


woodland trust - spring 2005 – volunteer newsletter edition 1

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