It may not be the most obvious asset to hold in a Self-Invested Pension Scheme (SIPP) but there is no reason in principle why you cannot do so. Provided that the woodland generates an income for the fund it will qualify as a commercial property, so how can this be done? In my case, I have a SIPP which until recently was invested in the stock market. I decided earlier this year that I no longer wanted to run the risk of losing what I had worked hard to build up and began to look at other options. I was also interested in buying and managing a small wood because of my interest in natural history and ecology.I approached my pension trustees and hey confirmed that there would be no problem in my SIPP owning a wood. Read more...

Wood whittling is so fulfilling, say the experts, it can develop into an addiction. It may start as a leisurely pastime but, before you know it, it develops into lifetime pursuit for many. First of all, whittling is an easy hobby to take up because it is cheap: a sharp knife, a piece of wood and a bit of oil is all you need. Secondly, whittling produces many a useful and loveable object such as spoons, bowls and figures which are unique. Also, whittling is relaxing and enjoyable so it can work wonders at settling down a busy mind. For holding a sharp knife in your hand to shape a small piece of wood requires undivided attention and focus, so whittlers become completely absorbed. If you are lucky to own your own woodland, or visit one frequently, the temptation to turn odd pieces of wood into useful or decorative objects is huge.   David Alty and Dan Watson of woodlands.co.uk, two seasoned whittlers, tell us step-by-step how to make our first ever whittling project fun. Read more...

Woodlands.co.uk pays for its buyers of woodlands to go on courses to help owners to better enjoy and manage their woodland.  The contribution is up to £300 and those who go on courses report back to us what they thought of their course.  As the company has now paid for almost 100 people to do these courses we have reviewed their feedback to see what sort of courses they chose and what useful snippets we can pick up. Read more...

One of the gold medal winners at this year’s Chelsea Flower show was the garden entitled “Gardening for Champions”.  This garden shows how simple changes to urban gardens can help the environment through Encouraging pollinating insects Saving water Cutting carbon dioxide emissions The garden, which was designed by Martin Walker, is based on research carried out by academics ** from the University of Leeds; it shows how simple changes to urban gardens can make a positive contribution to ecosystem services.  The garden offers a number of practical suggestions, Read more...

Recently, I visited the Sustainability Centre in Hampshire where a brand new yurt was being erected.  Intrigued, I fell into conversation with the yurtmaker, Henry Dowell (of yurtmaker.co.uk).  He turns out to be a rather remarkable character and has himself lived in a yurt for over 4 years and learnt how to make them, mostly through trial and error - to me it looked like more trial than error!  Henry explained that he makes most of the parts out of "green ash" (ie unseasoned ash timber) which he bends using steam and that process also helps to season the wood so that it will last for many years.   All this preparation happens in what he calls his "corner of Shropshire" where ash grows very well and can be milled locally.  This creates a new market for ash which is often overlooked but is a very useful timber tree, saving it from being used only as firewood. Read more...

Muntjac deer ("Muntiacus reeves") are small but they reproduce quickly.  They are fast becoming a major threat to wildlife.  Because they tend not to eat agricultural crops, they are not controlled by farmers so they are in danger of 'eating out' the floors of English deciduous woodlands - which are so important to biodiversity.  These deer were originally introduced into this country by mistake after they escaped from Woburn Safari park in about 1925, and since then they have spread through most of England but are concentrated south of the M62 motorway (Hull to Manchester). Read more...