Woodlands: A Practical Guide to Woodland Condition Assessments in Summer

By the end of the course, participants will: 

• Be confident in their assessment of broad woodland condition indicators relevant to the season including:  age distribution of trees, browsing damage, tree health, canopy cover, vertical structure, deadwood and woodland disturbance.
• Be confident in identification of indicative woodland flora, native trees and invasive species in flower/leaf.
• Know how to complete an accurate woodland condition assessment using the Forestry Commission app.

Who Should Attend?– Nature enthusiasts, students, rangers, early career consultants, ecologists, and those wishing to brush up their skills to help them complete the Forestry Commission’s Woodland Condition Assessment.

Prior Knowledge– No existing knowledge or experience of the Woodland Condition Assessment is needed for this course. Some existing experience of plant identification and woodland habitats is essential.

Knowledge Level– Beginner to Intermediate. Level descriptors can be found on the following web-page: Framework and Course Level Descriptors.

PLEASE NOTE: There is no accommodation or meal facilities provided with this course. Refreshments (tea and coffee) will be available. If we are unable to reach viable numbers for this course, we will inform you of the course cancellation 4-5 weeks prior to the course run. We would recommend when purchasing accommodation and/or travel you should take out your own insurance.

Bookings will close if course capacity is reached.

Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.

John Handley

John is the Director of CH Ecology, an independent ecologist and consultant, providing surveys and training on behalf of conservation agencies and Local Authorities. John has a background within amenity horticulture as a Technical Manager, providing advice and training to Local Authorities, prominent sports facilities and private land owners. John is an enthusiastic communicator and botanist.

Dr Jackie Symmons

Dr Jackie Symmons is an experienced freelance ecologist and conservation land management adviser from Mid Wales. She has an extensive background in delivering conservation field research and training from wild deer impacts to marine and terrestrial environment habitat surveys. She is also currently working in the area of natural resource resilience and climate change mitigation.

Timings for this course may vary, so please check the start and end times for the course runs below. Please arrive in time for the course to start promptly.

This course will involve both classroom learning and field excursions to cover all of the learning objectives.

Lunch is not included so please bring your own food. Refreshments (tea and coffee) will be provided.

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  Expert Tuition

The course has been carefully created by expert tutors and educators to help you build your knowledge and apply it within the field surrounded by like-minded individuals.

The course includes:

• Classroom learning covering the theory of the topic
• Field excursions to apply new knowledge
• Expert tuition for which the Field Studies Council is renowned
• Clear objectives and progression
• Refreshments (tea/coffee)

You can rest assured that the absolute best content from an expert in environmental education will be provided. In choosing a Field Studies Council course, you will be joining thousands of people who learn with us each year.

What to Bring

• Notebook and pencil
• Lunch and refreshments
• Sensible footwear and clothing for being outdoors
• Small bag to carry personal items
• A mobile phone so you can download and use the Woodland Condition App
• Your preferred tree and wildflower guides (e.g. Rose or Streeter)
• A x10 hand lens

There will be a member of staff with first aid training and access to a first aid kit on site. If you have special medical or access requirements, please let us know as soon as possible so we can plan the course.