1. Project Title
Bedfordshire Ancient Woodlands Management Initiative

2. List the main RWS theme(s) relevant to your project
Quality of Life/Education & Training/Economic Development /Natural Environment

3. Short Project Description
To liaise with woodland owners, contractors, woodland interest groups and other experts so as to increase the knowledge of Bedfordshire’s ancient semi natural woodlands and the awareness of sustainable management practices.

4. Project Status
On-going

5. What has been undertaken to date?
A review of ancient woodland clusters in Bedfordshire was conducted and the owners located and visited. These resulted in management plans being produced and applications for EWGS grants being written. Two forest school practitioners have approached these owners with a view to establishing forest schools. A deer management group has also been created and four workshops held.

Further, awareness of woodland advice sources within Bedfordshire and the Eastern Region has been increased.

6. Any specific lessons learned?
The project has increased the profile of woodland management throughout the project area and inspired greater levels of partnership working.

This has resulted in the use of existing woodland advice sources and owner self-motivation to apply for grants.

Greater woodland ownership information is required prior to the setting of targets. The inability to determine the owners of some woodland prejudiced the capacity to meet project objectives.

As a result of connection to the area and greater engagement with landowners other organisations for the sustainable management of woodlands sites have organised information events in the county. Outcomes have proved more far-reaching and tangential than anticipated to be directly achievable.

7. Future Developments
The project’s outcomes might be modelled and then repeated throughout the region.

8. Contact Details
Claire.wardle@fwag.org.uk