About Weald Woodsman

Graham West RFS Cert For & Cert Arb is an experienced woodsman having worked in countryside management in both a practical and advisory capacity for 30 years, including 15 years as a Ranger on the South Downs where he was area team lead on woodland management.

Graham has been running his own business, Weald Woodsman, since 2016 offering a range of practical woodland management services and advice, including tree felling and thinning, coppicing and pollarding, hedgelaying, and wildlife and habitat conservation.

Working closely with other experienced woodland management professionals, Graham’s clients include private landowners, local authorities and conservation charities such as Butterfly Conservation. He is fully insured and NPTC qualified.

Graham’s Experience

After completing both a B-tech National Diploma and an Advanced National Certificate at Merrist Wood College Guildford, Graham worked in various conservation roles for a number of organisations including the Sussex Wildlife Trust, Chichester Harbour Conservancy, and the Isle of Wight Council.

For 15 years, he worked as a Ranger on the South Downs, including 5 years for the South Downs National Park Authority.

Based in the Western Weald of Sussex, the most wooded area of the South Downs, Graham was Area Ranger for approximately 100 square miles around Petworth and was the area team lead on woodland management. During this time he initiated and led on woodland management projects of all types and was responsible for bringing many hectares of neglected woodland back into active management.

Woodland management for both conservation and commercial forestry

As an active member of the south east division of the Royal Forestry Society, Graham believes passionately that commercial forestry, and woodland management for conservation should not be mutually exclusive activities.

For many years he has demonstrated this belief in woodland near Fernhurst in Sussex where he led a partnership project involving the landowner and Butterfly Conservation. The site is very important for a rare woodland butterfly called the pearl-bordered fritillary which has very specific habitat requirements. It is also extremely productive woodland, yielding around 1000 tonnes of softwood timber every year.

Working with a local contractor, Graham instigated ongoing, targeted management for the butterfly without compromising the commercial interest of the woodland. The result has been a dramatic increase in the population and range of the butterfly, a happy and informed landowner, and no interruption to the productive forestry.

Woodland management

Woodland in the British Isles has been managed by man for thousands of years and accordingly it is almost impossible to find a ‘natural’ woodland here. Experts are agreed that there are very few examples of woodland in the UK where non-intervention, or ‘doing nothing’ is the right prescription for the long-term health of the woodland.

Active management is very often what is required, but the type of operations will usually be determined by the landowner’s objectives for the woodland. Examples of the services that Graham offers are:

Thinning: selectively removing less vigorous trees to allow more light to reach the woodland floor and to give more room and canopy space to the remaining trees.

Felling: felling of final crop trees, or removal of individual trees. Graham is qualified both as a climber and also to deal with wind-blown trees.

Coppicing and pollarding: restoration of over-stood coppice, coppice management advice, pollard management.

Ride widening and scalloping: widening rides and scalloping edges for access, timber extraction, and wildlife conservation .

Woodland management advice: including the production of Forestry Commission approved management plans.

Hedgelaying and management

Hedgerows are an intrinsic part of the countryside landscape in many parts of the UK, and over the centuries, many different styles of hedgelaying evolved around the Country.

With the advent of mechanised farming and the reduction of the farm workforce, traditional hedgerow management has largely disappeared and has been replaced by tractor and flail. This technique is quicker and less labour-intensive, but doesn’t produce a hedge that is as long-lived, or as good for wildlife, as one that is traditionally managed.

Graham is an active member of both the National Hedgelaying Society and the South of England Hedgelaying Society and has completed the National Society’s ‘Train the Trainer’ Course. He is also a LANTRA assessor for the NHLS Accreditation Scheme. Graham can offer the following:

Hedgelaying: in the South of England style; either previously un-laid hedges, or hedges requiring re-laying.

Hedge planting and establishment: preparation, planting and after-care including advice on hedgerow plants.

Hedgelaying courses: instruction for small groups in how to lay a hedge in the South of England style, and also in-depth training prior to assessment for the NHLS / Lantra accreditation scheme.

Hedgelaying Accreditation Scheme Assessment: assessment for the LANTRA recognised NHLS Accreditation Scheme at Bronze, Silver or Gold level.

Wildlife and habitat conservation

Over 25 years’ experience of countryside management on habitats of all types has given Graham a sound knowledge of wildlife and habitat conservation. In particular, Graham has worked extensively on wetlands, heathlands, and downland.

Graham has a particular interest in butterflies and their habitats and has worked on numerous conservation projects for various species, most recently, the Pearl-bordered Fritillary in West Sussex. Examples of advice and services are:

Habitat and species management advice

Practical management works, e.g. scrub clearing

Contact Us

Get in touch with Graham today by completing the form on the right. Whether you are looking for woodland management, tree felling, coppicing, hedgelaying, or wildlife and habitat conservation, Graham is happy to help.

Complete the form on the right with as much information as possible and we will be in touch.