circle3We’re a one-stop shop specialising in improving visitor experience quality with a focus on the social, economic and environmental benefits via woods and greenspace. We provide well considered solutions to common challenges and opportunities. Commonly they are;

Changing negative perceptions and increasing use of local woodlands.

Often urban woodlands are under used and negative perceptions persist. Your wood or greenspace situation will be unique and the extent to which you are able to invest and what you deem priority actions depends on several factors.

We can:

  • Identify the reason for low use of your woodland via landscape, access, infrastructure assessments and attitudinalsurveys.
  • Deliver a cost effective recreation management plan to improve site attractiveness. We take note of the social, landscape and functional attributes of the site. Recommendations may include better access links within and to the site, creating places, natural play, signage, interpretation, gateways and unique features etc.
  • Provide well-considered and customized communications strategy that takes account of what you are dealing with; the sites location, values and characteristics, visitor experience potential, the potential users.
  • Produce and implement promotional resources, including: site leaflets, social walking groups, events, installations and interpretation, education sessions, walkovers, facilitating organised groups, providing meeting areas.
  • Site branding and merchandising. We can bring the site alive for through local engagement strategy that may even include banners, merchandise, events and more.
  • Undertaking consultations effectively using appropriate methods to consult and build a clear way forward. Utilising customised consultation methods. We have robust presentational solutions to deliver a final design plan to meet your requirements. We place priority on undertaking site audits, using engaging communications, running site visits with stakeholders and building substantial pre- and post- consultation knowledge.
  • A specialism in outdoor learning and environmental education with primary and secondary schools Working directly with targets groups including people with disabilities, ethnic minorities and older people.

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Delivering Economic Benefits

Most woodlands’ can operate as a standalone visitor product, we can optimise their full visitor experience value. Many woodlands mask hundreds of years of human activity; structures, stories and folklore. At the very least woodlands are recreationally diverse and provide an excellent platform for modern day learning and functioning.

  • Re-positioning of forests as great visitor propositions beyond only dog-walkers.
  • Urban forestry and economic regeneration: making forests an instrumental life quality benefit in new development areas.
  • Forest destination marketing strategy.
  • Funding strategy and income generation options for forestry sites.

Delivering Environmental Benefits

  • Undertaking ecological, NVC, LCA and LIA site surveys where required.
  • A thorough understanding to ensure that biodiversity values and priorities are fully incorporated within forest design to reflect the objectives of the client and local BAP’s.
  • Working with planners and associated land managers to produce plans that compliment polices and existing greenspace networks.

Training provision

  • Providing training support and resources on urban forest design, scope and management, audience engagement, stakeholder building and generic steering group management.
  • Stand-in services for presentations, chairing, networks, education and engagement works.

Where we add value

20 years direct experience working in social forestry, including writing and delivering schools programmes, urban forest design practitioner training and recreation infrastructure design, plus on and off-site communications strategy design and delivery.

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Meriel YoungPublic Benefit Forestry and Greenspace

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