Woodland Services

Woodland creation  Aberdeenshire & beyond

helping you to manage woodland for biodiversity and prosperity

Woodland creation Aberdeenshire

our expertise

The humble beginning of The Habitat People was a single farm desiring woodland improvement. A great management plan was put together and practical work began. Less than a year later this very woodland won Scottish Farmland woodland of the year award. There was a particular onus on the quality of the management plan. Since, we have been responsible for the management of large private woodlands, which have all increased in biodiversity and beauty, testimony to our great work. 

Our Forest vision

Forest is a refugia for wildlife and has strong historic and cultural significance in the Scottish landscape. Today it is also a powerful weapon in combatting the climate crisis. Particularly in the wake of storm Arwen (loss of 1 million trees), we aim to help Scottish woodlands expand and build back better for humans and the environment. 

our services

How We
Can Help

  • Woodland management plans
  • Creating new woodlands
  • Grant and felling license  
  • Forest surveys
  • Tree Surveys 
  • Habitat improvement work 
  • Invasive species control 
  • Conservation grazing

“The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness ”

John Muir

01

Site Visit

we gain an understanding of your goals and the potential and difficulties of your woodland.

02

management plan, grants and licenses

 Woodland and forest must be considered in the long term. Grants and licenses must be obtained.

03

achieving your goals

Work begins potentially lasting over multiple seasons with continual monitoring of progress. 

In more detail

our Most popular professional services:

Common issues we solve:

There is a great range of forest types. We have experience resolving issues and creating new woodland in all types found in the North East.

  • Dark dead forest floor
  • Weather vulnerable forest
  • Low biodiversity forest
  • Local pesticide encroachment
  • Invasive species

Creating new woodland

Creating a new woodland can be very difficult without expert knowledge of trees, soil ecology and grants schemes. Whether natural regeneration or planting we have the experience and knowledge to help with planting

Woodland improvement / management plan

Management plans are essential for many grants and felling licenses and enable the owner to have measurable progress and accurate budgeting. A plan is also essential to be compliant with certification schemes for harvesting.

Nesting and foraging enhancement

It is common for a woodland to be designed without consideration for the above. Nesting, foraging and connectivity are complex ecological situations requiring expert advice and implementatition.

forest floor and herb layer

This part of a forest receives little attention and accurate locally adapted document resources are rare. Yet forest floor can have profound effects on the ecological processes that govern growth rate and regeneration.

we guide you through the project. all the way.

We know every step of the journey and will be thorough to perfection!

Contact Us

you asked we answer

Your woodland can be as large as the plot of land which is provided, just ask us for a quote! The larger the area, the greater the value that the habitat can provide to local wildlife, but even small plots can make a large difference in combating the loss of biodiversity.

That depends on the type of woodland you are creating! Some types of deciduous trees can take as little as 10 years to become fully established, whereas others can take around 25 years- however, don’t forget that you’ll be able to see improvements to the habitat much sooner than that! Becoming established is an exciting time for a new woodland, with massive year-on-year changes which you can watch in real time as even young woodlands can support a large variety of wildlife.

Although trees can be planted by anyone, each site will have an ideal mix of species that will flourish under those unique conditions, and with woodlands being such a long-term investment, it’s something you’ll want to get right! We can advise you on what you can do to create not only a woodland which will establish itself easily and with the minimum of maintenance, but also one which will be maximally beneficial to wildlife.

We make woodland tailored to be ideal for a wide variety of sites, from wet woodland, to mixed deciduous to native scots pine forest. Whatever is the best suited to your specific conditions, we will be able to advise you on how to establish the best woodland possible!

 

Woodlands can nearly always be improved! From removing non-native species to make way for more beneficial trees, to creating habitat for woodland species such as insects, birds, small mammals and fungi, to manipulating the structure of the woodland canopy to improve the quality of the understory or to make it less likely to have trees blown over in high winds, there is an array of things we can do to help!

Natural and improved woodlands can attract a huge variety of native species, from red squirrels and crested tits to pine martens and owls.

Anything! Leisure, wind attenuation, firewood, agroforestry, and carbon sequestration. 

There are and we know what to apply for and how to apply on your behalf. There are many grants, with eligibility criteria.