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Thanks 🙂

This summer we are on a mission to reconnect the people of Leeds with the woods!

Through generous funding from the National Lottery community fund, we have been inviting community groups from inner city Leeds to our favourite woodlands.

Groups from The Feel Good Factor, TCV and Hyde Park Source have been learning about woodland managment and getting very hands on with coppicing and wood craft.

We have been keen to make sure participants create something physical that can be taken home and be put to good use. The HPS Lost Plot group created some Hazel Hurdles that would make great wind breaks at their allotment, whilst the Feel Good Factor group made some great looking spatulas.

LCW have made quite a few new friends along this journey. It’s been a real joy to be able to reach out and meet new people that may have not had the chance otherwise.

“Thank you for such a fantastic sunny day in the woods! Our volunteers absolutely loved both days and were a very happy fulfilled contented bunch in the taxi home.
Do hope we can do this again later in the year and bring other volunteers to experience it all.”

With new skills, we hope participants will be empowered and reach out for other volunteering opportunities, qualifications or maybe even employment. A big thanks to the National Lottery community fund for making these workshops possible.

Thanks to everyone who has purchased our garden supports this year. Please note that York Gate Garden in Adel will have our last 10 remaining bundles of bean poles, so get in there quick. Pea sticks are also selling fast.

As well as some great gardens, they also have a lovely nursery and cafe. They are open most afternoons but closed Friday and Saturday.

Here’s a link to the YGG website, with also some nice words about us.
https://perennial.org.uk/garden/york-gate-garden/from-the-head-gardener/

Leeds Coppice Workers are currently selling biochar at £7 for a 25 litre bag for soil improvement. Discounts are available for bulk orders of 10+ bags and 20+ bags.

Biochar is a carbon-rich product, created by the slow burning of plant material with little or no oxygen.

Biochar helps raise crop yields and reduces the need for fertilisers; and as it is a very stable substance, the carbon it contains is locked away for thousands of years. As that carbon had been absorbed from the atmosphere as the plants grew, what we have is a net removal of carbon from the atmosphere and storage in soil.

Biochar is most effective when ‘charged’. This is simply when it is mixed with a compost for at least a month so that it takes on additional nutrients and is able to release them into the soil more slowly than if the compost were unaltered.

As with all our products you are you helping support the productive use of all parts of the tree within a woodland management context, whereby waste wood is converted to barbequeue charcoal and waste  charcoal fines then become biochar.

Get in contact if you’d like to place an order

Looking for an excuse to go to the woods?  Come to our volunteer days at some of the best woodland Leeds has to offer. This year we’ll be working at Hetchel woods, Castle Hill and Town Close and we’ve also popped in a weekend date.

Thurs 25th Oct
Sat 10th Nov
Fri 23rd Nov
Mon 10th Dec

January TBC.

Learn everything there is to know about coppicing. Improve your skills with a Bill hook. Help manage neglected woodland and come and enjoy some outdoor fun.

This December we are delighted to be back at Hetchel Woods to continue our restoration work of the past few years. We really enjoy working at this ancient woodland. It’s a tranquil retreat and offers a diverse mixture of tree species and habitat… And the natural spring water tastes incredible!

LCW have scheduled a volunteer day at Hetchel on Wednesday 14th December and we’d love for you to join us.

Whether you have lots of experience or none at all, these days are a great way to meet other people, develop skills, learn new skills and most importantly enjoy being outside whilst contributing to sustainable management of Leeds Woodland.

http://www.ywt.org.uk/reserves/hetchell-wood-nature-reserve

Hetchel Woods Specific directions:

The nature reserve is seven miles north east of Leeds. If approaching from Wetherby via the A58 Leeds-Wetherby road, to reach the main entrance on Milner Lane take the left turn signposted Thorner at the Bracken Fox pub crossroads at Scarcroft. Keep left at a triangular intersection and the nature reserve entrance is on the left, 0.5 miles further on. There is also a public footpath (parking for a few cars) from the side of the A58 at Bardsey.

Bring food, drink, work gloves, waterproofs, warm clothes and boots. Tools will be provided but useful tools to bring include bow saws and bill hooks.

If you are planning to come along please let me know via email so we can gauge numbers.

If anyone has a real problem with reaching the site then we can look into a potential lift from Hyde Park Source in Woodhouse leaving at 8pm or from the Reginald Centre in Chapeltown but do please try to find an independent method of transport. It’s also ok if you reach us later than 8.30.

Thanks for your interest and look forward to catching up/ meeting you soon.

So folks…. our firewood pile has never been so big. It is HUGE! All sustainably sourced from local woods, seasoned for 2-3 years at our wood yard, dry and ready for your burners.. Help support the regeneration and management of some of Leeds most important woodlands.

It is now possible to order online by bank transfer or paypal. Please go to our firewood shop. Otherwise just email leedscoppiceworkers@gmail.com and we can arrange delivery.

Please note we only deliver free to Leeds postcodes ls1-ls18. If you are in another postcode please get in touch to confirm delivery costs before you order.