ABOUT US

orchid800MED

Bringing the landscape back to life

Since 2007 we have been working to conserve the Wyre Forest and its variety of habitats, including its species rich wildflower meadows, traditional orchards and wood pasture.

We work in close partnership with the Guild of St George, Natural England, Forestry England, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, The Woodland Trust, Butterfly Conservation and local landowners.

Our team of around 40 dedicated volunteers help us carry out important conservation work and care for our herd of 50 pedigree Dexter cattle that carry out an extensive conservation grazing programme.

ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY

MARGARET TUNSTALL

MARGARET TUNSTALL

Operations Manager

DEBBIE BLADES

DEBBIE BLADES

Office Manager & Company Secretary

SALLY PENDERGAST

SALLY PENDERGAST

Farm & Land Manager

KATE QUINTON

KATE QUINTON

Community and Volunteer Officer (Maternity Leave)

DAISY HAYWOOD

DAISY HAYWOOD

Volunteer & Community Development Officer

MATT COPEMAN

MATT COPEMAN

Volunteer & Community Development Officer

RICHARD CHANNING

RICHARD CHANNING

Woodyard Manager

SEE WHAT WE’RE DOING ON INSTAGRAM

wyreclt

Request for help! Do you have any crates or storag

Request for help! Do you have any crates or storage boxes we can borrow to temporarily store our apples in, before we send them to get pressed? If so, get in touch! info@wyreclt.org.uk #apple #applejuice #wyreforest

Our Dexter cattle are more than happy to help us i

Our Dexter cattle are more than happy to help us in the orchards at this time of year. They love apples, and excitedly follow us and our volunteers about, munching on rotten and bruised windfalls that we leave behind whilst harvesting. #dextercattle #conservationgrazing #wyreforest #apples #traditionalorchards #applejuice

Our volunteers have been busy picking apples from

Our volunteers have been busy picking apples from local orchards this week, which will later be made into our Ruskin Land apple juice. If you’re based locally and have a glut of apples that you don’t know what to do with, then get in touch. We’d be happy to take them off your hands in return for pruning and taking care of your trees, so we can help support the wider network of traditional orchards across the Wyre Forest. #orchards #wyreforest #apple #applejuice #volunteers #conservation

A good friend of WCLT, Wade Muggleton, who has wor

A good friend of WCLT, Wade Muggleton, who has worked with our volunteers and provided us with training on orchard management for many years now has just written a book on the topic. ‘The Orchard Book’ distils Wade’s 20 plus years of orchard know-how to provide practical guidance to those looking to plan, plant and manage their own orchard. The book is out next month and available to pre-order from Permanent Publications @permaculture_uk at https://shop.permaculture.co.uk/the-orchard-book-plan.html #orchard #fruit #wyreforest #volunteers #permaculture

Richard, our Woodyard Manager, has been busy proce

Richard, our Woodyard Manager, has been busy processing some of our timber to be used as log seating for a local school’s new outdoor classroom. The project is being designed and delivered by @Groundworkwestmids as part of the national Nature Friendly Schools programme, which is giving thousands of children from some of the most disadvantaged areas in England the opportunity to get closer to nature. We’re delighted to be able to support the project. For more information, visit: https://www.naturefriendlyschools.co.uk/ #naturefriendlyschools #outdoorclassroom #forestschool #woodyard #timber #wyreforest

If you’ve walked around @RuskinLand recently, yo

If you’ve walked around @RuskinLand recently, you might have spotted these strange mounds of sawdust on the ground. This is where our stump grinder has been in action, grinding down the stumps of trees which we have previously felled. This is part of our woodland ride management work, as it will allow us to more easily mow the grass and maintain the rides as valuable habitat corridors throughout the Wyre Forest. #conservation #woodlandmanagement #wildlifecorridor #wyreforest #ruskinland

The heather has come into bloom across Ruskin Land

The heather has come into bloom across Ruskin Land, and its looking beautiful. Why not visit us today for a bank holiday stroll and see for yourself? #ruskinland #wyreforest #woodland #worcestershirehour

Wyre Forest MP, Mark Garnier, visited Ruskin Land

Wyre Forest MP, Mark Garnier, visited Ruskin Land yesterday to work with conservation volunteers to build more leaky dams on a tributary of Dowles Brook. The Slow the Flow project aims to hold water back in the landscape at times of heavy rainfall and so reduce the likelihood and severity of flooding in Bewdley. ⠀
⠀
Mark Garnier has recently secured £6.2m of government funding for flood defences on Bewdley. Speaking to the volunteers Mr Garnier said, ‘I am really impressed at the work you have all done today to help reduce the flood risk in Bewdley.’⠀
⠀
#wyreforest #leakydam #slowtheflow #bewdley #flooding #naturalfloodmanagement #volunteers

Meet the newest member of the WCLT family: Padraig

Meet the newest member of the WCLT family: Padraig (he has Irish heritage after all!). Mum and calf are doing well, albeit a bit sleepy from all the excitement! #wyreforest #dextercattle #calf #conservationgrazing

Look at this beautiful set of log baskets which we

Look at this beautiful set of log baskets which were made at the weekend! Local craftsperson, Sarah from @Hopewoodbaskets led the two-day course, teaching everyone the wonderful art of willow weaving. We’ve now reached the end of our heritage crafts summer programme, and what a great time we’ve had. If you’re interested in taking part in future craft workshops with us, then get in touch with events@wyreclt.org.uk #willowweaving #basketry #basketmaking #heritagecrafts #wyreforest #ruskinland

We’ve been busy processing firewood and kindling

We’ve been busy processing firewood and kindling this week. We are now taking orders for our sustainably harvested and seasoned wood, so you can get those log fires going again for the fast-approaching cooler evenings of Autumn. A cubic meter is available with free delivery within 5 miles of Bewdley for £100. The netted firewood bags are £5.50 per bag and kindling is £2.95 a bag or 2 for £5. Both of these bags are also available to buy from Hopley Farm And Gift Shop. For more information and to place your order, email info@wyreclt.org.uk or call 01299 488083. #firewood #wyreforest #woodlandmanagement

This week, we welcomed some new residents to St Ge

This week, we welcomed some new residents to St George’s Farm. A local beekeeper asked us whether he could keep some hives on our land, and of course we said yes! The bees will have a feast of nectar and pollen from our wildflower meadows and orchards to make lots of lovely honey from. #wyreforest #ruskinland #beekeeping #bees #wildlife

Today we’re busy setting up for the Far Forest S

Today we’re busy setting up for the Far Forest Show this weekend. We’ve got #RuskinLand apple juice and handcrafted gifts made by our woodworker volunteers to sell; beef from our #dextercattle and sustainably harvested and seasoned firewood and kindling available to order; volunteer opportunities and courses to sign up to; free nature craft activities for children to take part in, and greenwood craft demonstrations to watch; and a group of WCLT staff and volunteers there all day available to chat! The Show is always a great day out, so why not come along? https://www.facebook.com/FarForestShow⠀
#wyreforest #farforestshow #countrysideshow

We’ve had a new arrival this week. Meet Percival

We’ve had a new arrival this week. Meet Percival, mother Marigold’s first calf. We’re expecting up to six more calves this season, so need more names beginning with P. Suggestions on a postcard please! #wyreforest #dextercattle #conservationgrazing #calf

Spot the difference! Our volunteers had a producti

Spot the difference! Our volunteers had a productive morning on Friday, pulling ragwort from one of the fields our cattle graze. Ragwort contains a range of toxins, which if consumed, can cause liver damage to our cows. That’s why one of the regular tasks of our conservation volunteers at this time of year is pulling the ragwort before it sets seed and spreads further #ragwort #wyreforest #conservationgrazing #volunteers #dextercattle

This week, we’ve had our hay meadows cut and bai

This week, we’ve had our hay meadows cut and bailed. We harvest them a bit later than some farms, in order to allow our later flowering meadow plants to set seed. We’ve had a much better harvest than last year – over double the number of bales in some fields in comparison to 2020 – thanks to all the warm wet weather we’ve been having. Our cows will have lots of nutritious hay to keep them going through winter! #ruskinland #wyreforest #haymeadows #dextercattle

We still have a couple of places left on our baske

We still have a couple of places left on our basketry course on 21-22 August. ⠀
Over a relaxing two days, based in our beautiful leafy patch of the #wyreforest, Sarah Loughlin from @HopewoodBaskets, will teach you to weave a wicker log basket. Sarah will calmly guide you through each stage, so no experience is needed, and there will be plenty of time to settle into the environment and to find your piece of calm within the natural rhythm of this ancient craft.⠀
To book your place, visit https://wyreclt.org.uk/events/willow-basketmaking-course/ ⠀
#basketmaking #craftcourse #ruskinland #worcestershirehour #willowweaving

During a recent community group visit with mothers

During a recent community group visit with mothers and their children, we ran a dreamcatcher workshop. Made out of woven willow, twine, salt dough beads, and foraged items from the woodland floor, everyone was able to take home their own dreamcatcher to hang above their bed and capture all those happy dreams of days spent in the beautiful Wyre Forest #wyreforest #craft #dreamcatcher #ruskinland

Our woodworking volunteers have been busy setting

Our woodworking volunteers have been busy setting up shelving and storage units in our Wyre Woodworks Community Workshop. We’re now recruiting new volunteers who are interested in learning and sharing woodworking skills, and contributing to some exciting projects in #RuskinLand. If you'd like to join our team, get in touch with info@wyreclt.org.uk #woodwork #volunteering #wyreforest

We’re pleased to announce that we are going to b

We’re pleased to announce that we are going to be attending the Far Forest Countryside Show this year (14th-15th August). The Show is an annual 2-day event run entirely by volunteers of the Far Forest Society, with the aim of providing a fun day out for all the family and to raise funds to maintain the Far Forest Showground at Callow Hill and support sporting activities in the local community. Wyre Community Land Trust will have a stall at the Show, providing free kids’ activities, showcasing our products, and promoting our events and courses. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/FarForestShow/ #wyreforest #bewdley #countrysideshow

Load More... Follow on Instagram

Join us to receive news from the forest!

For more information about what we do or to enquire about our products events and courses, call us on

01299 488083

or email us: info@wyreclt.org.uk

St Georges Farm
Tanners Hill
Bewdley
DY12 2LS

WCLT is grateful for LEADER funding that has supported forestry machinery and new timber storage buildings.