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{"available": "entirely", "availability": {"status": {"Recruiting Status 25/26":"RP 25/26","Recruiting Status 26/27":"RP 26/27","Recruiting Status 24/25":"RP 24/25"}, "dates": [{"name":"May 2025","month":"May","year":2025},{"name":"May 2026","month":"May","year":2026},{"name":"May 2024","month":"May","year":2024}]}}

Module - Trees on Farms & Fells

Trees on Farms & Fells, developed in partnership with the Forestry Commission, will develop your knowledge of the opportunities for integrating trees into agriculture on upland farms in England. Through site visits, workshops and online sessions, you will gain awareness of benefits, constraints, tree management, advice and funding options. You will gain the skills to produce a basic tree action plan for an upland farm.

The course has an applied focus and is designed for upland farmers, land managers and advisors. It can be studied separately or as part of our set of Upland Environmental Land Management short courses. Small group taught sessions will take place online, at our Ambleside campus and at upland locations in Cumbria.

Course dates to be confirmed for 2025.

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Course Overview

This module introduces the benefits, trade-offs, options, constraints and processes involved in planned tree growth on England’s upland farms and fells. You will gain an overview of the types of tree planting and care which is possible, practical and justified in the uplands, in terms of environment, heritage and the farm business. You will consider principles and processes to make informed decisions and gain familiarity with key sources of information and advice to use in future. Guided visits to two upland farms and an upland common will demonstrate the principles and processes and provide opportunities for discussion. You will apply your skills to prepare a basic tree action plan for an upland farmed landscape of your choice.

The course includes site visits, workshops and seminars at our Ambleside campus, plus online evening lectures. This part-time course will often be possible to complete whilst working.

On this course you will...

  • Understand the range of benefits of trees on farms and fells in the English uplands.
  • Identify suitable funding options and key organisations to contact for advice and permissions, including for common land.
  • Gain an overview of relevant management strategies including planting schemes.
  • Understand constraints and trade-offs when changing the upland treescape, including practical, financial, environmental trade-offs and regulatory constraints.
  • Identifying opportunities for trees in the local upland farmed landscape.
  • Evaluate practical options ‘on the ground’ and create a justified action plan for trees on an upland farm.

Course Structure

What you will learn

You’ll first consider what we mean by trees on farms and fells: agroforestry, wood pasture, planting and regeneration, hedgerows, farming your trees and regenerative farming. We will explore the context in England: the ways things are changing in farm business, land use policy and agri-environment schemes.
You’ll learn about the broad range of benefits of trees on farms and fells. Via case studies, you’ll consider treescapes and planting schemes of different types and at various stages, how they have been planned and managed, and why they are assets. You'll explore the options for grant funding for trees on farms and fells, gain some awareness of the application processes and the implications of the various grant schemes. You will learn about constraints on planting trees: regulatory impacts and regulators, environmental constraints and cultural constraints. You’ll learn about identifying objectives of a scheme, what’s suitable where, the design of a planting scheme across a landscape, timescales, and environmental impact assessments. You’ll consider wood pasture, especially the opportunities for product quality and product story, profitability and improving soil quality. You’ll be equipped to prepare a basic tree action plan, applying your learning to a specific upland area in practice.

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  • Location

    Ambleside Campus

    Nestled in the Lake District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Ambleside campus is the perfect place for world-savers, animal lovers, and adventurers. There is never a dull moment when surrounded by such natural beauty and opportunity.

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