Dronley Community Woodland Site Visit
Friday 1st May 2026. 10am-4pm. Free for CWA Members
Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to learn all about Continuous Cover Forestry, in situ at Dronley Community Woodland, near Dundee. CWA is delighted to invite you for a return visit to Dronley Community Woodland, Dundee, as a follow-up to our Forest Concepts Suitable for Community Woodlands virtual event on 11th March.
Whether you attend(ed) the virtual event or not, CWA would like to invite you to visit Dronley Community Wood to learn how Dirk and the members of the group are working to make their woodland more sustainable and resilient through the application of various ecological woodland transformation methods.
This event is FREE for all CWA members, and there is a small charge of £25 for non-CWA members. Unfortunately, we currently do not have access to the Community Learning Exchange Fund to support member travel expenses.
Applications close at 12 noon on Thursday 16th April 2026. Should you have limited mobility please do contact sharon@communitywoods.org to discuss.
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Dronley Wood became a community woodland group in 2019 and is managed according to Continuous Cover Forestry Principles. Its long-term woodland management vision is to transform the existing woodland towards a diverse, stable, resilient, permanent irregular mixed wood for the benefit of future generations.
Size and Species - Dronley Wood has a size of 50 ha.
The main tree species are: Scots Pine, Hybrid Larch, Norway Spruce, Sitka Spruce and Douglas Fir. Most of the stands are over 60 years old.
There are only two small stands of broadleaves (1 Birch, 1 Beech) .
The short-term woodland management aim is to regenerate the wood by encouraging natural regeneration, under-planting and direct seeding (under the existing canopy).
Storm and Pest Damage - Dronley CW has been damaged substantially during the recent storms. The increasing frequency and severity of the storms and increasing effects of forest pests (Great Spruce Bark Beetle on Sitka and Norway Spruce and the Pine Shoot Beetle on Scots Pine) highlight the importance and urgency of developing existing woodlands into site-adapted, resilient, diverse, stable, multi-aged mixed woodlands.
Community Involvement - Dronley CW is also committed to establishing a strong connection between the local community and their community woodland, with the woodland group offers training, research, cooperation, education, and local employment opportunities.
There is fantastic volunteer support with more than 3000 volunteer hours executed since 2019. During the last few years, the woodland groups has planted thousands of trees, set up small-fenced areas for underplanting, and hosted 6 apprentices, student projects and several chainsaw courses. They also carried out several low impact thinnings to regenerate, restructure and develop Dronley Wood towards a mixed woodland.
During the last few months, the woodland group has also improved the woodland infrastructure, which is essential for implementing Continuous Cover Forestry principles.
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During the exchange visit, Dirk and his team will cover the following topics:
Site-Adaptation of Tree Species and Climate Change
Woodland Infrastructure - the Key to Continuous Cover Forestry
Regenerating and Restructuring Stands of Scots Pine, Sitka Spruce and Norway Spruce
Assessing the Carbon Storage of Existing Stands and Woodland Soil (a recent research project by Pourang Mozafari from Abertay University) as Potential for Environmental Service Charges
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The visit will start at 10 am and will finish circa 4pm on Friday 1st May 2026. More information will be provided after your place has been confirmed.
Please bring with you: sturdy footwear, waterproofs, and your own packed lunch and sustenance for the day.
Still not sure if this visit is right for you? Read what previous participants have said about attending exchange visits arranged by CWA:
“In the long term, we are seeking to remove our non-native conifers and replace them with native woodland. This visit was very informative on how we could do that in a way that maintains the wood structure without clear felling. It showed us methods to reduce risks from further windblow from removing trees, and what planting we could do to increase resilience. It also suggested ways in which we could involve the community more to help maintain the woodland once we have passed on.”
“Very well worthwhile. It was quite a long way to travel, but I really enjoyed it and the new connections I made. If you are ever thinking about an exchange, please book it (along with your Trustees and enthusiastic volunteers) and “Just do it”. You won’t regret it”
“Dirk carries so much expertise that one could spend days or months or years in a woodland with him absorbing experience and knowledge of management principles.”
“The event educated me into a different way of managing a woodland for the benefit of the planet and effective carbon sequestration.”