I am a coppice worker in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, I love what I do, which is working a woodland sustainably using traditional methods and tools. I am passionate about the use of hand tools for woodland management and craft. It just makes everything better. I can fell a tree whilst still being able to hear the birds, I can make a stool while chatting to my fellow greenwood workers and I can carve a spoon sat in front of the fire.

Hand tools encourage sustainability. They slow you down (but not as much as people think) and consequently make you consider your choices more. Hand tools also connect you to the wood you work and then ultimately to the end product, be that a log for the fire or a spoon for your bowl. There are many advantages, but mostly I use them because I enjoy them and I love the process of using them. To quote Barn the Spoon – to work a coppice with hand tools is ‘to have a good job in the woods’.

For more information on what coppice is please see the page on coppice management.

My journey to become a coppice worker began at Coppicewood College in Pembrokeshire. Coppicewood run a variety of courses including a 6 month woodland skills course. It is a wonderful course and I can thoroughly recommend it. For more information please have a look at their website.