Commercially viable amenity uses for woodland

[Big J]

It's a bit of a hypothetical question, but if you had a woodland and you were looking for ways to diversify the income from it (beyond timber harvesting and carbon offsetting), how would you approach it, and what would you look to pursue? 

 

Hypothetical woodland is young broadleaf (20-30ft), fully deer fenced and private. Located within 20 minutes of a town.

 

I had thought private dog walking, glamping pod, forest nursery etc, but I'd be keen to hear any ideas, if you don't mind me picking your collective brains.

[Rough Hewn]

Got a big list somewhere,
I'm in a similar situation.
I'll post it tonight.
[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]

[gdh]

Couple of ideas depending on size and how much work you want to put in:

Motorbike races

Mountainbikes

Wild boar

Pheasant shoot

Horse trails

Adventure playground

Glamping with treehouses could be unique if you had some older trees.

[Mick Dempsey]

Commercial dogging.

 

(rained off today, expect more of this sort of time wasting nonsense from me)

Edited November 25, 2019 by Mick Dempsey

[Woodlover]

The best of ideas are ones that may one day require a house being built?...like the grand designs guy who built in the woods? I would look at that rule book first before going down any road as those rules would help influence any decision I would make.

[Stere]

CX (Cyclo cross) course a new venue?

 

Home

WWW.SWCX.ORG

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South West Cyclo Cross League Information CycloX CX

 

 

Venue for bushcraft skills & green wood working courses

Forest school education.

Forest bathing, nature threapy, outdoor yoga, green gym.

Glamping in yurts and tepees

Wildfood foraging

 

To be commecially viable probably need to do a whole load of suff as alot of things may be only  for 1 day a week seasonal etc?

[Woodlover]

An Idea that I have had for some time is a miniature village for children with the houses all made from logs and pallet wood. In the summer months it would be a picnic type of afternoon event and in the winter it could become a Christmas Elf Village. I would have the houses either side of paths that lead to a clearing where a main event can happen like a Santa`s grotto , Reindeer ,a Fire ,BBQ ect

I made a miniature log cabin for my was 2 year old daughter a few years ago, took a few days but could easily make enough for a whole village within 6 months and for little cost other than the labour if the wood is freely available. The House`s do not have to be water-proof or even open to the public as long as they look good, wood chipped paths and miniature conifers for the village and the jobs a good un.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Here's a link to the next Cornish Woodmeet event J.  Email address to request a direct contact and access the ticket booking thingy is [email protected] if you fancied it. 

 

It's a love-fest for bureau-twats and bearded weirdos in hemp shirts and reed platted sandals where the more fanciful and outlandish the idea (especially if presented in a glossy folder and delivered by a DFL type) the greater the probability of securing grant funding for something that is blatantly unsustainable (business wise)

 

[Paul in the woods]

1 hour ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Commercial dogging.

 

(rained off today, expect more of this sort of time wasting nonsense from me)

I didn't have you down as a fair weather only dogger.

[Conor Wright]

11 hours ago, Big J said:

It's a bit of a hypothetical question, but if you had a woodland and you were looking for ways to diversify the income from it (beyond timber harvesting and carbon offsetting), how would you approach it, and what would you look to pursue? 

 

Hypothetical woodland is young broadleaf (20-30ft), fully deer fenced and private. Located within 20 minutes of a town.

 

I had thought private dog walking, glamping pod, forest nursery etc, but I'd be keen to hear any ideas, if you don't mind me picking your collective brains.

Sponsor a tree. Somebody pays let's say twenty quid to sponsor a tree in the wood, you provide them with a certificate and a location within the woodland where the tree is.. type, age etc..they can give the cert as a gift, keep it themselves to feel like they're helping the environment or, if your name is mick Dempsey, use it as a meeting point for like minded individuals to "ahem" tie up their dogs. You still own the woodland, manage the tree stock etc. The cert is not a right of ownership. If the tree needs to be felled, somebody else can sponsor the planting and care of a tree there in the future. Use the money to add in walkways, cycle tracks etc and extend the uses of the woodland over time to turn a profit. Upsell it as a carbon neutral, low impact, environmentally sound long term clean air initiative.

 

Or bury people there....

 

Legitimately, of course.

 

Woodland burial sites are becoming more popular.

 

Edited November 25, 2019 by Conor Wright
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