We set up Bulworthy Project as an experiment in low impact living and working. As children, we both wanted to run away to the woods and live without the adults. As adults, this evolved into wanting to live a sustainable life where we’re as self-reliant as seems practical. We earn a living by providing land management services including Woodland consultancy and woodland management plans.
Our philosophy when it comes to land management is to maximise habitat value and carbon retention. We chose the land that we live on, partly because it has been badly managed in the past. It was originally culm grassland, was covered in orchids and other wildflowers. It was home to a wide array of birds and other wildlife. It was planted up with spruce in the 1960s, then clear-felled, drained and planted with a confer deciduous mix in the 1990s. Most of the original habitats were destroyed in the process, but some pockets remained. As well as managing the woodland for wildlife, We’re restoring the culm in and around these pockets to create, what Devon Wildlife Trust have described as “a mosaic of habitats”. It is the most rewarding work imaginable.
We’re off-grid for electricity; both our house and office are powered by solar. We wrote a piece about how we got planning permission, to share our experiences of the planning system.
We’re always looking for new ways to preserve and enhance habitats. Along with three other trustees, we have registered a charity, known as Devon Culm. This charity has acquired land to create its first nature reserve. Devon Culm is supported by Bulworthy Project, but is run independently, with decisions made by its trustees, based on its charitable objective, which is: to promote the conservation of the physical and natural environment by promoting biological diversity and carbon sequestration on the culm measures.
For more details, go to devonculm.org.uk.
Testimonials
Bulworthy Project prepared our woodland Management Plan covering 5ha of woodland, of which 3.6ha are registered as SSSI. They also prepared an Implementation Plan for the grassland areas within our SSSI land covering 6.4ha. Their work included liaising with Natural England, Devon Wildlife Trust, and the Forestry Commission on our behalf.
Their extensive conservation knowledge has been exceptional, helping us better understand our land’s biodiversity. They have also been very helpful in introducing us to the Rural Payments Agency and guiding us through the various grants available to support the work we need to undertake on our land.
Miranda Wood
Pete and Anna combine a love of wildlife and commitment to conservation with expertise and professionalism in woodland planning and management. They also have an excellent knowledge of the grant funding available for creating and maintaining woodlands.
They assessed our woodlands and produced a woodland plan full of creative solutions based on the priorities which we had put forward, and completed the work within the grant funding available.
We were delighted with their work and have found the advice which they have given us has been invaluable.
Gerald Manning & Gill Edwards