Bringing Life Back to the Ravines
Deep in the heart of the Peak District Dales, a team of dedicated conservationists is restoring some of the UK’s most threatened woodlands. The LIFE in the Ravines project focuses on tackling the devastating effects of ash dieback, rebuilding woodland resilience, and ensuring these landscapes thrive for future generations. Meet Nate Evans, one of our dedicated Woodland Restoration Workers. Nate works daily on various essential tasks to restore the woodlands of the Peak District Dales Special Area of Conservation. In this blog, he’ll share what his day-to-day work involves and the importance of these conservation efforts.
Meet Woodland Restoration Worker Nate
As a Woodland Restoration Worker, I spend my days immersed in this rugged terrain, focused on a single, intensive conservation task each day, whether it’s felling diseased trees, planting saplings, staking and tubing young trees, or moving materials across challenging landscapes. Every task is a full day’s work, demanding endurance, precision, and teamwork.
Meet Woodland Restoration Worker Nate
As a Woodland Restoration Worker, I spend my days immersed in this rugged terrain, focused on a single, intensive conservation task each day, whether it’s felling diseased trees, planting saplings, staking and tubing young trees, or moving materials across challenging landscapes. Every task is a full day’s work, demanding endurance, precision, and teamwork.
Morning: Preparing for the Day
The day starts at our base in Parsley Hay, where the team gathers to go over the day’s task. The work varies depending on seasonal priorities, but unlike other conservation roles, we don’t mix tasks, if we’re planting trees, that’s the entire focus of the day. If we’re felling trees, we’ll be doing that from start to finish.
Once the plan is clear, we load up chainsaws, stakes, tree guards, brush cutters, fencing materials, and safety gear as needed for the specific task. Working in steep limestone ravines means that accessing sites is often half the battle, requiring 4×4 vehicles, ATVs, or long hikes carrying heavy equipment.
Before setting off, we conduct safety checks, risk assessments, and review lone working procedures. These steps are crucial, as we frequently work in isolated areas where terrain and weather conditions can add unexpected challenges.
Task-Based Work: One Job, One Day
Each day is dedicated entirely to one of the following tasks:
1. Tree Felling – Managing Ash Dieback
A significant part of our role involves tackling ash dieback, a fungal disease that is rapidly killing ash trees across the UK. These trees become brittle and hazardous, requiring careful felling, processing, and site clearing. On particularly steep slopes, we use winches and directional felling techniques to control how trees fall, ensuring minimal impact on surrounding habitats.
1. Tree Felling – Managing Ash Dieback
A significant part of our role involves tackling ash dieback, a fungal disease that is rapidly killing ash trees across the UK. These trees become brittle and hazardous, requiring careful felling, processing, and site clearing. On particularly steep slopes, we use winches and directional felling techniques to control how trees fall, ensuring minimal impact on surrounding habitats.
2. Tree Planting – Restoring the Future Forest
We have 320 trees to plant in one area. The planting process is divided into two tasks over as many days. One being staking and the other being planting. On staking days, we hammer in stakes with the aid of an iron bar to get the hole started. Newly planted trees require immediate protection from deer and rabbits, which can strip young saplings of their bark or eat them entirely. We install stakes and tree guards, ensuring each sapling has the best possible start. This is a slow, methodical process, often requiring a full day to cover a single site. On planting days, we spend the entire day digging, planting, and tubing young trees. The terrain makes this particularly challenging, as soil conditions are rocky, and slopes can be difficult to navigate. We plant native species such as oak, rowan, and yew to increase biodiversity and strengthen woodland resilience.
2. Tree Planting – Restoring the Future Forest
We have 320 trees to plant in one area. The planting process is divided into two tasks over as many days. One being staking and the other being planting. On staking days, we hammer in stakes with the aid of an iron bar to get the hole started. Newly planted trees require immediate protection from deer and rabbits, which can strip young saplings of their bark or eat them entirely. We install stakes and tree guards, ensuring each sapling has the best possible start. This is a slow, methodical process, often requiring a full day to cover a single site. On planting days, we spend the entire day digging, planting, and tubing young trees. The terrain makes this particularly challenging, as soil conditions are rocky, and slopes can be difficult to navigate. We plant native species such as oak, rowan, and yew to increase biodiversity and strengthen woodland resilience.
3. Material Transport – Moving Equipment Across Remote Terrain
Some days are dedicated purely to moving materials to future planting or fencing sites. This means loading and transporting heavy stakes, fencing, and saplings across difficult terrain using ATVs, trailers, or carrying loads manually. These days require endurance, teamwork, and strategic planning to ensure everything is in place for the next phase of restoration.
3. Material Transport – Moving Equipment Across Remote Terrain
Some days are dedicated purely to moving materials to future planting or fencing sites. This means loading and transporting heavy stakes, fencing, and saplings across difficult terrain using ATVs, trailers, or carrying loads manually. These days require endurance, teamwork, and strategic planning to ensure everything is in place for the next phase of restoration.
4. Lunch Under the Tarp – The Team’s Base in the Field
Regardless of the task, one thing remains constant: lunch under the tarp. On-site, we set up a temporary shelter to give us some relief from the rain, wind, or occasional Peak District sunshine. This becomes our base for the day, a place to regroup, drink some tea, and discuss progress before heading into the afternoon’s work.
There’s a strong team spirit in these moments, whether it’s joking about the worst weather we’ve worked in, comparing the quality of our lunches, or sharing the most interesting wildlife sightings of the day.
4. Lunch Under the Tarp – The Team’s Base in the Field
Regardless of the task, one thing remains constant: lunch under the tarp. On-site, we set up a temporary shelter to give us some relief from the rain, wind, or occasional Peak District sunshine. This becomes our base for the day, a place to regroup, drink some tea, and discuss progress before heading into the afternoon’s work.
There’s a strong team spirit in these moments, whether it’s joking about the worst weather we’ve worked in, comparing the quality of our lunches, or sharing the most interesting wildlife sightings of the day.
5. Tools of the Trade - Machinery, Equipment, and Safety
Every task requires the right tools and careful safety procedures. Depending on the job, we might be using:
- Chainsaws – For felling and processing diseased ash trees.
- Brush cutters – To clear competing vegetation before planting.
- Winches and rigging equipment – For felling trees in dangerous locations.
- Quad bikes and ATVs – To move materials and navigate steep terrain.
5. Tools of the Trade - Machinery, Equipment, and Safety
Every task requires the right tools and careful safety procedures. Depending on the job, we might be using:
- Chainsaws – For felling and processing diseased ash trees.
- Brush cutters – To clear competing vegetation before planting.
- Winches and rigging equipment – For felling trees in dangerous locations.
- Quad bikes and ATVs – To move materials and navigate steep terrain.
Safety is always the priority. Before using any equipment, we conduct pre-start checks, wear full PPE, and ensure that risk assessments are up to date. The steep, rocky landscapes we work in demand constant awareness and teamwork to prevent accidents.
6. End of the Day - Wrapping Up and Looking Ahead
Once the day’s task is completed, we return to Parsley Hay, clean and maintain our equipment, and record our work. Conservation is a long-term commitment, and while individual days might focus on a single task, each one plays a vital role in the larger restoration of the Peak District’s woodlands.
There’s something incredibly rewarding about seeing the direct impact of our work, a newly planted grove, a protected stand of saplings, or the gradual return of wildlife to a restored area.
6. End of the Day - Wrapping Up and Looking Ahead
Once the day’s task is completed, we return to Parsley Hay, clean and maintain our equipment, and record our work. Conservation is a long-term commitment, and while individual days might focus on a single task, each one plays a vital role in the larger restoration of the Peak District’s woodlands.
There’s something incredibly rewarding about seeing the direct impact of our work, a newly planted grove, a protected stand of saplings, or the gradual return of wildlife to a restored area.
Why This Work Matters
The woodlands of the Peak District Dales are unique, but they are at risk from disease, climate change, and habitat fragmentation. Without active conservation, they will continue to decline. The work we do…felling, planting, and protecting trees, is essential to ensuring that these landscapes remain rich in biodiversity and resilient for the future.
I have always loved working in forests, and my career is dedicated to woodland conservation. This role has reinforced my passion for forest restoration, habitat management, and ecological resilience. In the long term, I hope to specialise in woodland consultancy, helping to shape conservation efforts on a larger scale.
For anyone considering a career in conservation, woodland restoration is one of the most rewarding fields you can work in. The work is physical, unpredictable, and challenging, but every tree planted and every habitat restored is a step toward a healthier, more resilient future.
Written by Nate Evans – Seasonal Woodland Restoration Worker