Youth Conservation Café: Coppicing, Tool Use & Access for All

This session will explore practical conservation skills; introducing participants to hazel coppicing and accessible path maintenance, connecting traditional skills with wider conversations about equity, inclusion, and access to nature.

You’ll learn how tool use, woodland management, and site maintenance can support both wildlife habitats and human wellbeing, ensuring that our green spaces are welcoming and accessible to everyone.

These sessions are for everyone; from those who just love a nature walk to early career environmentalists. No experience needed — just curiosity, enthusiasm, and outdoor clothing you don’t mind getting muddy!

Walking Boots/Wellies/Outdoor Shoes are neccessary!

These monthly Conservation Cafes are a part of our new Youth Pathways Programme, an accessible and inclusive initative for aspiring conservationists, environmentalists and those with a passion for nature. The group will enable young people, especially those who are underrepresented in the sector, to gain more skills, confidence and experience to access their dream careers.

Importantly these workshops have also been designed and will be led by some of our young staff members, who have first-hand experience in navigating the journey of early career nature conservation.

• Learn practical conservation skills in a safe, inclusive space
• Contribute to local biodiversity and accessibility improvements
• Connect with other young people passionate about the environment
• Build experience that could support your future career in conservation, with skill certificates endorsed by the University of Birmingham's BIFOR department.
• Explore environmental justice in action

• This event is free to attend!
• Basic Refreshments and Snacks will be provided. Please bring your own lunch!
• Please wear suitable outdoor clothing and footwear for walking/working in natural space (walking boots,wellies or equivalent).
• Please note that if you're aged 16 or 17, you will need written permission from your parent/guardian to attend. You will be contacted with a form once you provide your age at the booking stage. This event is not suitable for those under 16.

Register now to secure your place – spaces are limited.

Be part of the first step in reimagining what urban conservation looks like.

Info: Grab a hot drink, meet the team, and settle in for the day. We’ll do quick introductions, go over health & safety, and share what to expect.

Info: Learn how to use conservation hand tools safely and effectively. We’ll introduce key tools like bow saws, loppers, and billhooks, followed by a short walk to identify hazel trees and understand their role in woodland ecosystems.

Info: Group 1- Coppicing: Get hands-on experience with traditional woodland management. Learn the technique of hazel coppicing — cutting stems to encourage regrowth, creating varied habitats for wildlife.
Group 2- Site Management & Physical Access: Help make nature more accessible by clearing overgrown paths, cutting back vegetation, and assessing barriers to access. Take part in a mini “accessibility audit” to explore how conservation supports inclusion.

Info: Enjoy your lunch, take a break and chat with other young people about nature, conservation, and accessibility. Reflect on what inclusion means in outdoor spaces. (Lunch NOT provided)

Info: Group 1- Site Maintenance & Physical Access: Switch tasks — work on improving the accessibility of walking routes by cutting back vegetation, clearing hazards, and thinking about who benefits from open, safe paths.
Group 2- Coppicing: Continue coppicing work — learn how to select, cut, and store material safely, and how coppiced wood supports both people and biodiversity.

Info: Gather together for a short reflection on what you’ve learned, how your work supports accessibility and conservation, and receive your skills certificate.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country