College Day 09/02/2026

 Today at Shuttleworth we covered content that fulfilled the following Onefile criteria:

  • Surveys
  • Land Management (Including Conservation, Ecology and Legislation)
  • Common Farming Practices

Surveying: Today we used a probing inspection camera to investigate gaps and hollowed sections of trees as one would typically use in a VTA (Visual Tree Assessment). These assessments are generally done to gauge the safety of a Tree, its overall health, i.e. is it diseased, how old is it, how secure is it. The use of the camera (OR DRONES) also allow for one to investigate whether animals use the tree as a habitat and check if the tree homes protected species or not.



Land Management: Following on from the topic of protected species - if one is looking to develop land, work on a tree or remove a tree, it is important to survey it as there are often very hefty fines involved when destroying their habitats. With any type of Bat in the UK it is a fine of £5,000 per bat when a habitat is removed, disturbed, damaged or destroyed as per ' The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994' and the same applies to Butterflies and Greater Crested Newts too.


If one is looking to use their land to provide a service it is important to consider where you are and what is already on your land. If you have ancient trees that are used as a habitat for a protected species be sure to capitalise on that. Equally if you have aging trees that require lots of maintenance, would it potentially be more profitable to remove it and utilise the space for other purposes within reason.

My experience in managing trees through pruning last week with Craig at Maydencroft ties into this too as obviously it is important to prune trees not only for their health but also for the purpose of the value they add to a site in the first place - you wouldn't own a fruit tree and prune it so fruit cannot be harvested from it.



Common Farming Practices:
We also discussed common farming practices, mainly in relation to the seasons, while that doesn't really effect me and the work I do, it is still worth knowing. 

Here is a list of farming activities for each month, based on the image you provided:

January

  • Livestock feeding & management
  • Farm maintenance

February

  • Fertilising winter sown crops
  • Preparing for spring calving & lambing (But can begin as early as december)

March

  • Planting spring sown crops
  • Calving & lambing
  • Lambing open days

April

  • Fertilising, protecting & weeding of crops
  • Plant potatoes

May

  • Fruit orchards in full bloom
  • Preparing for harvest

June

  • Sheep shearing
  • Summer solstice

July

  • Silage & haymaking
  • Soft fruit harvest: berries & currants
  • Summer Havest

August

  • Summer harvest 

September

  • Ploughing & cultivating
  • Top fruit harvest: e.g. apples, plums & pears

October

  • Planting winter sown crops
  • Harvest Festival
  • Pumpkin picking

November

  • Livestock brought indoors
  • Plant spring bulbs
  • Tree planting

December

  • Harvest winter vegetables: e.g. Cauliflower, beetroot, swede, parsnips, leeks & sprouts
  • Winter solstice


In Grounds and Estates at Maydencroft I assume the tasks are fairly seasonal as well Winter seems to be mainly tree planting and litter picking at the minute as grass and hedges are growing at a slower rate, in the spring time and summer I imagine that is when cutting back will become much more prominent again along with watering. Then Autumn will again bring the final cuts for the year for grass and then a lot of leaf clearing jobs.

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