About Us
Tom Murphy
Knowing how to manage existing trees, woodlands and hedges on your land, or establish new ones can be complicated, with many different options available. With good planning, establishment and management, trees can be integrated into your landscape, providing many useful functions and benefits.
From enhancing biodiversity and carbon sequestration to improving productivity of crops and livestock, and also providing a direct source of income, there are many ways in which trees and hedges can benefit your landscape and business. Much of our nation’s tree resource has suffered through lack of management over the last 70 years, it’s time to take another look at our trees.
Through over twenty years of experience I have had the opportunity to work for and advise private clients, a number of Parish Councils, The National Trust, The New Forest National Park, the Forestry Commission and others, applying expertise gained through both formal education and through practical experience.
If you’re seeking advice and/or implementation of a project, contact me for an initial chat about the challenge you’re facing or an opportunity you want to explore, or find out more about the services I provide.
Can we help with your woodland management?
Experience
As a dedicated lifelong learner and someone who is passionate about the natural world and our relationship with it, I regularly attend lectures, conferences, and courses to keep up-to-date with the latest research and methods, along with the best of traditional skills and age-old wisdom. In recent years I have attended events run by The Royal Forestry Society, The Permaculture Association, Groundswell, Oxford Real Farming Conference, Farm ED, The Soil Association, and the Organic Research Centre. This continuous professional development ensures that I can give the very best of advice to my clients. I have gained a number of relevant formal qualifications, but ultimately nothing quite beats what I’ve learned from the many different scenarios experienced and people I have worked with over the years.
I have been involved with a variety of projects over the last 20 years including;
- Running a woodland restoration project for the New Forest National Park
- Designing and implementing woodland planting and management schemes.
- Running a tree care and wood-fuel supply business
- Designing and creating wildlife gardens
- Managing a large scale higher tier countryside stewardship scheme over two farms.
- Leading volunteer groups.
I am passionate about community projects and believe in involving more people actively in the landscape and the many benefits that can bring.
I am the founder member of the Isle of Wight Coppice Group, formed in 2018 with the help of the Down to the Coast landscape partnership.
I am the founder also of the Coppins Community Food Forest in Newport, supplementing the local foodbank and community with fresh produce grown on public open space.
I have also served as a parish councilor in Freshwater for two years, projects including planting 420 native trees with the community and establishing a community orchard.
In 2022 I also co-facilitated a series of men’s woodland wellbeing sessions run through Issoropia foundation (NHS mental health provider) teaching woodland skills to service users.
From palnning to management.
Qualifications
- Higher National Diploma in Rural Resource Management (Plymouth University – Seale Hayne Agricultural College 1998)
- Royal Forestry Society Certificate in Arboriculture (2006)
- Permaculture Design Certificate (Earthcare Education New Zealand 2016)
- NPTC chainsaw certificates (1996-2014) + FISA refreshers
- Emergency First Aid at Work (+ Forestry) 3 yearly.
Are you looking to work in the great outdoors?
If you’re interested in exploring this rewarding work as a career, you can find out more about my particular experiences here – everyone’s journey will look different, but for me I went from working in gardens, through to building up my own business, then changing tack and taking a course in New Zealand, before finding myself back on the beautiful Isle of Wight.
