ASSISTANT FORESTER

Location: North Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire

Babworth Estates comprise 700ha of in-hand farmland and 500ha of woodland near the towns of Retford in north Nottinghamshire and Bawtry in South Yorkshire. The majority of the woodland is commercial conifer, other commercial species include Cricket Bat Willows and Eucalypts. There is a clear felling and restocking programme of between 5 and 10 hectares each year. The broadleaf component is mainly centred around Babworth Park, a listed Park and Garden associated with Humphry Repton. Christmas trees are grown and retailed on site, selling 2,500 trees.

The owner takes a keen interest in the forestry management, and was President of the Royal Forestry Society. He was an instigator of the RFS’s Teaching Trees programme, and is enthusiastic about introducing children to woods and their management.

The Estates want to increase the level of in-house thinning and felling as well as modernising its records to make good use of geographic information systems and is seeking a recently qualified forestry professional.

Key Responsibilities
To lead in the supervision of the estates’ day to day practical forestry operations and maintenance tasks. Delivery of the annual harvesting programme through a combination of motor, manual and mechanised harvesting.

Other key forestry work areas include planting, plantation maintenance, Christmas tree harvesting and delivery, mechanical and chemical scrub clearance, mechanical preparation of sites for planting, and aiding in the mensuration of forest stands.

Work along-side the Head Forester to plan and deliver the estates’ objectives, this includes having input to monthly and weekly work programmes and upholding the shared values we have at Babworth Estates.

Maintain estate tractors, equipment and PPE in good, clean, safe and functional order.

Ensure H&S responsibilities are fulfilled including responsibility for your personal safety and the safety of others affected by your work and take on a shared responsibility to ensure that the estates’ health and safety is complied with across all working areas.

Essential Skills
It is essential that the assistant forester understands the basic principles of forest management so that he or she can undertake their work to the correct standards. We require at least a year’s practical experience in the forestry sector. This is a demanding role where you will spend a significant amount of your working day outdoors, often in inclement weather.

To be successful in this role you will be flexible in your approach to work and be a self-motivator, with the ability to work as part of the Estates’ team or individually. Since this role involves dealing with a varied workload, you should be able to demonstrate excellent communication, organisation and prioritisation skills.

Good experience of tractor driving, tractor-based forwarders and winches is essential.

It is essential that you understand the logistics of forestry operations and you are able to use your knowledge to organise and lead your own working methods. The successful candidate must hold a Full Clean UK Driving Licence, a 3500kg trailer licence is desirable.

Chainsaw experience and certification including chainsaw maintenance, cross-cutting (CS30, 31) and medium tree felling (CS32) is essential. Windblow certificate would be advantageous.

Desirable Forest Machine Operations licences: 208 Base Machine – 209 forwarder unit – 303 use of forestry winches – 213 skidder unit and line extraction.

Experience in the growing and harvesting Christmas trees would be beneficial, but not essential.

The role will attract a competitive salary and benefits package.

Applications with accompanying CV should be made to the Head Forester, Josh Robinson, by email: joshrobinson@tilnfarms.co.uk