Permaculturists are sometimes accused of naïvely peddling ideas and techniques suitable only to Australia and that permaculture is somehow inappropriate here. We are now, thanks to the dedicated work of many people over the last 20+ years, beginning to accumulate a collective body of tried and tested experience and with this landmark publication, permaculture in these islands has come of age.
I visited Prickly Nut Wood a couple of months ago and was deeply impressed by what I saw there. Apart from the fact that it is a movingly beautiful place, what Ben has done there is amazing. He coppices the woods, grows mushrooms on logs, makes ponds, grows food, generates his power, makes rustic furniture, charcoal, yurts, hurdles, he teaches, he consults and now he writes books too.
The Woodland Way contains a vast body of insight and practical advice, all of it deeply rooted within a permaculture philosophy. The real power of this book, as of all great permaculture texts, is twofold. Firstly, you reach the last page and feel equipped to have a go at it yourself, and secondly is the realisation of how different the world would be if more people were doing this stuff.
Ben is a man who has a deep reverence for Nature and for trees and this shines through his writing. For example, in the section on evaluating woodland, he suggests that you not only visit a wood as many times as you can but also visit it at night, to really help you get a feel for the place in all its aspects. This prompted me to wonder how many forestry ‘specialists’ have stood in a woodland at night listening to the owls.
The chapter on ‘From Tree to Finished Product’ looks at the wide diversity of yields possible from a well-managed wood. For anyone who still thinks that making a living from the woods means flogging the occasionai greenwood chair and a few hazelnuts, Ben shows that well designed woodland enterprises can be serious business and that the surface has only just been scratched in terms of potential. There are many inspiring case studies showing ‘the Woodland Way’ in practice around the UK, yielding both environmental benefits and a good economic return.
The book’s concluding chapter, ‘The Future’, sets out such a clear and common sense vision for the future that it deserves to be published in its own right as a small booklet. Ben and everyone involved in producing this precious addition to the permaculture library deserve our thanks for offering another steady step towards diversity, abundance and a world fit for our children to inherit.
Rob Hopkins is the founder of the Transition movement and author of From What Is to What If and several other books. Find out more about his work at
