Emma Goldsmith - [email protected]
Emma has worked in the third sector for the past 17 years, in a range of settings from homelessness prevention to substance misuse. She spent three years as a communications manager for a mental health charity before joining Small Woods in September 2021. Her main role is arranging and co-ordinating the Small Woods courses across the UK, including Lost Woods courses. Emma was a previously a Communications Officer for the organisation and is well versed in communication strategy and marketing. She is also a freelance photographer and is continuously updating and expanding the image library.
Chris Keeler - [email protected]
Chris co-ordinates and teaches woodland management and heritage skills, mainly in the south of England, as well as being the lead trainer for the Lost Woods project in Sussex and lead contact for SWA members in the area.
A fourth-generation forester and coppice worker, Chris grew up in the sweet chestnut coppice woods of Kent and has worked in the coppice, woodland, and arboriculture industry for over 20 years. He considers himself very fortunate to have learned his trade from some of the last ‘proper’ woodsmen who cut trees with axe, hook, and hand saw and still uses these tools to this day. Chris is passionate about passing on this knowledge to others, as well as communicating his love of all things nature.
Outside of SWA, you will often find Chris demonstrating coppicing and heritage skills at shows around the south-east, or on a cricket pitch somewhere. Naturally, his favourite tree is sweet chestnut.
John Mitchell - [email protected]
John has a varied background, working on environmental and land management projects across the public, private and third sectors. With a specialism and particular fondness for trees and woodlands, he has endeavoured to prolong his childhood playing in the woods, just with louder and more expensive toys. Owing so much of his own personal happiness to time spent in nature, he feels obliged to pass this on and enable others to experience its benefits for themselves.
