Sam started in forestry at 16, completing an apprenticeship at the Burghley estate in Stamford covering all aspects of woodland, wider estate management and the preparation of the of the prestigious Burghley House Horse Trials. In between the practical skills gained, I went on to study certificate in Forestry at Myerscough college at 18, before completing a Diploma in Arboriculture through Tree Life Training in 2019.

After a number of years working for Burghley estate, Sam went on to become the Deputy Head Forester responsible for a team and the day to day running. The wide range of work from commercial woodland management, arboricultural works and surveys has given me a broad range of experience across countryside estate management. He then moved on to Lockhart Garratt ltd before merging with Nicholson’s as a forestry consultant. This role built upon his practical forestry experience and involved me advising landowners across the East Midlands and surrounding counties on all aspect’s woodland management, with a special focus on woodland creation, delivering schemes ranging from 1 hectare along field margins through to 70-hectare landscape scale and everything in between in conjunction with the forestry commission grants on offer, overseeing implementation works, through to carbon registration.

During this time, Sam studied a Post Graduate Diploma in Forestry through Bangor University. He then went on to become a professional member of the Arboricultural Association in winter 2023. When Sam isn’t working, he can often be found on a tractor in the Cambridgeshire Fens, assisting his family in law on their small holding.

Sam looks forward to meeting both new and longstanding clients with Oakbank