About us
Working with the landscape
Our Story
Sylvan started out as a partnership between a woodland manager and a botanist, both with strong backgrounds in ecology and conservation. The partnership grew from a desire to set up a contracting and consultancy business capable of managing each stage of a project, from creation to implementation, combining theoretical knowledge of woodlands, ecology and agroforestry, with practical skills in sustainable land management. We have combined our skills and experiences as land managers, to offer a range of services from low-impact forestry to agroforestry and meadow management.
Find out more about the services we provide by clicking the links below.
George Foster
George is a woodland manager, specialising in continuous cover forestry and low-impact sustainable practices. He started out as a coppice worker in South Wales, then went on to manage a number of high forest woodlands in the mid-Marches area, including converting 200h of the Wyre Forest to a continuous cover forestry system. He has a strong background in conservation and ecology, having managed nature reserves for several wildlife trusts and holds an MSc in Ecology. Alongside his woodland and conservation work, George has developed an interest and knowledge in agroforestry, and has been involved in a number of projects across the UK, Spain and Portugal. He returned to West Wales to set up his own business focusing on bringing Welsh woodlands back into sustainable management and helping to forge a link between forestry and agriculture through agroforestry.
Holly Sayer
Holly is a grower and FISC Level 4 botanist, specialising in meadow management and agroforestry design. She’s managed hay meadows, woodlands and grasslands for multiple wildlife trusts, conducting habitat restoration work and surveys. As well as her formal training in horticulture and experience in botany and ecology, Holly has worked on a number of agroforestry projects and commercial farms, before moving to West Wales to set up a business. Alongside her specialism in species-rich meadows, Holly has developed a particular interest in incorporating companion planting into productive landscape-scale agroforestry designs. She is a firm believer, that through site-specific design and planning, and the application of different techniques, both small and large spaces can be made productive, profitable and beautiful.