For nearly four years I’ve been volunteering with Mersey Forest, working with a brilliant group who are helping to restore Griffen Wood. You can learn more about the work of the Mersey Forest, why I started and the value I get from it HERE.

When I first joined, the place was dark and crowded. Willow and other fast-growing species had taken over, blocking light and limiting the mix of wildlife the site could support. Since then, we’ve been slowly rebalancing the area: removing invasive species, widening walkways, clearing ponds, planting new trees and creating new paths so more birds, wildlife and people can enjoy it again.

With National Tree Week upon us — the UK’s yearly celebration of tree planting and woodland care, led by The Tree Council — it feels like the right moment to reflect on how much this work mirrors the world of L&D.

Here are five lessons the woods quietly remind me of.

1. Clear the Crowding Before You Grow Anything New

One of the first things we had to do in Griffen Wood was cut back the willow that had taken over. It wasn’t malicious — it just grows fast. But its presence meant nothing else could thrive underneath. And it’s a job that needs doing regularly.

Most learning projects start the same way. Before you add new content, you need to look at what’s already there. Old modules, outdated slides, inherited activities… they become the “willow” of L&D. They crowd out attention, confuse learners and stop new ideas taking hold.

A good question to ask:
What needs clearing before anything new stands a chance?

2. Pruning Isn’t Loss – It’s Care

Pruning feels brutal when you’re holding the saw for the first time. I felt it was wrong to cut trees down. But once you step back, you realise how much more light reaches the ground. Space lets the oak saplings push through and wild flowers to grow.

This has Donald Clark’s point about cognitive load written all over it. Learners don’t need more, they need better. When we cut back the clutter in a session, we’re not reducing value; we’re giving the essentials space to breathe.

Pruning in L&D often means:

• Removing the “nice to haves”
• Cutting sessions down to the real core
• Letting key ideas get the light they deserve

3. Plant With Intention and Adapt to Reality

It took a while to become clear, but there is a land management plan for Griffen Wood: species, locations, spacing, long-term vision. But the land (and weather) always has a say. Some patches stay too wet. Others dry out faster than expected. Shade shifts. Weather changes your timing.

So you adjust. Our work schedule isn’t fixed – it’s a guide.

Designing learning works exactly like this. A project plan is essential, but once you start digging into needs, readiness, and organisational conditions, you often have to tweak your approach. For the exact same reasons. Writing detailed facilitator’s notes is very much like producing a management plan: It’s a guide. It has to be flexible if it’s going to work.

Ask yourself:
Is the goal clear, and are there multiple ways to achieve it?

4. Create Paths That Draw People In

Something we’ve started doing recently is widening walkways and creating new paths. You see people begin to explore areas they’d never visited before. A good path doesn’t force you — it simply invites you in.

Learning design is the same. If people feel the path is narrow, confusing or overgrown, they’ll avoid it. But when we make the route obvious, accessible and welcoming, engagement increases naturally.

Design paths that:

• Help learners know where they’re going
• Offer small wins along the way
• Make the next step feel inviting, not intimidating

5. Stewardship Beats Speed Every Time

Woodland restoration is slow, steady work. Clearing, planting, returning, checking, adjusting. Nothing changes overnight, and that’s part of the magic — you’re caring for something that will outlast you.

L&D is also stewardship. We may run a workshop on a Tuesday, but the real results show weeks or months later, when skills start showing up in small, everyday behaviours. Sustainable learning is shaped by repeated care, not quick fixes.

A Thought to Take into National Tree Week

Whether you’re designing a programme, developing others or shaping culture, the woods offer a quiet reminder:

🌱 Growth needs light.
🌱 Direction needs flexibility.
🌱 And everything worth cultivating takes time.

So here’s a question to consider when designing and delivering learning experiences: What am I doing today that helps something grow long after I’ve left the session?

And if you need inspiration, why not take a look at the FREE and Low-Cost Resources on the website?

OR take a look at these short Monday Musing Videos that were inspired by my work in the Forest?