Forest Ranger showcases Blackwood Forest
Forest News
08/04/2026
Alison, one of our Forest Rangers joins Sean Bean on S4 Ep 5 of the Get Birding podcast.
Forest Ranger shares their passion for local wildlife with listeners across the country
Alison Seymour, our expert Forest Ranger at Blackwood Forest, features on episode 5 of Get Birding, an award-winning podcast hosted by actor Sean Bean, who has been a keen birdwatcher since he was a teenager growing up in Sheffield.
The episode sees Alison exploring the ancient beech woodland at Blackwood Forest – a 270-hectare wood carpeted in bluebells each spring – examining how blackbirds and chaffinches use different materials to build their nests. Alison also highlights the dawn chorus of robins, blackbirds and song thrushes that Hampshire residents can hear on their own doorstep.
Alison’s Forest Ranger journey
A forest school practitioner and early years educator, Alison's background is in countryside and wildlife management, and she previously taught practical habitat management at Sparsholt College before joining the Forest Holidays team 9 years ago. That hands-on expertise now shapes the ranger activities she leads at Blackwood Forest, from the popular Nature by Night sessions to Mini Forest Rangers for younger visitors – as well as the conservation work that keeps the forest thriving.
Working within the woodland, Alison helps protect crucial habitats such as deadwood, which provides essential nesting and feeding opportunities for birds and other wildlife. In the podcast, she points out woodpecker nesting holes carved into standing trees – the kind of detail that reveals the forest's natural cycles at work.
Beyond birds, Alison has a particular passion for butterflies and is especially proud that Blackwood Forest hosts the regal Purple Emperor. Now, through the podcast, she is bringing the sights and sounds of Blackwood's woodland to a national audience – while encouraging local people to rediscover what's on their own doorstep.
Alison talks about birdwatching
"There's something magical about slowing down and really looking at what's in front of you. In the podcast, we examined blackbird and chaffinch nests – the different materials they use, how they're woven together. It's the kind of detail that's easy to walk past, but once you start noticing, a whole world opens up.
"That's what I find so rewarding about birding – it doesn't require any special skills or equipment. Step outside early in the morning here at Blackwood and you'll hear robins, blackbirds, song thrushes – this incredible dawn chorus. And it's not just here – it's happening in gardens and hedgerows right across Hampshire. You just have to stop, listen, and let yourself tune in."
Find out more about Get Birding
Get Birding – recorded outside in nature – helps all generations learn more about the birds outside our windows, positively impacting wellbeing as well as the planet.
Collaboration with Get Birding was a natural fit for us, with birdwatching being strongly encouraged during our stays across all 13 of our locations.
