Tree surgery & forestry training

About Us

Matt Bate owns and runs Wood Life Training. He has a wealth of experience, having over 30 years industrial arboricultural and training experience.

He works in association with a small team of expert trainers and assessors and aims to provide the highest possible standard of instruction in a positive, friendly and professional way.

Matt Bate (NPTC City & Guilds assessor)

Matt has worked for over 25 years as an arborist (tree surgeon) in both the private and utility sectors of the industry, including several years managing a high-voltage power line clearance team. He has worked on trees at The Lost Gardens of Heligan and Westonbirt Arboretum. He started teaching in 1999 and has worked with both NPTC City and Guilds and Lantra as well as Cannington College and Bicton College.

He has also delivered specialist training for the Fire Service USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) teams and the Royal Marine Commando Assault Engineers. Matt and Amanda also run Wood Life Glamping and manages several small woodlands. They are passionate about trees and teaching new tree surgeons, conservationists and other land managers to value their importance and conduct work to a high standard.

Matt was a freelance instructor and assessor from 1999 and he formally established Wood Life Training in 2020.