Deep in the rolling Chilterns, something is afoot. Usually the exclusive haunt of woodland wildlife and majestic red kites, the forest around Braziers Park, near Wallingford, will this weekend also resound to the sound of melodic folk, country and rock.

Wood festival, which bursts into life tomorrow, is the first real festival of the summer. It is also one of its loveliest and certainly its greenest.

Organised as an offshoot of the bigger and noisier Truck Festival, still held nearby in Steventon, Wood is intimate, welcoming and environmentally-friendly. Its carbon footprint is negligible, with pedal power and public transport encouraged, and green energy utilised on site. The food and drink is locally-sourced and organic, plastic cups are replaced by reusable tumblers, loos are composters and even the stage is green, literally, being made of wood and with a roof turfed with wild flowers.

Revellers – half of whom are children accompanied by their enlightened parents – spend their time learning new skills and crafts, communing with nature, joining workshops in everything from yoga to building their own wormery, or soaking up a superlative bill of music played by artists from around the world.

For its 10th anniversary, Wood has assembled one of its strongest line-ups yet, with appropriately-named blues and soul-rockers Treetop Flyers; 77:78 – featuring Aaron Fletcher and Tim Parkin of The Bees; Bristol art-rockers Yama Warash; political folk artist Grace Petrie; and Bennett Wilson Poole – a three-piece consisting of Danny Wilson of the band Danny And The Champions Of The World, Carterton producer and guitarist Tony Poole, and Robin Bennett of the band The Dreaming Spires – who set up and continued to run the festival with his brother, and fellow musician, Joe.

“This year’s festival is shaping up nicely and looks like being a really good one,” says Robin – whose environmental credentials are impeccable, having stood as a Green candidate in the last General Election in the deep blue Henley constituency.

“I can’t believe we have reached our 10th anniversary,” he says. “When we started out I didn’t think it would go on this long. It has crept up on us.”

He admits the location is a big drawing card, being remote enough to feel like wilderness, yet easily reached by bus or, if one really must, by car. Braziers Park is home to a sustainable friendly society and the grounds are home to badger, fox and deer.

The historic woodland, part of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, once supplied London with charcoal, hence its curious name.

Every year Robin and Joe choose a native animal to champion. This year it is the humble water vole.

“They are the most endangered British mammal,” says Robin, who lives in Dorchester. “They used to be very common but are now rare. We don’t have any on the Wood site, but they can be seen beside the rivers Thames and Thame.

“The local wildlife trust will be on site making water vole masks, and if anyone fancied dressing up as one, we certainly wouldn’t put them off!”

Despite being small – with just 2,000 people on site (700 of whom are children and 600 crew and artists), the line-up is superb, with at least half the artists being women. Highlights will include Treetop Flyers – who have previously graced stages at Glastonbury, Cropredy, Truck and Wilderness festivals and who will be playing material from their new album. Also tipped for great things are art-rockers Yama Warashi, whose name translates as small childlike mountain spirit, and who combine free-form jazz with Japanese sounds, tribal African music and psychedelia.

“We’ve had some success with a few ‘out there’ things late at night and wanted to pursue more of that,” says Robin. “I’m very curious but think it’ll be great.”

Then there’s All Our Exes Live in Texas, a supergroup of Australian singer-songwriters Elana Stone, Katie Wighton, Hannah Crofts and Georgia Mooney, who revel in four-part indie-folk harmonies with mandolin, ukulele, accordion and guitar.

A familiar face will be Nick Cope – best known as a family entertainer, but who will be playing an unusual evening set. Also playing are singer-songwriter and Robert Plant collaborator Julie Murphy; Orphan Colours, featuring Ahab members Steven Llewellyn, Dave Burn and Graham Knight, Danny & The Champions of The World’s drummer Steve Brookes, and Noah & the Whale guitarist Fred Abbott; Oxfordshire singer and fiddle player Jackie Oates, and Cornwall’s William the Conqueror.

Robin and Joe traditionally play multiple sets, joining their friends on stage, and this year is no different. “I think Joe will be up there about 10 times and I’ll be playing about five. After all, someone has got to keep an eye on things!”

Robin’s biggest set will be with new trio Bennett Poole Wilson.

“It contains hints of all the music we enjoy, and there are messages in the songs too, in a 60s kind of way” says Robin. “It sounds like a cross between Crosby Stills and Nash and what Danny calls ‘neckerchief rock’. Tony was in a 70s band called Starry Eyed and Laughing, who were like an English Byrds, and is still an amazing guitarist and an exceptional producer. A couple of years ago Danny and I recorded an album with him in his living room. We all wrote a few songs and played them Traveling Wilburys-style.

“Tony spent a year finishing it off, sent it to us and it blew us away by how good it sounds. We thought other people might like it too – and they do seem to.”

But, he insists, music is only half of what makes Wood a hit (tickets for the festival have already sold-out). “There’s so much to do, especially with our workshops and there’s every chance you’ll find something you’ll enjoy. These started with just a few people but are now a major part of the festival, with most people taking part.

“And they are great fun. You can do everything from Perceiving Auras, to Holistic Hand Massage, Thai Yoga, Shamanic Journeying and even crochet a hedgehog. You can write poetry, make jewellery and carve things out of sticks, but best of all, you can learn to relax.

“Most of is are unbelievably stressed most of the time, but Wood shows us how to unwind. And that that’s something we can all benefit from."

* Wood takes place at Braziers Park, Ipsden, near Wallingford from tomorrow to Sunday. Tickets have now sold out.