Landscape Recovery scheme opens for applications
The Landscape Recovery pilot, one of Defra’s three new environmental land management schemes, has just launched its first round aimed at farmers and land managers. Designed to achieve the Prime Minister’s ambition to deliver at least 10 large-scale areas devoted to landscape and ecosystem recovery by 2024, pilot projects will focus on: recovering and restoring […]
Forest Research publishes Resilient Implementation Framework
Forest Research have published a Resilience Implementation Framework to provide a structured way to think about resilience and identify management actions. The Resilience Implementation Framework provides a way to achieve a common understanding and identify potential actions for a specific set of circumstances. It is designed to be applicable in different contexts by providing a step […]
Call for Expert Committee on Forest Science member
The Forestry Commission Expert Committee on Forest Science (ECFS) makes a significant contribution to the development of forest science in the UK. This is at a time of unprecedented interest in the benefits which forestry can provide to society and the importance of objective evidence in guiding choices over trees, woods and forests. The ECFS […]
Forestry organisation grows future leaders
Scotland’s leading forestry business is celebrating the 5th anniversary of its graduate training programme by recruiting eight more future industry leaders. Scottish Woodlands Ltd. addressed the skills crisis head-on by launching its own Graduate Development Programme in 2017 – and now almost 40% of managers in the company are ‘home-grown’. “We are experts at growing […]
Scotland’s ‘Tree Oscars’ back with renewed climate focus
Scotland’s ‘Tree Oscars’ are back for 2022 after a highly successful programme in 2021 saw worthy winners ranging from the country’s largest landowner Anders Holch Povlsen to a tiny nursery school. Mr Povlsen and Wildland Ltd won the prize for New Native Woods in Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards 2021, for Killiehuntly in the Cairngorms – […]
UKFS to be reviewed again this spring
First introduced in 1998, the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) outlines the context for forestry, sets out the approach of the UK governments to sustainable forest management, defines standards and requirements, and provides a basis for regulation and monitoring. The standard is reviewed every five years and an updated version is due to be published in […]
Forestry placement opportunities in Wales
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are once again offering an exciting opportunity for four students to undertake a mid-year placement as part of their forestry or land management degree from a higher educational institution. Starting in September 2022, the placements will provide students with the valuable opportunity to work alongside NRW’s dedicated and experienced team of […]
Assessing the risks and putting health and safety first
We regret to say that we have been notified of another fatality in our sector. After felling a tree in Kent earlier this month, a worker was crushed and killed, with the circumstances being investigated further. Please see this notice from HSE regarding the recent incident. The number of fatalities in the last year is […]
Update on Storm Arwen
Last month’s Storm Arwen caused significant damage to trees and woodlands across the UK, particularly in Scotland and North England. The sector is currently assessing the wider impact and are beginning to make plans to restore the areas affected by the storm. The Forestry Commission have stressed the importance of seeking professionals who are trained […]
Institute Executive Director interviewed for ITV News
With the UK Government committing to plant at least 30,000 hectares of new woodland each year to combat the climate emergency, the Institute’s Executive Director, Shireen Chambers MBE FICFor, was recently interviewed by ITV News as part of a story investigating these targets. Shireen said: “It’s going to be difficult to achieve. Agricultural land availability is […]