The Institute’s seven Special Interest Groups (SIGs) each focus on a distinct area of forestry and arboriculture and serve to represent the diverse priorities, challenges, and professional practices across the sector. Together, they provide a platform for members to share expertise, build networks, and exchange knowledge within and across these disciplines.
Each SIG develops targeted CPD and training aligned to its area of focus, while also contributing to a shared, cross-sector understanding of professional standards. Through this collaborative structure, the SIGs help ensure that both specialist insight and a unified vision of professionalism continue to evolve in step with the needs of the industry.
Environmental
The Environmental Special Interest Group have raised the issue of polarisation within the woodland sector, with it never been a more important time for jobs and our roles within nature and climate. The group want to support the sector with increased collaboration, with a wider opportunity for ecosystem services and broader CPD opportunities, to address the uncertainty and confusion on this in the sector. They aim to create a shared space for learning and experience, with a particular focus on early career professional development.
Green Finance
The Green Finance Special Interest Group seeks to represent the needs of Green Finance and Natural Capital investment in the forestry sector. They want to provide relevant CPD and training for members around the mechanisms and practical delivery of Nature Green Finance in the marketplace. The group wants to help the Institute maintain the integrity of nature-related green finance in the UK by providing guidance on appropriate application of financing models to achieve nature-positive outcomes and contribute to UK woodland creation and management targets.
John Deakin MICFor (Chair)
Head of Trees and Woodlands – National Trust
Luke Barley MICFor
Trees and Woodland Adviser – National Trust
Wendy Joss
Specialist Advisor Forest Planning – Natural Resources Wales
Adrian Jowitt MICFor
Principal Officer (Woodland Policy) – Natural England
Justin Mumford FICFor
Director of Consultancy – Nicholsons
Olivia Murray MICFor
Forest Manager – Tilhill Forestry
Gordon Pfetscher FICFor
Head of Estate – Woodland Trust
Dr Neil Strong MICFor
Biodiversity Strategy Manager – Network Rail
Dr Eleanor Tew MICFor
Head of Forest Planning – Forestry England
Ed Turner PhD MICFor
Planning Manager (Land Management Planning & Environment) – Forestry and Land Scotland
Dr Andrew Weatherall MICFor
Principal Policy Officer (Woodlands and Forestry) – RSPB
Sonia Winder MICFor CEnv
Forest Manager – Tilhill Forestry
David Bole MICFor (Chair)
Head of Sector Capacity and Green Economy – Forestry Commission
Anthony Geddes MICFor
Director of Investment & West Operations – Euroforest Silviculture
Dr Eleanor Harris MICFor
Natural Capital and Carbon Leader – Galbraith
Dr Rebecca Heaton FICFor
Advisor on Nature Green Finance
Miranda Joicey MICFor
Forestry Analyst – Gresham House
David Robertson MICFor
Director of Investment and Business Development – Scottish Woodlands
Pat Snowdon MICFor
Head of Economics and Woodland Carbon Code – Scottish Forestry
Mike Tustin FICFor
Director – Tustins Group Ltd
Dr Vicky West MICFor
UK Woodland Carbon Code Manager – Scottish Forestry
Harvesting & Marketing
The Harvesting & Marketing Special Interest Group seeks to represent the needs and interests of the timber sector and facilitate increased knowledge exchange. They want to provide relevant CPD and training for members around health and safety implications, sector practices, systems and constraints, all whilst working towards a shared understanding of what quality looks like. The group wants to help the Institute foster relationships between commercial operations and the rest of the sector. By raising the profile of the harvesting sector and awareness of the Institute within the wider timber sector, it is hoped that the professional pool will grow.
Nurseries
The Nurseries Special Interest Group aims to raise the profile of forest nurseries, from commercial to amenity and everything in between, to the wider Institute membership through internal promotion and partner organisations. The group want the nursery sector to feel heard and be supported, and is also working towards professionalising the nursery sector and growing the pool of professional nursery staff. Through building relationships between the nursery and forest sector, the disconnect with the wider industry will be reduced by increasing the understanding of nursery sector practices, systems and constraints.
Tom Coates MICFor (Chair)
Area Supply Manager – James Jones & Sons
Donald Beaton MICFor
Investment Manager, Harvesting – Gresham House
George Birrell MICFor
Forestry Director – Kronospan Ltd
Hazel Cowan MICFor – Forest Manager, Cawdor Forestry
Emma Gray
Operations Manager – Scottish Forestry
Tom Hyde
Senior Harvesting Manager – Scottish Woodlands
Mike Ingoldby FICFor CEnv – Director, Bowland Bioenergy
Cat Kent
Woodlands Manager – Castlemilk & Corrie Estates
Iwan Lloyd-Williams MICFor
Director – DSH Wood
Andrew Powers MICFor
Head of Land Management – Forestry England
James Robins MICFor
Operations Manager – Forestry and Land Scotland
Josh Roberts MICFor (Chair)
Innovation Manager – Forestry and Land Scotland
Lea Brandes
Operations Manager – Forestry England
Martin Glynn FICFor CEnv
Independent Consultant
Ed Midmore MICFor
Site Manager (North West Wales) – Woodland Trust
Tim Peters
Forestry Teaching Associate – Bangor University
Lorenza Pozzi
Nurseries Data, Insights and Liaison Officer – Forestry Commission
Keith Sacre MICFor
Arboriculture & Urban Forestry Director – Barcham Trees
Imam Sayyed
Head of Plant & Seed Supply – Forestry England
Amy Shepherd
Sales – Forestart
Gemma Worswick
Biosecurity and Quality Assurance Lead – Tree Supply – Woodland Trust
Alistair Yeomans MICFor
Independent Consultant – Sylva Foundation
International
Silviculture
Mike Ingoldby FICFor
Founder – Bowland Bioenergy
Ben Gunneberg MICFor
International Sustainability Advisor
Geraint Richards MVO OBE FICFor
Head Forester – Duchy of Cornwall
Mark Prior MICFor
Principal Advisor: Woodland Advice & Extension – Forestry Commission
Simon Place MICFor
Managing Director – High Grains Forestry Ltd
Sales Development Manager – Alba Trees
Andrew Heald MICFor
Forestry and Sustainable Plantations Consultant – Andrew Heald Consulting Ltd
Alex Forster MICFor (Chair)
Senior Forest Manager – Tilhill
Ian Barrington FICFor
Director – Goldcrest Land and Forestry Group
Jon Burgess MICFor
Woodland Resilience Officer – Forestry Commission
Richard Hartley MICFor
Woodland Resilience Officer – Forestry Commission
Niall Justice MICFor
Forester – Bowlts Chartered Surveyors
Paul Nolan OBE FICFor
Director – Mersey Forest
Dr Mike Yerbury FICFor
Global Forest Specialist – Drax Group
Phil Morgan FICFor
Director – Sustainable Forest Management
Arboriculture and Urban Forestry Steering Group
The Arboriculture and Urban Forestry Steering Group is interested in raising the profile of arboriculture careers and providing CPD opportunities to aid the development of professionals transitioning into the sector and recent graduates.
Amelia Williams MICFor (Chair)
Arboricultural Consultant & Director – The Arboricultural Company
Dr Dean Bell
Lecturer in Urban Ecology – University College London
Terry Crick MICFor
Director – Apex Arb Training Ltd
Sam Hobson MICFor
Director – SEED
Graham Owen MICFor
Senior Engineer – Network Rail
Pherenice Worsey–Buck MICFor
Woodland Officer – Forestry Commission
