Geraint Richards MVO FICFor elected as new President of the Institute
Members of the Institute of Chartered Foresters have elected Geraint Richards MVO FICFor as the new President. Geraint succeeds Sharon Durdant-Hollamby FICFor, who has completed two years in the role. Andrew Sowerby FICFor, Director at Pryor & Rickett Silviculture, succeeds Geraint in the role of Vice President. Geraint is Head Forester for the Duchy of […]
New forestry Cabinet Secretary in Scotland
Following Humza Yousaf’s election as First Minister of Scotland, and a Cabinet reshuffle, Mairi Gougeon MSP’s new role of Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands now includes the responsibility of forestry and woodlands. Ms Gougeon was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016 and has previous knowledge of the sector, having been […]
Dr David Forrester awarded 2022 Silvicultural Prize
The Percy Stubbs and John Bolton King and Edward Garfitt Prize for Silviculture (Silvicultural Prize) is awarded annually for work advancing the sector’s knowledge of silviculture published in the Institute’s prestigious journal Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research. We are delighted to award Dr David Forrester, Senior Research Scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and […]
Policy Roundup – March 2023
Our monthly policy and research blog updates you on the latest work at the Institute and how you can get involved. Institute news The Spring Budget to Parliament on 15 March touched briefly on waste and agriculture but barely mentioned nature and the environment, so despite positive progress on trees and woodlands with Defra and […]
Women in forestry mean business
Our Head of Policy & Partnerships, Jemima Cooper, recently wrote a blog for the Forestry Commission where she highlighted the women who work across our sector, tirelessly working to plan, grow, plant, establish, manage, harvest, process and research the timber our society needs. When I joined the Institute of Chartered Foresters in 2019 I had […]
Executive Director attends Trees and Forestry Stakeholder Forum
The Institute’s Executive Director, Louise Simpson, joined staff from Defra, the Forestry Commission and Natural England for the first in-person Trees and Forestry Stakeholder Forum, held at London’s Oval cricket ground on 2 March. The meeting focused on how to better support tree planting and care in the future, learn more about emerging issues and […]
Network Rail invests in future of Scotland’s rainforest
An industry leading two-year pilot project to enhance natural habitats near the iconic Glenfinnan viaduct has begun. Network Rail Scotland (NRS) is committing £329,000 for Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) - the Scottish Government agency responsible for managing Scotland’s national forests – to complete the most ambitious biodiversity enhancement project that Scotland’s Railway has ever […]
Institute interviewed about skills crisis on BBC Radio 4
Our October 2021 position paper to governments across the UK detailed our serious concerns about the skills shortage in our sector, and its knock-on effect on achieving climate targets. This week Defra released their Environment Improvement Plan (EIP), which is the first revision of the 25 Year Environment Plan that was published in 2018. In […]
Climate at the heart of Scotland’s ‘Tree Oscars’ in 2023
Scotland’s ‘Tree Oscars’ return for 2023 after a hugely successful 2022 and with climate change and sustainable forest management at their core. The prestigious Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards will this year see a renewed focus on climate change after last year saw winners range from a couple who planted 14,000 trees on a rocky peninsula […]
Professional Forester of the Year 2023 award – shortlist announced
The Institute of Chartered Foresters is delighted to announce the four shortlisted candidates for the inaugural Professional Forester of the Year, a prestigious new award recognising outstanding service to the profession and the sector. This award recognises the contributions made by Chartered Foresters to the betterment of forestry on a community, regional, national or international […]
