Join us for this #MembersHour on 16 May with Dr Gabriel Hemery FICFor CEnv and Neil Riddle MICFor.
A new Woodland Condition Assessment (WCA) App supported by guidance and training is now available. The Forestry Commission, Sylva Foundation and the Field Studies Council have worked together to produce the new app, which is designed to help landowners, land managers and ecologists to assess the condition of woodland areas more easily and accurately.
WCA is an agreed process to assess the ecological condition of a wood, describing how good it is in providing habitat for wildlife. It can be used to assess any woodland, whatever its size, location or type.
The new app was developed Sylva Foundation which specialises in digital innovations supporting woodland management. It is supported by Field Studies Council guides and a suite of related training courses. The app allows reports on woodland condition to be easily generated, while providing statistics at a strategic level for the Forestry Commission, providing key data about how well woodlands are faring across the country.
During this #MembersHour, Neil and Gabriel will explain the background to the project, demonstrate the WCA App and also run through its use with the Statutory Biodiversity Metric.
About the speaker
Dr Gabriel Hemery FICFor CEnv – Chief Executive, Sylva Foundation
Gabriel is an author, tree photographer, and silvologist (forest scientist). A forest scientist and Chartered Forester by profession, Gabriel co-founded Sylva Foundation to help nurture a wood culture across Britain. In addition to leading the charity as CEO, he is the principal lead for Sylva’s science and research. Early in his career he created a centre dedicated to hardwood research at Paradise Wood in Oxfordshire, personally planting many tens of thousands of trees. Gabriel has authored more than 100 technical papers, cited in 1,200 articles by other scientists. He is an active contributor to research, practice and policy in the forestry and land-based sectors in the UK, serving on a number of senior-level boards. He has written several fiction and non-fiction books, including his seminal work The New Sylva (Bloomsbury 2014) and the best-selling Tree Almanac (Little Brown), while his tree photography has adorned books and international advertising campaigns.
Neil Riddle MICFor – Head of Natural Environment, Forestry Commission
A Chartered Forester, woodland and watermill owner and a member of the British Ecological Society, Neil has worked in a number of forestry roles in both the private and public sectors over the last 40 years, latterly specialising in woodland ecology. He is currently the Forestry Commission’s Head of Natural Environment working from the FC National Office providing policy advice and evidence on habitats and wildlife to Government and other agencies including leading the project to develop the woodland condition App, training and supporting guidance.
