As we come to the end of another busy year for the Institute of Chartered Foresters, take a look at some of our highlights from 2024.
Our membership
2,300+
members and growing
293
new members in 2025
64
applications for chartered status in 2025
10
new Technical Members
We launched a new Technical membership class in April 2024.
TechICFor
Technical membership supports and recognises an under-represented cohort of arboriculturists and foresters working in roles that require high levels of skill, competence and professionalism. There is no mandatory requirement for a degree-level qualification and applicants are assessed solely on their technical ability.
We welcomed 11 Fellows of the Institute in 2024.
Our awards and honours
Honorary Fellowships
The Institute's Medal
John Risby FICFor
Professional Forester of the Year 2024
Gordon Brown MICFor
Our events and CPD
We continued to support members’ Continuous Professional Development (CPD) through a variety of in-person and online learning opportunities.
57
events in 2023
68
events in 2024
In April, we welcomed delegates back to Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham for the fifth Trees, People and the Built Environment conference that examined two very different roles for trees – how they can improve the quality of place for both people and nature and how they can contribute to the net zero carbon ambition for buildings and the built environment. #TPBE5 was chaired by Honorary Fellows Kevin McCloud MBE FICFor (Hon) and Gary Newman FICFor (Hon).
We held our first International Study Tour tour Germany.
Members visited Northern Ireland for our annual National Study Tour.
#MembersHour
This popular fortnightly series continued throughout 2024 with sessions on natural capital, urban heat waves, deer management, biodiversity net gain and more. Members can watch all of these sessions on the Members Area.
Tree professionals from across the UK met in Leeds in November for the annual National Tree Officers Conference 2024. We are looking forward to returning to Reading for the tenth anniversary of the NTOC in 2025!
Forestry Facing the Future: A 50-Year Horizon Scan
We partnered with the Forestry Commission to bring together some of the original authors of the 2023 paper A horizon scan of issues affecting UK forest management within 50 years and other leading experts to create a space for thinking on how the sector can respond to the issues identified in the paper. This series began in October 2024 and will run until February 2025.
Boost your CPD
Our partnerships, policy and projects
Institute launches first ever UKFS e-learning platform
400+
delegates enrolled on the UKFS e-learning programme
Funded by the Defra’s Trees Call to Action Fund, we launched a Lantra-accredited e-learning programme to help tree professionals get to grips with the fifth edition of the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS), which came into effect in October. The programme is innovative and highly engaging with quizzes, animations, virtual reality experiences and more. Watch the video below for more information and sign up today.
Trees for People, Place and Nature: A Call to Action
Before the UK General Election in July, we published the document Trees for People, Place and Nature: A Call to Action calling calling on the government to commit to working with the forestry profession to unlock the potential of our trees, woods and forests, in support of delivering against the timber, biodiversity, and climate crises.
We welcomed Caroline Harrison MICFor in November as our new Technical Policy Manager.
Second cohort of Emerging Leaders selected
Developed with Clore Social Leadership, the Emerging Leader Programme will develop the skills of both existing and aspiring leaders in our sector to ensure our trees, forests and woodlands are managed to effectively deliver against multiple objectives
Places on the 2024 programme have been funded by Defra and the England Trees Action Plan, England’s Community Forests, Scottish Forestry, Natural Resources Wales and the Welsh Government.
Our governance
Meet the Council Members who were elected (or reelected!) onto our Council at our Annual General Meeting in June.
Fellows
Professional Members
Looking forward to 2025
We’re excited to celebrate our centenary in 2025!
Stay tuned for more on our history and how you can help us celebrate our 100th anniversary.
We’re looking forward to welcoming more members in 2025 from across the forestry and arboriculture sector.
Join us at our
29 & 30 April 2025
John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh & Online
Thanks to funding from the Forestry Commission and Forestry Skills Forum, we’ll be launching a new Springpod site to promote forestry careers to young people, with virtual work experience, webinars, quizzes, talks and more.
We’ll be launching our exciting Silvestor platform, currently home to the UKFS e-learning programme, with more educational and training content from the Institute and partners.
