Join us for this event, developed by our Nurseries Special Interest Group, that will explore the journey from forest seed to nursery production and the role of high-quality Forest Reproductive Material in creating resilient future forests. Hosted by Forestry England and Forestart, the event will offer a mix of presentations, site visits, demonstrations and discussion, providing an opportunity to learn more about seed sourcing, processing, testing and production, as well as the latest research and challenges facing the sector.
Delegates can attend both days or book either day separately, depending on their interests.
Day 1 – Forestry England Plant and Seed Supply
Forestry England Plant and Seed Supply (PSS) operates a state‑of‑the‑art seed centre, built with an investment of around £9.5 million. The facility hosts advanced seed‑processing machinery, seed‑testing laboratory and modern seed storage systems. Forestry England manages approximately 400 hectares of Forest Genetic Resources (FGRs) across source‑identified, selected stands, and qualified and tested seed orchards.
The event will provide a crash course introduction to Forest Reproductive Material (FRM) along with hands‑on demonstrations of seed processing and seed testing.
It day will also focus on:
- Understanding FGRs and their role in developing resilient future forests
- Exploring Forestry England PSS capabilities and the end-to-end seed supply process
- Sharing knowledge and encouraging collaboration between those working with and interested in forest seed
- Highlighting innovation and technology in forest seed production and processing.
Day 2 – Forestart
Forestart is a specialist supplier of tree and shrub seed for the UK, with in-house capability for seed collection, processing, stratification and lab-testing.
This event is being held at Forestart’s new processing site which is currently in the early stages of development. The day will centre around talks from the Forestart team exploring:
- Conifer Breeding Coop projects and importance of resource development
- Seed maturity research project
- Challenges of Seed collection in 2026.
Programme
Day 1
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Arrival and refreshments | |
| 10:30 – 11:15 | Introduction to Forestry England PSS and work on forest genetic resources | Shaun Hingston & Imam Sayyed |
| 11:15 – 11:30 | Break | |
| 11:30 – 13:30 | Seed house tour: seed stratification and testing demonstration | Jonathan Burton & Gabriela Grigorov |
| 13:30 – 14:00 | Lunch (not provided, please bring your own) | |
| 14:00 – 15:00 | Discussion and Q&A with delegates and the seed team | |
| 15:30 | Close |
Day 2
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Arrival and refreshments | |
| 10:30 – 11:15 | Introduction to Forestart and presentation on COOP projects and domestic conifer resources | Sam Firkins & Rob Chapman |
| 11:15 – 11:30 | Break | |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Polytunnel visit | Sam Firkins & Neil Bebbington |
| 12:00 – 12:45 | Seed maturity research project and challenges of seed collection in 2026 | Rob Chapman & Matt Napper |
| 12:45 – 13:30 | Lunch (provided) | |
| 13:30 – 14:30 | Stratification at scale followed by open discussion with delegates and the team | |
| 14:30 | Close |
Speakers
Neil Bebbington – Propagator Manager, Forestart
Jonathan Burton – Seed Manager, Forestry England
Rob Chapman – Seed Production Manager, Forestart
Sam Firkins – Manager, Forestart
Gabriela Grigorov – Seed Technician, Forestry England
Shaun Hingston – Senior Operations Manager, Forestry England
Matt Napper – Project Lead, Forestart
Imam Sayyed – Head of Plant and Seed Supply, Forestry England
Natalia Silwoniuk – Seed Technician, Forestry England
Additional Details
Ticket Type 1 - Both Days – Standard
Ticket Price 1 - £65
Ticket Type 2 - Both Days – ICF Member
Ticket Price 2 - £45
Ticket Type 3 - Day 1 – Standard
Ticket Price 3 - £40
Ticket Type 4 - Day 1 – ICF Member
Ticket Price 4 - £30
Ticket Type 5 - Day 2 – Standard
Ticket Price 5 - £40
Ticket Type 6 - Day 2 – ICF Member
Ticket Price 6 - £30
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