Treescapes 2021 this week has been a fantastic showcase of research, packed with presentations and workshop discussions from a huge range of talented tree professionals. Hosted by the Royal Forestry Society and led by early career researchers, it has undoubtedly succeeded in its aim to facilitate conversations between practitioners and academics.
Institute Vice President, Geraint Richards MVO FICFor, gave the keynote presentation on Thursday 8 July. Geraint talked about the paramount importance of connecting research and practice, and bringing them together into one community that works together for trees. He spoke from his experience with bodies like the UK Squirrel Accord and Action Oak, as well as his management of the Duchy estate where research and practice come together in multiple ways such as natural capital audits of all its farms. This is especially important given the challenges we face – not just climate change but unpredictable weather patterns, a surge in pests and diseases, for example. This needs to be the decade of silviculture, the art and science of growing trees – bring together the researchers’ science and the practitioners’ art to create resilient, multipurpose treescapes.
Other Institute members contributing at Treescapes 2021 included Professor Chris Quine FICFor who gave a keynote on Wednesday querying the meaningfulness of the ‘right tree, right place’ mantra, Andy Heald MICFor leading a thought-provoking workshop on releasing forestry’s potential, and Tom Ovenden, a Student member presenting his work on post-drought compensatory growth. For more information visit the Treescapes webpage.
