Forestry Facing the Future – leading UK forestry organisations launch essential webinar series on the challenges facing UK forest management
The Forestry Commission and Institute of Chartered Foresters are bringing together a wide range of leading sector experts for a dynamic series of webinars that will examine in detail the key issues likely to face UK forest management within the next 50 years.
In 2023, Dr Eleanor Tew MICFor brought together a panel of experts from across the UK to define and understand the threats and opportunities faced by our forests and the people who manage them. The resulting paper, ‘A horizon scan of issues affecting UK forest management within 50 years’, was published in Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research and outlined the top 15 challenges that were identified.
Over a series of eight webinars, this online series will examine these challenges in-depth, covering issues including eDNA, soil microbes, natural capital, supply chains, pests and pathogens, ecosystem collapse, urban planning and more. Each webinar will highlight the key issues highlighted in the report, feature presentations and discussion from a panel of experts, and facilitate open discussions on how the sector can respond.
Dr Eleanor Tew MICFor explained:
“As a sector we’re used to thinking in long timescales, knowing that it’s often future generations who will see the results of our work. Yet the future has never been so unpredictable – environmentally and socially. This horizon scan was an opportunity for us to take stock, pooling the best of our collective knowledge and foresight about what future forestry might look like, and crucially drawing attention to issues that are currently underappreciated.
Now we’re inviting the sector to reflect on what this means, to explore the opportunities and face the challenges that have been highlighted. I’m very much looking forward to hearing views from those working right across our diverse sector, to ensure we have a forestry sector that’s fit for the future. We want to know how these issues will affect you, and what we can do together to address them.”
This crucial webinar series will create a platform on which to develop further research, prompt debate and action, and build evidence-based policy and practice. Essential for all forestry professionals, this series aims to stimulate greater recognition of how our sector may need to change to be fit for the future. These changes, in some cases, will need to be fundamental and momentous – the importance of addressing them immediately is clear.
David Bole MICFor, Head of Sector Capacity and Green Economy, Forestry Commission leading the project, said:
“Pulling these webinars together has been a huge privilege. We’ve been able to talk to the experts from the original horizon scan panel as well as think about who else needs to be in the room. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how we as a sector engage with these issues and begin to think about how we individually and collectively respond.”
Hosted on a dedicated online platform, delegates will be able to interact live with speakers and panellists, and engage with colleagues throughout the sessions. Each webinar will be made available for on-demand viewing once it has taken place, so delegates can enjoy the content at a time that suits their own schedule. Access to the full webinar series is available for just £140, with individual webinars also available at £20 per session.
Visit https://site.pheedloop.com/event/horizonscan/home for further details on the webinars, speakers, and how to register.
Contact
Jo Fox-Evans – Head of Policy & Partnerships, Institute of Chartered Foresters
jo.foxevans@charteredforesters.org
Media enquiries
Mark Goodwin – Marketing & Communications Manager, Institute of Chartered Foresters
mark.goodwin@charteredforesters.org
