viewing category: Announcements

Sylva’s CEO Dr Gabriel Hemery was invited to speak at an international conference organised by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, held in Bangalore in India. It was part of the UN’s activities supporting the International Year of Forests.

The conference was on the subject of the Art and Joy of Wood – Rediscovering wood: the key to a sustainable future. It aimed to tackle the cultural dimension of wood that is rarely explored or discussed.  About 350 delegates attended from all corners of the world.

Gabriel Hemery speaking at The Art and Joy of Wood conference in India, October 2011

Gabriel Hemery speaking at The Art and Joy of Wood conference in India, October 2011

Gabriel’s talk, entitled Recovering Britain’s Wood Culture, outlined the cultural divide between people’s love of trees and of wood, yet an unwillingness to accept the need to manage woodlands for their wood. He presented an overview of Sylva’s myForest Service and OneOak project.

His paper will be published in the Conference Proceedings, alongside others.  We will publish a link when available.


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Sylva and the Oxford University Department for Continuation Education (OUDCE) are holding a one day course on November 5th:

Trees and Woodlands of England: Past, Present and Future

Anyone with an interest in trees and forests is welcome. Why not come along and learn about woodlands in the past, the key issues of the present, and discuss the future for trees and woodlands? Places are still available.

Visit the OUDCE website to book online

Trees and Woodlands of England: Past, Present and Future – 5th November, Oxford

- What woodland history can reveal about past ‘wood culture’ – Mr John Morris, Director of the Chilterns Woodland Project

- The state of sustainable forest management in England today- Dr Peter Savill, Emeritus Fellow of Linacre College and the former Reader of Forestry at the University of Oxford’s Plant Sciences Department

- The future opportunities and challenges of our nation’s trees and woodlands- Dr Nick Brown, Principal of Linacre College and lecturer in forest ecology at the University of Oxford’s Plant Sciences Department.

- How the celebration of the OneOak tree project has engaged Oxfordshire communities and highlighted how a modern day wood culture can support sustainable communities – Dr Gabriel Hemery, Chief Executive of the Sylva Foundation


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Sylva has produced a short film for the Forgotten Forests project run by Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Entitled Britain’s forgotten forests, our film explains that many of the forests in Britain are moribund and suggests that  people are increasingly disconnected from them.  Written and presented by our CEO Gabriel Hemery, the film seeks to challenge people to see the forests on our doorsteps in a new light.

Watch Sylva’s film Britain’s Forgotten Forests or read more about the Forgotten Forests project here.


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International Year of the Forest 2011

Celebrating Forests for People

Sylva and the Oxford University Department for Continuation Education (OUDCE) are holding the following day course in celebration of the 2011 International Year of the Forest.

Trees and Woodlands of England: Past, Present and Future

- What woodland history can reveal about past ‘wood culture’ – Mr John Morris, Director of the Chilterns Woodland Project

- The state of sustainable forest management in England today- Dr Peter Savill, Emeritus Fellow of Linacre College and the former Reader of Forestry at the University of Oxford’s Plant Sciences Department

- The future opportunities and challenges of our nation’s trees and woodlands- Dr Nick Brown, Principle of Linacre College and lecturer in forest ecology at the University of Oxford’s Plant Sciences Department.

- How the celebration of the OneOak tree project has engaged Oxfordshire communities and highlighted how a modern day wood culture can support sustainable communities – Dr Gabriel Hemery, Chief Executive of the Sylva Foundation

Course date – 5th November 2011

Please find further course information and details of how to register on the OUDCE website


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Today myForest Wales is being launched at the Royal Welsh Show.

ConFor Wales logo

myForest Wales will be delivered by Sylva in partnership with ConFor, with part-funding from Forestry Commission Wales.  It is also supported by Coed Cymru, the woodland management charity in Wales.

The forestry sector employs more than 16,000 people in Wales and puts £1.7 billion into the economy.  The new myForest Wales service is aiming to boost these figures with the ambitious goal of almost doubling the number of managed woodlands across the country.

myForest in Wales

“Across Wales there are more than 90,000 ha undermanaged woodlands – almost half the tree cover – with management we can improve these woodlands for wildlife, growing firewood and quality timber in the future ,” said Kath McNulty of ConFor, who is leading myForest Wales.

“The best way of achieving this, we believe, is by setting up an information and knowledge hub to pull together the supply chain. Our aim is to support and expand a balanced market for woodfuel, quality timber and coppice materials.”

Part funded by Forestry Commission Wales, it supports new approaches to sustainable management of woodlands and is a significant opportunity for increased woodland biodiversity; carbon sequestration; timber and woodfuel production for local use and additional income for landowners.

Businesses can sign up easily to a directory to promote their services and products. Woodland agents and independent managers are able to create a specialist agent account to assist with the management of their client’s woodland information and link them with the wider wood community.

Bringing woodlands into an appropriate and sustainable management regime is an objective shared by the Welsh Government, Forestry Commission Wales, WFBP, ConFor and the Sylva Foundation.

“The Sylva Foundation is delighted that we can now offer a bilingual myForest service to the woodland community in Wales. Our experience in England is that myForest has helped woodland owners understand the potential of their woodlands and helped them market their woodland products in new and exciting ways,” said Alistair Yeomans, Director of Forestry for the Sylva Foundation.

myForest promotes and works with national forestry organisations and woodland management initiatives, many of which offer vital outreach services to woodland owners and support the development of a sustainable forestry sector.

Woodland owners, managers and forestry businesses in Wales can join this free online woodland community on www.myforest.org.uk/wales or for the Welsh language version www.myforest.org.uk/cymru.


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13th May – Harcourt Arboretum event – myForest – Enhancing the Southern Oxfordshire forestry sector

Oxford University's Harcourt Arboretum

Sylva and the Oxfordshire Woodland Project (OWP) are holding a joint event as part of the LEADER funded project to support woodland owners and managers in the Southern Oxfordshire LAG area, in the mapping and managing of their woodlands. The SO LAG area covers the Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire.

Sylva is working in partnership with the OWP to work on the enhancement of Southern Oxfordshire’s forestry sector with a view to achieving a range of benefits that go hand in hand with ecologically and economically thriving woodlands.

Through the myForest service, the project aims to encourage woodland owners to link with local wood-using businesses, such as sawmills and woodfuel merchants and for Southern Oxfordshire to establish itself as a leading area in demonstrating how forestry can contribute to sustainable rural economies.

This day will demonstrate how to carry out a simple woodland inventory, providing attendees with an understanding of how to assess woodland for tree species, quality and site considerations as these provide a first step towards sustainable woodland management.

Full event details can be found here


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Interest and growth in the myForest service continues to rise.

To date over 7600 hectares of woodland have been mapped with the 300th woodland owner signing up today.


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This is the second year that Sylva will contribute to Oxford Energy Futures seminar. Alistair will present a talk entitled Wood fuel in the UK: a general overview and latest developments in the sector.

University of Oxford – 10th June, 2011

Oxford Energy Futures is a Conference focusing on the latest energy topics, with contributions from Oxford researchers, and from scientists and practitioners from other organisations. It is an opportunity to engage with those working at the forefront of energy research, and to find out more about the science, planning, policy and business of future energy.

Session topics will include policy and economics, carbon capture and geo-engineering, buildings and heating, low carbon technology, and transport.

Fees include refreshments and lunch. Discounts for students and those presenting posters.

See http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/envconf0611 for the programme and registration details.


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This years Chilterns Woodland Annual Conference will be held at the Clare Foundation, Saunderton, Bucks.

The Sylva Foundation will be represented by Alistair Yeomans who will be giving providing an overview and update on the  myForest web service.

Please see details and full list of speakers below.

CHILTERNS WOODLAND CONFERENCE 2011

THEME:- WOOD FUEL AND PAWS RESTORATION IN THE CHILTERNS

Friday 11 March 2011

Venue:-  Clare Foundation, Saunderton, Bucks, from 9.30am – lunch

Cost £30 per head to include lunch

Speakers include:

9.30 – 9.40               Chairman – Cherry Aston

Welcome and introduction

9.40 – 10.10            Matthew Woodcock Forestry Commission

Wood Fuel

10.10 – 10. 40         James Mason, Woodland Trust

Examples of PAWS restoration

10.40 – 11.10          Alistair Yeomans, Sylva Foundation

MyForest – an interactive website to help with timber marketing and management plans

11.10 – 11.40          Coffee Break

11.40 – 12.00         Mike Furness – Chilterns LEADER grants

Examples of   support for Forestry

12.00 – 12.20         Phil Potter – Wood Fuel East

examples of grants to support the development of wood fuel in the East of England (includes Herts & Beds)

12.20– 12.35            Andrew Ingram

a woodland owners view

12.35– 1pm              Questions and discussion

1pm                              Lunch and networking

CHILTERNS WOODLAND CONFERENCE 2011

THEME:- WOOD FUEL AND PAWS RESTORATION IN THE CHILTERNS

Friday 11 March 2011

Booking is essential

You can book a place by:

  • email woodlands@chilternsaonb.org
  • telephone 01844 355503
  • letter to John Morris, Chiltern Woodlands Project, The Lodge, 90 Station Road, Chinnor, Oxon OX39 4HA

Please make cheques £30 per person payable to Chiltern Woodlands Project


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Confederation of Forest Industries

Today ConFor – England signed up as the 200th entry on the myForest map-based forestry directory.

The free directory promotes local businesses and connects the woodchain by providing  woodland managers and businesses with a means to link with each other in their locality and beyond. Additionally, the general public can use myForest to find local wood products from wood-using businesses such as sawmills and firewood merchants.

If you have a wood-using  business or work for a tree or forestry organisation you can sign up at www.myForest.org.uk


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