Sylva Foundation Blog

100 businesses registered on myForest

Sylva — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:22:08 +0000

As of March 2010, 100 businesses have registered on the myForest service.

To sign up your business, click here.

A film interview with SYLVA’s CEO

Sylva — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:54:50 +0000

SYLVA’s CEO Gabriel Hemery was interviewed about the One Oak project on the day of the tree felling.

With thanks to the fantastic volunteer film crew: Charlie Beesley, Chris Baines, Bryn Walls, Sarah Simblet and Conrad Weiskrantz.

OneOak felling and launch in pictures

Sylva — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:50:11 +0000

We have published a slideshow of pictures showing the drama of the OneOak felling and launch on YouTube.

Visit: OneOak felling and launch in pictures

Growing wood from the trees

Sylva — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:45:48 +0000

British Woodworking Feb/Mar 2010. p.68-71.

“With timber Britain’s fifth largest import, we report on campaigns to raise awareness of the value of managing woods for wood.”

“One the 20th January, with snow swirling, more than 200 primary school children could be found at Bladon Heath on the Duke of Marlborough’s Blenheim estate in Oxfordshire.”

British Woodworking magazine

Prospects for the market supply of wood and other forest products from areas with fragmented forest-ownership structures: England case study

Sylva — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:22:23 +0000

Yeomans A, Hemery G. (2010) Prospects for the market supply of wood and other forest products from areas with fragmented forest-ownership structures: England case study. Contract report for ConFor and CEPF: Sylva Foundation. 55.

See www.ForestryHorizons.eu

OneOak public launch

Sylva — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:54:24 +0000

The OneOak project was launched publicly yesterday with the felling of the 160 year old oak tree.

More than 400 people braved the snow and sleet to walk into the wood on the Blenheim Estate. Two hundred and fifty primary school children displayed work that they had been doing under the project for other guests to see. Hot chocolate, brewed on an open fire, warmed cold fingers. Demonstrators showed guests how oak is cleaved to make roofing shingles, how charcoal is made, and how green wood is turned. The first product from the tree, firewood logs, was made by a local firewood merchant. Researchers from Forest Research decended on the felled tree to start weighing every branch and twig.

These and many more were just some of the highlights of the day. The felling of the OneOak tree was dramatic and touched every one watching in different ways.

We owe a huge thank you to everyone who supported us on the day, and to those who will continue to work with us in the project. Please come back here soon to see photos and video taken at the event today, to find out the results of the research, and to see how many beautiful things we can make from the OneOak tree.

Read more on our project website: www.OneOak.info

One oak has many uses

Sylva — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:35:35 +0000

Country Life, 20 January 2010, p.33.

OneOak public launch on BBC TV and Radio

Sylva — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:38:49 +0000

The public launch event of our OneOak project was featured on local and regional BBC coverage today. BBC Radio Oxford broadcast an interview with Sylva Chief Executive Gabriel Hemery during their breakfast show, as did BBC South TV. During the evening, a live interview was broadcast on Radio Oxford, and a short feature on regional evening TV news.

OneOak tree art

Sylva — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:24:28 +0000

The felling of the majestic oak tree on the Blenheim Estate, under our OneOne project, is now just one week away.

Many artists have been working for some time on the project, to capture the beauty and character of the tree and surrounding woodland.

To read more visit our dedicated blog to the OneOak project: http://www.sylva.org.uk/oneoak/blog/

SYLVA gathers an expert focus group at the University of Oxford

Sylva — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:19:08 +0000

Today, SYLVA gathered together ten leading forestry experts at the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford. This was the final step in completing an EU research programme undertaken as part of our think-tank work.

The research programme is entitled Prospects for the market supply of wood and other forest products from areas with fragmented woodland ownership structures. The research programme is being led by the Confederation of European Forest Owners and involves several European countries.

SYLVA was contracted by ConFor to deliver a study of the English forestry sector as part of this study. The ten experts who attended today’s focus group represented many parts of the forestry sector including major NGOs, large estate managers, private owners of small woodlands, and academics. As part of this work SYLVA’s Director of Forestry, Alistair Yeomans, has already completed an extensive review of literature and interviewed many experts in the industry.

The final written report will be completed this week. We hope to make it available on our website some time in the future at www.ForestryHorizons.eu