Partnerships

Forestry Skills Forum

The forestry sector faces a skills crisis.

An aging workforce combined with insufficient numbers of new people joining the sector means that to maintain current employment levels, approximately 600 people each year need to be entering the sector, with the focus on technical roles.

Additionally, to meet the government’s legal targets, we need more people with the right skills to plan, plant and manage new woodlands and forests.

The Forestry Sector Skills Plan 2025 - 2035 has been divided into 5 priority themes which must be addressed to create a forestry workforce ready to meet future demand.

Action Oak

The Action Oak initiative is seeking to raise £15 million to safeguard the 121 million oaks in UK woodlands. The RFS supports the initiative and is represented on the Knowledge Exchange and Management Practice sub-committee.

Observatree

Observatree is the tree health citizen science project that promotes tree health surveillance and reporting. Led by Forest Research, Observatree trains and manages its own network of tree health volunteers,and produces many pest and disease resources.Through this new collaboration, we aim to work with the Observatree team to raise awareness of tree health, share the Observatree resources and encourage reporting by RFS members through TreeAlert.

The Forestry Climate Change Working Group

The Royal Forestry Society (RFS) is among signatories to the 2022 Forestry and Climate Change Adaptation Accord. The Accord is published by the Forestry and Climate Change Partnership. Members include more than 30 forestry, conservation and government organisations.

Future Trees Trust

Grown In Britain

The RFS has long been certified by Grown in Britain. Grown in Britain supports every level of the forestry supply chain; from certifying biosecure planting stocks to developing comprehensive woodland creation and long-term woodland management strategies, and is the only certification that demonstrates British provenance along with sustainability. A diverse programme of R&D explores new markets for homegrown timber, increasing the value and demand for British forest products.

Tree Charter

The RFS is a member of the Tree Charter UK Board which has responded to the DEFRA consultation on Protecting and Enhancing England’s Trees and Woodlands.

UK Squirrel Accord

The RFS is a signatory of the UK Squirrel Accord (UKSA) which is supported by more than 30 forestry, conservation, government and landowner organisations across the UK  and a member of the UKSA Executive Committee. As a member of the UK Squirrel Accord we are backing research into immuno-contraceptives and have raised more than £40,000 towards this five-year research project.