Forestry innovator wins RFS Sylva Trophy for dedication to oak silviculture
Congratulations to Miles Barne, Head Forester at Sotterley Estate in Suffolk.
The Royal Forestry Society (RFS) has announced Miles Barne of Sotterley Estate, Suffolk, as the recipient of the 2024 Sylva Trophy. The highly respected award recognises Mr Barne’s outstanding contribution to forestry, especially his commitment to producing high-quality oak timber.
The award, which was presented at the annual RFS Excellence in Forestry Awards on 24 October, highlights Mr Barne’s innovative approach to managing the 160 Ha of woodlands at Sotterley Estate.
Under Mr Barne’s stewardship, the estate has become a model for sustainable and productive silviculture. The estate’s approach includes strategic phases of respacing, selecting “winning” trees and utilising halo thinning to promote growth. Pruning is carried out to a height of 6m to ensure knot-free timber in the most valuable part of the tree.
This meticulous approach to tree selection and care aims to produce high-quality oak within a 120-year timeframe, with each tree having nearly 3 cubic metres of clean timber. As the majority of trees turn 80, the success of Sotterley’s approach is clear to see, not least in the impressive growth rates achieved. Roughly 6,250 trees have been planted per Ha with the eventual aim to fell 70 trees per Ha when the trees reach 120 years of age.
Mr Barne’s contributions extend beyond his estate. He has played a crucial role in several tree improvement initiatives, including work with cherry, oak and wild service trees. Additionally, the panel praised his leadership as the founding Chair of the European Squirrel Initiative and Chair of the Oak group (now known as the Future Trees Trust).
Christopher Williams, RFS Chief Executive, commented: “In 2024, the panel decided to award the Sylva Trophy to Miles Barne of Sotterley Estate, which has hosted numerous RFS woodland meetings. The panel was extremely impressed by the dedication to intense silviculture practice at the estate, with a focus on producing quality oak.”
The Sylva Trophy, presented annually by the RFS, honours individuals or organisations who have made significant contributions to forestry in its broadest sense. The award was donated to the RFS by Patrick Evelyn, who sadly passed away early this year. Mr Evelyn was a direct descendant of John Evelyn, author of the seminal 17th-century ‘Sylva or a Discourse of Forest-trees and the propagation of Timber’.
For more information about the Sylva Trophy and the Royal Forestry Society, visit: rfs.org.uk/about-us/rfs-awards/rfs-sylva-trophy/
