Expert Articles

Forestry, the Poor Relation of Farming

17.05.2012

Raymond Henderson, Head of Bidwells Forestry Team, has highlighted some facts from Scotland which expose a severe disparity in funding, procedure and lobbying power, which are very useful as case study to further forestry in England at a time when it is ‘up for discussion.’

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Site Specific Land Management Planning

15.05.2012

Pip Howard outlines the vital importance, ecologically, socially and economically, of listening to the landscape and listening to communities when planning land use/management, by using the ancient and down right logical principle of ‘site specifics’.

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The Great British Elm Experiment – by The Conservation Foundation

04.05.2012

The Conservation Foundation tells us about their inspiring work to keep the beautiful Elm tree, almost wiped out by Dutch elm disease, a feature of our landscape

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Fungi-jewels in the arboreal crown

09.04.2012

Antony Croft’s inspiring & very beautiful article on the ‘true masters of woodland ecology’.. fungi..

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Using Soft Power to Protect Trees by Christopher Neilan

28.02.2012

Chris Neilan is well known for creating the CAVAT system that works out the monetary value of urban trees explains the need to engage communities to protect tree & increase tree planting in their areas…

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Blue Planet – Environmental and Development Challenges: The imperative to act

23.02.2012

A group of the world’s leading scientists and experts in sustainable development today called for urgent changes to policies and institutions to enable humanity to tackle environmental crises and improve human wellbeing.

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TREES IN MIND – Blarbuie Woodland at Argyll and Bute Hospital

06.12.2011

Hugh Fife, of Reforesting Scotland, tells us about inspiring research at Blarbuie Woodlands, into the ways Woodlands impact on our mental health and well-being…

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Restoring Salcey Forest

24.11.2011

Rod Leslie talks of the 1990 clear fells in Salcey Forest and the learning curve that led the Forestry Commission to create ‘something quite unique…’

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One Size Does Not Fit All

21.11.2011

Pip Howard explores what is fundamentally wrong with ALL centralised policy, proposals and guidelines with regards land management (including planning, forestry, landscape issues, biodiversity etc.,) in the UK?

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Soils, Sustainability & the NPPF

02.10.2011

Soil is the central hub for sustainability as essential to us and our economic progress as it is to the plants and animals we share our landscape with…

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The National Planning Policy Framework – what future for wildlife?

22.09.2011

Stephen Trotter, Chief Executive of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, writes in a personal capacity about his concerns about the NPPF and its potential to implement aspirations of the Natural Environment White Paper

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Will the NPPF if introduced really help the construction industry or just those on the periphery?

20.09.2011

Retired civil engineer Dr J Flattery explores the reality of the draft NPPF to builders, contractors and landscapers…

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A Garden for Everyone? by Rod Leslie

15.09.2011

In our crowded country we simply haven’t the space for everyone to have a garden, so why shouldn’t we have gardens for everyone? by Rod Leslie

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The Powerful Link Between Conserving Land and Preserving Human Health

10.09.2011

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, writes… “Evidence suggests that children & adults benefit so much from contact with nature that land conservation can now be viewed as a public health strategy..”

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13 Steps towards a National Planning Policy Framework

31.08.2011

Alister Scott, Professor of Spatial Planning and Governance of Birmingham City University, is a social scientist, geographer and chartered planner with research interests centred around the changing nature of governance and partnerships. Here are his 13 steps towards a National Planning Policy Framework..

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What future for England’s public forests and woodlands?

16.07.2011

David Sulman of the UK Forest Products Association comments on the current situation.
What does the future hold for England’s public woodlands and forests?

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Response to ‘Why Trees & Woods Matter’: Progression or Regression for UK Forest landscapes?

19.06.2011

Soil expert & silvaculturist Pip Howard challenges the Woodland Trust supported report; ‘The Importance of Trees and Woods’ from think tank ResPublica…

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A Participative Landscape Contract: lessons for the Forestry Panel from Europe

27.05.2011

Alex Lockwood explores our connection to our landscape as a whole and discusses the values of the European Landscape Convention. Posing important questions to the Forestry Panel.
“The public have a right to be concerned with what happens to their own landscape & be involved in decisions affecting it”

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The English landscape has been stolen

04.05.2011

If the public forest estate is taken from us, will the next fight be against the NGOs?

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Analysis of Rod Leslies’ Forests for the Future paper

21.03.2011

Analysis of retired Forestry Commission, head of policy, Rod Leslies’ paper – Forests of the Future.

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