We are delighted to announce the successful funding for our Integrated Woodland Management Support project. Cumbria Woodlands, Sylva Foundation and Evolving Forests awarded £220k from the Woods into Management Forestry Innovation Fund (Forestry Commission).
"We are excited to be a part of this project with the Sylva Foundation and Evolving Forests. It will provide much-needed targeted support for anyone looking to manage their woodland, whether you are a new woodland owner, or simply need guidance on certain points of the process. Ultimately, and importantly, this will help anyone who needs to take the next steps to produce a management plan that complies with the UK Forestry Standard."
Carrie Hedges (Cumbria Woodlands)
This project specifically addresses the need to help individuals and the broader industry to improve the quality of UKFS compliant management plans. Producing a UK Forestry Standard compliant management plan is the essential foundation of good woodland stewardship, yet developing a plan is often a barrier to management.
Cumbria Woodlands has partnered with the Sylva Foundation and Evolving Forests to develop essential management planning support and guidance tools for woodland owners and non-specialists in conjunction with the Sylva Foundation’s myForest platform.
The Integrated Woodland Management Support (IWMS) will help owners and non-specialists demystify what is required by providing users with the tools, training and encouragement to create high-quality UKFS-compliant management plans and making the process of developing a plan interesting, engaging, and, maybe even... fun!
This support and the improvement in planning submissions will ultimately lead to improved woodland habitats and increased resilience to climate change.
Woodland management plans and the implementation of UKFS guidelines are often seen as an administrative burden which reduces their adoption and uptake, stalling woodland management. Improving this process will not only benefit the individual but will increase the quality of planning submissions and drive efficiency within the industry.
This project will employ innovative techniques for training such as Nudge Theory and gamification alongside developing high-quality media and resources that will demystify the planning process.
Cumbria Woodlands' Canopy Learning platform will be used to host specific content to guide users through the process and work alongside the myForest platform from The Sylva Foundation.
Find out more- https://www.cumbriawoodlands.co.uk/working-with-partners/training-and-development/integrated-woodland-management-support/