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Scotland's Finest Woods Awards 2020


By Garry McCartney

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Culbin Forest is maintained by Forestry and Land Scotland.
Culbin Forest is maintained by Forestry and Land Scotland.

ARE there any prize-winning forests in-and-around Forres?

The annual search to find Scotland’s finest woods has begun as Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards 2020 celebrates the programme’s 35th anniversary.

Executive director of Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards, Angela Douglas, confirmed 2019 was a hugely significant year for trees in Scotland.

She said: "Planting targets were surpassed, there was full devolution of forestry policy and the centenary of the 1919 Act.

"We were delighted to celebrate that by honouring a range of brilliant winners - the challenge is to find more wonderful winners to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Awards in 2020."

Apart from the one-off Centenary Award, all other prizes are back for 2020, including two Farm Woodland Awards.

The Scottish Woodlands Ltd Trophy for Young People (Farm Woodland Award) was awarded for the first time in 2019 and won by the outstanding Lynn Cassells and Sandra Baer for Lynbreck Croft, Grantown on Spey.

After they won in 2019, Lynn said: “We tried to achieve full integration of trees and woodsinto the farm business. They are our most valuable asset in terms of shelter for animals and fuel for us, as well as sequestering carbon and biodiversity.”

The Young People Award is for farmers or crofters and/or their forest or woodland managers aged 40 or under.

The ever-popular Crown Estate Schools’ Trophy returns, won in 2019 by Earthtime Forest School Nursery in Duffus.

Presenting the 2019 Awards, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP said: "It's wonderful to see young people in Scotland, from nursery through to secondary school, engaging with trees and our natural environment in such a positive way. We know how children benefit from learning outdoors and it is great to see forests and woodlands playing a big part in that."

Other returning Awards are: Community Woodlands (two competitions: small and large community woodland groups); New Native Woods; and Quality Timber (three competitions: new commercial wood; multi-purpose forest or whole estate; and a single stand/compartment or small wood)

Fergus Ewing MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy, who has presented the awards for the last three years, said: "We are in a golden era for forestry and woods in Scotland and Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards celebrate the huge variety of excellence across the country. The winners represent those exceptional individuals and groups who create fantastic spaces to allow us all to enjoy our forests and woods.”

Entries must be submitted by March 31. For the full list of awards, criteria and entry forms, go to www.sfwa.co.uk



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