Herefordshire’s woods and forests are providing a huge range of benefits locally and it is time to shout about it, says Royal Forestry Society chairman Andy Shirley-Priest, launching the Excellence in Forestry 2018 awards locally.

Urging local owners and community organisations with woodlands large and small to enter, Andy Shirley-Priest adds: “Whether you are managing a woodland primarily to produce timber, a small woodland, a community woodland or a farm woodland, you are bringing wider benefits to the local economy and environment.

“It’s only through ensuring high quality woodland management, and talking about it, that we will help people distinguish between excellence and exploitation in forestry.

“The Education and Learning Excellence Award in particular recognised the importance of passing on skills in woodland management and techniques at all ages, and many organisations locally are involved in some great work.”

The Excellence in Forestry Awards will be presented at the National Arboretum at Westonbirt in Gloucestershire on July 13th by renowned architect Piers Taylor who co-presented BBC 2’s The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes.

Case studies of winning entries will be shared widely to help other manage their woodland better.

Closing date for entries is noon on Tuesday, March 6th.

Details are available online at: www.rfs.org.uk.