Connecting woods, people and home-grown timber
Sylva Foundation has published its new Strategy 2026–2031, setting out how we will strengthen our contribution to sustainable woodland management, wood education, home-grown timber, and applied forestry and resilience research.
The strategy comes at an important time. Britain’s trees, woods and forests face growing pressures from climate change, pests and diseases, fragmented ownership and uncertain markets. At the same time, there is increasing demand for resilient woodlands, nature recovery, sustainable materials and stronger local wood economies.
At the heart of the strategy is the home-grown woodchain.
Sylva’s distinctive role is to help connect woodland creation and management, research and digital innovation, timber processing, education and skills, design and making, and the responsible use of home-grown timber.
These areas are too often treated separately, even though they depend on one another. Better woodland management can support better timber use; stronger demand for home-grown timber can help create healthier woodland economies; and education, research and digital tools can help people make better-informed decisions.
Importantly, this strategy is not about expanding Sylva into lots of new areas. It is about connecting and strengthening what we already do: myForest, applied forestry research, the Sylva Wood School, the Sylva Wood Centre, and our work across research, practice, education and policy.
Three connected areas of work
Over the next five years, our work will focus on three interconnected areas:
Environment — strengthening digital tools, woodland management support and applied research, with a particular focus on resilience to environmental change.
Wood Education — developing clearer pathways through practical skills, design and making, while strengthening links between forestry, education and professional practice.
Wood Centre — developing the Sylva Wood Centre as a flagship hub for demonstration, collaboration, learning and enterprise across the woodchain.
What success will look like
By 2031, we aim to see:
- more woodland in active, sustainable management;
- more resilient trees, woods and forests;
- increased use and value of home-grown timber;
- stronger wood skills, education and innovation;
- a working demonstration of the woodchain at the Sylva Wood Centre;
- better evidence for practice and policy; and
- greater visibility and uptake of Sylva’s work.
We will also focus on how we work: setting clear priorities, connecting existing activities, embedding research in practice, working in partnership, communicating effectively, and strengthening organisational and financial resilience.
Major initiatives include further development of myForest, applied research to support National Resilience Reporting, new timber-processing and demonstration capacity, redevelopment of the Machinery Barn, expansion of the Wood School, and stronger communication and advocacy.
Ultimately, the strategy is about making stronger connections: between caring for woods and using wood well; between research and practice; and between education, enterprise and better decision-making. We look forward to working with others to fulfill this ambitious strategy.
Nurturing a wood culture, growing a future
Download the full 2026-31 Strategy
