Sylva Annual Review 2013-14
Our Annual Review, covering the period April 2013 to March 2014 has been published online.
Chair of Trustees, Dr Nick Brown, introduced the report, writing:
This, our fifth year, has been both fruitful and eventful.
We joined a consortium successful in gaining €1.95 million from the EU’s Life+ programme to deliver NaturEtrade a web-based system that enables EU landowners to assess the provision of ecosystem services on their land. Our second Sylva Scholar started research on the consequences of Chalara ash dieback on ecosystem services. We gained funding for the Living Ash Project – to identify ash trees across Britain with tolerance to Chalara.
The Foundation has been developing its Education Strategy with expert advice from Jen Hurst. Sponsorship of an artist-in-residence in support of a book – The New Sylva – concluded. In partnership with several organisations we launched SilviFuture: a new network established to promote and share knowledge about novel forest species across Britain. We welcomed Paul Orsi as our Director for Forestry & Rural Enterprise. In partnership with DIY retailer B&Q and sustainability charity BioRegional, we created the Good Woods initiative, delivering advice to 235 owners of under-managed woods, covering 10,900 hectares, across SE and E England. We also developed the Woodland Star Rating supporting 300 woodland owners in understanding ecosystem services and the public benefit derived from good woodland stewardship. Users of the myForest service continued to grow – at the end of the year we were supporting 1691 woodland owners, owning 2591 woodlands, covering 30,106ha.
A major donation was received of 8 hectares of land, including farm buildings, in South Oxfordshire. The gift was made to help secure the charity’s long-term future, and specifically to assist in the development of a centre for innovation in home-grown wood under a new charitable object and associated work programme known as ‘Wood’.
We hope you enjoy reading more about our work during the past year and plans for the future. To download the report or to read an interactive page-turning version click here.
