This week we were delighted to welcome the New Forestry Professionals Network-Southeast to the Sylva Wood Centre. This is a network, recently set up in the south east of England, for people new into the forestry industry. Delegates came from the Forestry Commission, Forestry England and Nicholsons to learn about Sylva’s work stretching across the wood chain.
Following a welcome from our CEO Gabriel Hemery, our Head of Wood School Joe Bray and Senior Tutor Phil Gullam talked about our work to bridge the skills gaps between education and employment. Sylva Wood School students learn not only about using wood but deepening their understanding of how it is grown and the benefits of maximising the use of home-grown timber.
In the afternoon our Director of Operations Paul Orsi led a session on Sylva’s innovations in our environmental programme, in particular myForest and how this integrates with Forestry Commission requirements for management plans and felling licences. We finished the day with field testing the beta version of the Woodland Condition Assessment app which we have been developing over the last year for the Forestry Commission.
We came away inspired by this network of new professionals who were fully engaged with the challenges and opportunities in the forestry sector. We look forward to hosting them again in the future.