Tag: Tree Oscars

Scotland’s ‘Tree Oscars’ back with renewed climate focus

The premier awards for forests and woods in Scotland are back for 2022 after a highly successful 2021 saw winners ranging from a tiny nursery school to the country’s largest landowner.

Scotland’s ‘Tree Oscars’ are back for 2022 after a highly successful programme in 2021 saw worthy winners ranging from the country’s largest landowner Anders Holch Povlsen to a tiny nursery school.

Mr Povlsen and Wildland Ltd won the prize for New Native Woods in Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards 2021, for Killiehuntly in the Cairngorms – while Perth Outdoor Playgroup won the award for an early years education provider instilling a love of woods in young children.

The 2022 Awards will see a renewed focus on climate change after forestry and wood played a central part in discussions at COP26. The first Climate Change Champion prize was handed out at the 2021 Awards, with Ayrshire estate owner Andrew Sinclair honoured for his work at Balbeg.

“The award was handed out just two months before COP26, where we saw the signing of a Leaders’ Declaration on Forestry and Land Use, and the launch of the Time for Timber global wood use manifesto,” said Angela Douglas, Executive Director of Scotland’s Finest Woods.

“The world is increasingly understanding that trees and wood are vital to tackling climate change and I’m so delighted that our Climate Change Champion Award is back.”

With 80% of the UK’s new woodland currently being planted in Scotland, and continued Scottish Government support for ambitious tree planting targets, organisers hope for another exceptional set of winners in 2022. 

“Anyone with a genuinely high-quality project has a chance to win an award, whether that’s Scotland’s largest landowner or a small nursery school, or a farmer discovering the benefits of trees to an experienced forester creating a model woodland,” said Angela Douglas.

The Scottish Government showed its support for the awards last year, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announcing the Schools and Early Years Awards and Environment Minister Máiri McAllan – whose brief covers forestry – revealing the Community Woodlands winners.

Ms McAllan said: “I was delighted to be involved in Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards for the first time in 2021, and to celebrate an amazing collection of winners.

“The addition of the Climate Change Champion and Early Years Awards in 2021 illustrated the importance of woodland in supporting Scotland’s world-leading climate change ambitions – and engaging young people in trees and woods at a young age.

“All the winners were clearly passionate about high-quality woodlands, and I look forward to another year of exceptional entries to celebrate this new golden era of forestry in Scotland.”

The Climate Change Champion Award, sponsored by Carbon Store, is chosen by judges. Category entrants, including schools or nurseries, can choose to enter this award alone or enter more than one award category.

The Climate Change Champion Award has been developed in partnership with Forest Research, who will again provide expert judges in 2022.

Professor Chris Quine, Chief Scientist at Forest Research, led the team assessing the entries, and said the 2021 winner – Balbeg Estate’s Bennan Hill – “demonstrated an integrated approach to tackling climate change throughout its activities with actions relating to mitigation, adaptation and knowledge exchange” and “a strong commitment and a real consistency of vision”.

All the other popular categories return in the long-running Awards, which were held online in 2021 after a 2020 Covid-cancellation.

“We hope to return to a live event at our traditional venue, the Royal Highland Show, as it celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2022,” said Guy Watt, Chair of Scotland’s Finest Woods, the charity which operates the programme. “However, we need to keep our options open and that means planning for a possible hybrid, or entirely online, event, if circumstances dictate.”

Regular Award categories return, including the ever-popular Crown Estate Scotland Schools Award, won by Pitlochry High School in 2021. The Quality Timber Awards return too, with three different categories: new commercial wood, multi-purpose forest or whole estate, and a single stand/compartment or small wood.

The two Farm Woodland Awards are back – the Scottish Woodlands Ltd Trophy for Young People won in 2021 by Nikki and James Yoxall of Howemill near Huntly, Aberdeenshire, and the SAC Consulting-sponsored award for any farm woodland, won in 2021 by Wendy Seel and Anne Taylor, who run an organic vegetable business at Midmar, Aberdeenshire

Entries must be submitted by 31st March 2022.

For full details, criteria and entry forms. see: www.sfwa.co.uk

First Climate Change Champion named as ‘Tree Oscars’ return

Community Woodlands Award for Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust

Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards has named its first Climate Change Champion – just before global green summit COP26 comes to Scotland.

The annual ‘Tree Oscars’ to recognise Scotland’s finest forests and woodlands have named their first Climate Change Champion – just weeks before COP26 comes to Glasgow.

Balbeg Estate’s Bennan Hill, near Straiton, Ayrshire – owned by Andrew and Lynne Sinclair – won the new award, sponsored by CarbonStore, as Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards returned after a Covid-cancellation in 2020. 

Professor Chris Quine, Chief Scientist at Forest Research, who led the team assessing the Climate Change Champion entries, said: “The judges were very keen to find a worthy winner for the new award and we certainly did find one, in Balbeg Estate.

“Bennan Hill was a well-planned and well-executed case study, drawing on guidance and expert knowledge to address the climate emergency by establishing trees to sequester carbon and contribute to a decarbonised future.

“Even more noteworthy was the way the estate demonstrated an integrated approach to tackling climate change throughout its activities with actions relating to mitigation, adaptation and knowledge exchange.  The owners demonstrated a strong commitment and a real consistency of vision which made this site a very worthy champion.”

The other 2021 winners ranged from a small playgroup in Perth and a high school in Pitlochry – whose mascot Scotty the Squirrel collected their prize – to Scotland’s largest landowner, Anders Holch Povlsen, who won the New Native Woods Award for Killiehuntly Woodland in the Cairngorms.

Mr Povlsen said the success was based on “a big team effort” and added: “We very much appreciate this recognition and I’m very proud.”

Thomas MacDonell, Director of Conservation at Wildland Ltd, who led the project, said it was “absolutely fantastic” to win what he described as “the premier forestry awards”. He added: “This could not have happened without Anders Holch Povlsen, who had the vision and courage to stick by us.”

It was a year of firsts – the first Climate Change Champion prize, the first time the Awards were held online in almost 40 years – and the first award for early years woodland education.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the schools and early years prizes for Pitlochry High School and Perth Outdoor Playgroup. She said: “I’m delighted to be able to support these fantastic Awards again, and to see young people in Scotland, from nursery through to secondary school, engaging with trees and nature in such a positive way.  

“In the year that COP26 comes to Scotland, it’s important that our schools and early years settings continue to encourage young people to enjoy and value our woodlands. By learning about woodlands, taking part in activities, and sometimes also by planting new trees and protecting our woodlands, our young people are creating a greener, better future for Scotland. Congratulations to all the awards winners and everyone involved in celebrating the very best woodlands in Scotland.”

Angela Douglas, Executive Director of Scotland’s Finest Woods, said: “The high standard and number of entries in the Schools Award made it hard for judges to separate schools and early years settings.

“As a result the Outdoor & Woodland Learning Scotland team at Scottish Forestry agreed to provide an early years trophy – a beautiful carved wooden acorn reflecting the saying ‘From little acorns mighty oaks grow’ – and prize money.”

The number and quality of entries for the 2021 awards was very strong overall, Angela Douglas added. 

“The strength of the awards depends on maintaining very high standards and recognising entries that truly deserve the title ‘finest woods’,” she said. “After the Covid cancellation in 2020, I’m delighted we have been able to bounce back with such a high-quality programme – and I would especially like to thank our 23 volunteer judges who put in so much work in difficult circumstances to ensure the quality standard was maintained.”

The Climate Change Champion Award was selected from entrants to other categories who specified that they would also like to be considered for the prize. They had to show that their woodland had contributed to mitigating climate change, adapted to the changing climate or raised awareness about the issue.

“We had a strong winner and two strong highly commended entries in this new category, which is so important for any forest or woodland – and us all,” said Angela Douglas.

Balbeg Estate, winner of the Climate Change Champion Award, also won the Quality Timber Award and John Kennedy Trophy for Multi-purpose forestry for a whole forest or estate.

The two Climate Change Champion runners-up were Borders Forest Trust’s ecological restoration project at Corehead, near Moffat, Dumfriesshire (also Highly Commended behind Killiehuntly in the New Native Woods category) and Aylsa Leslie (with forestry consultant Simon Jacyna) for Auchintender, near Huntly, Aberdeenshire – also winner of the Quality Timber Award for silvicultural excellence in a single stand or compartment of trees, or small wood.

There was wide geographical coverage, with Laide and Aultbea Community Woodland in Ross-shire winning the Small Community Woodland Group Award. Judges were “impressed by the endeavour and enthusiasm” of the group and noted that the local community was heavily engaged in “supporting and managing the woodland with tangible benefits – recreation, practical hands-on experience and enjoyment”. 

Craigmillar Castle Park in Edinburgh, which won the Large Community Woodland Group prize, was praised by judges for its community engagement programme, run by Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust.

Judges also said: “It has been notable how valuable the woodland has been to the local community during lockdown, providing an attractive local greenspace which has helped greatly with physical and mental wellbeing.”

In the Farm Woodland Awards, the Young People’s Award went to James and Nikki Yoxall from Howemill, near Huntly in Aberdeenshire – “a wonderful example of a unique integration of trees and farming” – while the overall Farm Woodland Award went to Wendy Seel and Anne Taylor at North Tillydaff, Midmar, Aberdeenshire. Runners-up in the category were spread widely, from Skye to Stirling and Peterhead.

The New Commercial Woodland award (part of the Quality Timber Awards) went to the large Larriston Forest scheme near Newcastleton in the Scottish Borders.

Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards: roll of honour 2021

Climate Change Champion Award

Winner: Andrew & Lynne Sinclair, Balbeg Estate’s Bennan Hill, Straiton, Ayrshire;

Highly Commended: Borders Forest Trust, Corehead, near Moffat, Dumfriesshire;

Highly Commended: Aylsa Leslie, Auchintender, near Huntly, Aberdeenshire.

Farm Woodland Award

Winner: Wendy Seel & Anne Taylor, North Tillydaff, Midmar, Aberdeenshire;

Highly Commended: Elaine Booth & Peter Robertson, Ednie Farms, St Fergus, near Peterhead;

Commended: Walter & Margaret Dalgleish, Parks of Garden, Arnprior, near Stirling;

Commended: Phil Knott, Wildlife Croft Skye, Sleat, Isle of Skye.

Farm Woodland Award (Young People)

Winner: James & Nikki Yoxall, Howemill, Huntly, Aberdeenshire.

Community Woodlands Award

Large Community Woodland Group

Winner: Craigmillar Castle Park, Edinburgh (Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust); 

Commended: ​​Tiroran Community Forest, Isle of Mull, Argyll (South West Mull & Iona Development).

Small Community Woodland Group

Winner: Laide & Aultbea Community Woodland, Laide, Ross-shire 

Highly Commended: Camusnagaul & Achaphubuil, Near Ardgour, Highland (Treslaig & Achaphubuil Crofters Woodland Trust);

Commended: Hannahston Community Woodland, Drongan, East Ayrshire (Friends of Hannahston Woods & East Ayrshire Woodlands) and

Lochend Woods, Dunbar, East Lothian (Dunbar Community Woodland Group).

New Native Woods

Winner: Anders Holch Povlsen, Killiehuntly Woodland, Cairngorms;

Highly Commended: Eriboll Estate, Loch Hope Woodlands, Eriboll Estate, North West Sutherland;

Highly Commended: Forestry and Land Scotland (Central Region team), Balgownie Woods, West Fife;

Highly Commended: Borders Forest Trust, Corehead, near Moffat, Dumfriesshire

Commended: Torwoodlee & Buckholm Estates Co. Ltd., Halkburn Woodland, Torwoodlee Estate, Galashiels, Scottish Borders;

Commended: Hector MacLean, New Spott Wood, near Kirriemuir, Angus.

Quality Timber Awards

New Commercial Woods

Winner: Mrs J C Hands, Larriston Forest, Newcastleton, Scottish Borders; 

Highly Commended: James Jones & Sons Ltd., Tillyrie, Milnathort, Perth & Kinross;

Single stand of trees, compartment or small wood

Winner: Aylsa Leslie, Auchintender, near Huntly, Aberdeenshire;

Highly Commended: William Urquhart for Craigston Castle, Turriff, Aberdeenshire.

Whole Forest or Estate

Winner: Andrew & Lynne Sinclair, Balbeg Estate, Straiton, Ayrshire;

Schools Award

Winner: Pitlochry High School, Perthshire

Runner-up: Robert Douglas Memorial School, Scone, Perthshire

Early Years Award

Winner: Perth Outdoor Playgroup, Perth;

Runner-up: Middlefield Nursery, Aberdeen.