IMPROVING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT FOR MAXIMISED BENEFITS OF FOREST AND WOODLAND EXPANSION AND CREATION

Date: 2023-24

Funder: Natural Environment Research Council; Arts and Humanities Research Council

Partners: University of Stirling, University of Birmingham, University of York, Stirling Council, Clackmannanshire Council, Scottish Forestry and The Woodland Trust

Value: £80.000

This knowledge exchange project brings together the research of several Future of UK Treescapes projects, including Branching Out, and applies it to a forest and woodland creation project – The Forth Climate Forest (FCF), a new, 10-year project in the Forth Valley area of Scotland aiming to increase canopy cover, forest area and connectivity, provide carbon storage for climate change mitigation, support biodiversity and provide diverse ecosystem services. FCF will act as a case study, to improve understanding of how to maximise the benefits of forest and woodland expansion and creation through better public engagement and involvement. Learning from Branching Out, the Storytelling Academy will run community storytelling workshops, with the aim of developing and testing new and dynamic ways to involve local communities in tree planting and woodland creation and expansion. As a result there will be practice notes for policy makers and practitioners and resources for the public.