November 9, 2021

“Always plant improved trees when planting trees for timber”

‘Wood for the Trees’ is a series of short films about Britain’s forests. We asked woodland experts about their hopes and fears for the future of our forests, and for suggestions to secure their future. 

We spoke to Dr Jo Clark, Head of Research at the Future Trees Trust. She said “Thinking to the future, we know the climate is warming. We have to ask ourselves – how are the trees we’re planting today going to cope with those warming environments of the future?”

“Timber and paper products is one of our biggest imports in the UK, and if  you can grow quality timber that gets turned into quality products, that carbon in those trees is locked up for a very, very long time and this is so important today when we’re trying to hit our net carbon targets” 

“In other European countries, where they’re planting trees for timber and there is improved material available they have to plant that by law and I think my one policy suggestion would be that this should be the same in the UK.”

Watch our five minute film with 12 ideas to help Britain’s Forests Grow

Find out more about the work of the Future Trees Trust in part eight of Wood for the Trees.

For more information about the series visit woodforthetrees.uk

See the next suggestion: All school age children to have access to Forest School