FWN38 Autumn 2022 – Off-cuts

New Award will grow foresters of the future:

A new Scottish Junior Forester Award has been launched today with the aim of giving children and young people an insight into a career in forestry. Aimed at 4-14 year olds, the new Award will equip young people with theory and practical skills so that they can help manage woodlands in their schools or communities. Scottish Forestry has worked in partnership with the Royal Forestry Society and John Muir Trust to develop the award.

Chief Forester for Scotland, Dr Helen McKay, joined primary school pupils from Royal Douglas Memorial Primary School to launch the Award. She said:

“This is such a positive and exciting move to get our young people connected with forestry. It’s so important that we increase the knowledge of trees and woodlands in the younger generation. We are facing a global climate emergency and trees can be part of the solution. If we get this message across to people at an early age, and build up their knowledge and understanding, we can build the foresters for the future.

I’m very pleased that this new Award provides a mechanism to bring forestry into the curriculum and will give young people a taster of how fantastic forestry really is. It’s a worthwhile career with great long-term prospects. We are keen to attract more young people into the sector to play their part in creating and managing Scotland’s forests, woods and trees.”

The Scottish Junior Forester Award is aimed at anyone in school, youth work or community settings in Scotland. It can be delivered by teachers, educators, and community organisations.