We promote The Forest of Dean at every opportunity and regularly attract visitors to the area through courses, events and open days at our projects. Due to this we have decided to join the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism Association. Please click on the logo to see their website.

Introduction to Resilience Thinking

10am Local films showcase – a short selection of films relating to Forest of Dean resilience.

10.30am Introductory talk by Andrew Clarke of the Resilience Centre explaining the concept of Resilience and how it is starting to happen in the Forest of Dean. The Resilient Futures area of this year's Forest Showcase brings together a number of diverse practitioners based in the Forest of Dean from food to medicine, renewable energy to electric transportation. All are providing local and community sustainable resources for now and future generations, as well as finding ways to adapt to and mitigate climate change.

Exploring Wildlife & Ecosystems Resilience

11am A Wild Life With Animals: Robin Ward and Scott Passmore talk about their work in conserving and protecting the Dean's wildlife, as well as rescuing injured animals. Participants are then welcome to join them on a two-hour-long wildlife expedition deep into the woods, where if they're lucky they may witness a deer rut, and other wildlife wonders. All children must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult, and stout footwear and walking clothes is essential. Prepare to get muddy! https://www.awlwa.org

11.45pm Why and how do honeybees make honey?: Master Beekeeper Val Vivian-Griffiths from Dean Forest Beekeepers gives a brief insight into the fascinating world of honeybees and their key place in our ecosystem. https://www.deanforestbeekeepers.co.uk

Energy & Community Resilience

12.10pm Community energy: the power to transform, and the work of the Resilience Centre... the story so far, and a look into the future of how communities can own and run our own clean energy supplies. A joint presentation from the Resilience Centre and the Dean Community Energy Group. https://www.theresiliencecentre.co.uk https://deancommunityenergygroup.wordpress.com

Food Sovereignty & Resilience

12.50pm Community growing and food sovereignty: members of the Dean Forest Food Hub explain the quiet revolution currently taking place in the Dean, where producers, gardeners and allotment holders are coming together to pool resources and forging plans so the local community become self-sufficient. Encompassing seed swaps and more. https://www.deanforestfoodhub.org.uk/

1.20pm Growing Without Boundaries: Simon Kilburn from Crooked End Farm in Ruardean talks about bespoke vertical and other growing systems suitable for people of all physical abilities and garden space constructed and upcycled from everyday materials. https://www.crookedend.co.uk/

1.40pm Blakeney Hill Growers: Rebekah Hoyland explains how one community is working together for mutual benefits by bringing unused agricultural land into use, living a dream that began with a conversation around a kitchen table. https://www.blakeneyhillgrowers.org.uk/

Investing for Community Resilience

2pm Investing in resilience: Making a positive difference and an explanation of community benefit companies and opportunities for ethical investing. https://www.theresiliencecentre.co.uk

Self Resilience

2.30pm Wild and cultivated herbs for medicine: Herbalist Jessica Lucas from Herbal Ways takes a holistic and synthetic-free approach to health with an explanation of Herbal Medicine, which can be used to treat everybody. https://herbalways.net/herbalmedicine/

2.50pm The Edible Forest: Scott Baine from The Rewild Project explores woodland-based permaculture and reviving traditional, land-based skills, including agro-forestry, orchards and gardening. https://therewildproject.com/

Resilient Woodlands

3.10pm Resilient Woodlands Initiative: Small private woodlands are often not managed to anything like their full potential because of their fragmented nature. Andrew Clarke explains how the Resilience Centre is building a collective of small woodland owners so they can pool resources for social, environmental and economic benefits. https://www.theresiliencecentre.co.uk/blog.html#woods

3.30pm The Foresters' Forest Landscape Partnership: Chris McFarling offers an overview of this wide-ranging Heritage Lottery project to raise awareness of what makes the Forest of Dean special in terms of its built, natural and cultural heritage, and how people can be part of various volunteer schemes connected to it. https://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/beeh-9t6gfa

Local challenges for a Resilient Forest

3.50pm Frack Off Our Forest: Owen Adams from the newly formed group relays the latest information available on the current threat to our Forest of Dean - the potential issue of licenses for onshore oil and gas exploration – with opportunities for people to get involved in the campaign. https://frack-off.org.uk/

4.10pm Hands Off Our Forest – Chairman Rich Daniels explains HOOF's aim to bring decision-making and oversight of the management of our public forest closer to the public, and to persuade the Government to implement a blueprint and Charter to allow this to happen, and how the challenge is still on. https://www.handsoffourforest.org/

Networking

4.30pm Next steps: a concluding session with Andrew Clarke on how we can, working together, achieve Resilience in the Forest, and also promoting courses and events at the Resilience Centre

A workshop based event for Small Woodland Owners/Managers, Forestry Sector or related Businesses and those with active interest in Woodlands Social Enterprise (including the Resilient Woodlands Initiative*).

SPECIALIST SPEAKERS NOW CONFIRMED: Phil Tidey, Small Woods Association; John Weir, Forestry Commission; Paul Orsi, Sylva Foundation; Victoria Norris, The Sylvanus Trust.

Subsidised event @ £30 + VAT per eligible person.

LIMTED PLACES AVAILABLE - BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT

Flyer & Programme

Online Booking

Telephone Bookings: 01594 529688.   Booking confirmed on receipt of payment. VAT Invoice provided.

Participants will be required to complete a self declaration of eligibility for RDPE funding on the day. Registration of active interest in the Resilient Woodlands Initiative will infer eligibility, in addition to the eligibility of participants from more traditional woodland/forestry sector backgrounds and landowners with woodland on their holding.

* The Resilient Woodlands Initiative aims to be a catalyst for more active sustainable management of small woodlands for a broad range of local benefits.  Our initial focus is in the Forest of Dean, where we are based, but a similar collaborative approach may be replicated in other areas.