Search is under way to find Scotland's best community woodland - Jean Nairn

In my first year heading up these prestigious awards it gives me great pleasure to be seeking candidates for the Tim Stead Trophy, awarded to the best community woodland in the country.

It is appropriate that Tim’s name is front and centre of the award as when the sculptor, whose main medium was wood, helped set up the Wooplaw community woodland near Lauder in 1987 it was the first of its kind in Britain.

Today, the woodland is understated in its grandeur; a well-established mixed wood with superb views across the rolling Borders countryside. Just the place for locals and visitors to unwind and recuperate amid a biodiverse habitat.

Tim sadly passed away in 2000 and is laid to rest in his beloved woodland and we at Scotland’s Finest Woods are thrilled to be custodians of his trophy, which he made in 1986 as part of his Axes for Trees project, which involved making one wooden axe head for every day of the year, and selling them to raise money to plant trees.

Jean Nairn, Executive Director of Scotland’s Finest Woods

As well as supporting craftsmen to develop the skills needed to make full use of local, native timbers, he was an enthusiastic environmentalist so it is also appropriate to have climate change at the heart of this year’s awards.

We strive to showcase the best practice in the management of Scotland’s woods and forests, and highlight the ways they contribute to the wealth and well-being of our nation. Magnificent trophies and cash prizes are available to be won and we welcome your entries for the 2023 Awards Programme which is now open.

The 2023 line-up consists of the return of all six Award categories. That includes the highly topical Climate Change Champion Award available for direct entry from across Scotland with the competition open to any forest, woodland or school / pre-school. Entries could be either a project related to climate change such as a woodland project (e.g. mitigation or adaptation) or a learning / sharing knowledge project.

The Community Woodlands Awards entries are sought for two competitions for small and large community woodland groups. In addition, the Tim Stead Trophy can be awarded to the overall Community Woodland Award winner.

The Tim Stead Trophy

Schools and Early Years Awards are back this year and we want to seek out Scotland’s most fun-packed schools and pre-schools’ woodland projects: £250 and superb trophies are among the goodies available to be awarded to each Schools and Early Years’ winner together with a Tree Pack and a Mag Post.

As well as the above, we are excited to have categories for Farm Woodland; one for an active farmer/crofter anywhere in Scotland with the magnificent Lilburn Trophy and £1,000 ready to be won and another for a young, active farmer/crofter and/or their forester/woodland manager with the Scottish Woodlands Ltd Trophy for Young People and £1,000 cash to be awarded.

The New Native Woodland Award has one competition for new woodland, natural regeneration or planting: the Woodland Trust Scotland Trophy and £1,000 are available to be awarded to the winner.

The Quality Timber Awards category has three competitions, one for new commercial woods; one for a single stand of trees or a compartment or a small wood; and one for whole estates or forests.

There are 11 competitions in all, providing lots of opportunities to enter with a category for everyone of any age involved in managing woods and forests anywhere in Scotland. You may enter one or more competitions if you meet the entry criteria for each.

We are very grateful to our team of volunteer judges who will visit all short-listed entrants in each prize category in May/June to find the very best entries. We are also very grateful to all our generous sponsors who enable the Awards to take place – individually acknowledged on the website.

Go to www.sfwa.co.uk to find out more and enter. But hurry as the deadline is March 31.

Jean Nairn, Executive Director of Scotland’s Finest Woods