Urban Forestry

What is the competition for?

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In Scotland’s towns and cities, people are working to increase access to woodlands and help with climate adaptation, biodiversity and health and wellbeing through woodland projects.  Our judges want to recognise and reward their achievement.  

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This is a new Award Category for 2025 for Urban Forestry which will be sponsored by Future Woodlands Scotland.

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What sort of Urban Forestry project is eligible?

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Entry is open to projects that demonstrate the following criteria.  A summary is given below, and more details can be found in the Guidance for Entrants at the end of this form:

• Projects should demonstrate how they are helping towns and cities across Scotland achieve the 3-30-300 rule* to build healthier and more climate resilient communities.  Projects should make a direct contribution to this through establishing trees and greenspace, improving access to woodlands and greenspace, or help to enable that process.
• We are also keen to see projects that educate people on the benefits of trees, raise awareness of their importance, and encourage and enable people to look after them.  Projects should set out how learning and awareness raising takes place and what the impacts are.
• We strongly support involving communities in planting, looking after, learning about and enjoying trees and woodlands.  To that end we would expect to see compelling evidence of engaged communities. 
• We are keen to see projects that are adopting a novel or innovative approach.  We are also interested in projects that have a wider impact or that can be replicated or scaled up.

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Entry Criteria

• Projects should demonstrate how they are helping towns and cities across Scotland achieve the 3-30-300 rule* to build healthier and more climate resilient communities.  Projects should make a direct contribution to this through establishing trees and greenspace, improving access to woodlands and greenspace, or help to enable that process.
• We are also keen to see projects that educate people on the benefits of trees, raise awareness of their importance, and encourage and enable people to look after them.  Projects should set out how learning and awareness raising takes place and what the impacts are.
• We strongly support involving communities in planting, looking after, learning about and enjoying trees and woodlands.  To that end we would expect to see compelling evidence of engaged communities. 
• We are keen to see projects that are adopting a novel or innovative approach.  We are also interested in projects that have a wider impact or that can be replicated or scaled up.

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*The 3-30-300 was developed by Cecil Konijnendijk of the Nature Based Solutions Institute and states:

• 3: Everyone can see at least three trees from where they live and work.
• 30: Every neighbourhood has at least 30% tree canopy cover.
• 300: Everyone is within 300m of good public greenspace.

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Why enter – the prize

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Under the Urban Forestry Award, there is a total of £1,000 in a cash prize available.  This shall be awarded by way of £1,000 for the winning project at the discretion of the judges.  In addition, the prestigious Future Woodlands Scotland Trophy will be awarded to the winner at the discretion of the judges with custody for one year.  Other high-quality entries may receive a judges’ commendation.

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The winner and any commended entries will receive a certificate and a wooden display plaque recording their achievement.

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Judging 

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The judges expect to directly notify shortlisted entries after the closing date and will aim to visit short-listed sites over the summer.  If you do not hear from the judges by September unfortunately your entry has not been short-listed.  However, you are encouraged to re-apply in future years!

Our judges' task will be to find and reward the pursuit of excellence, and the judges will assess entries against at least some of the following aspects:

• Quality of project design and implementation
• Demonstration of 3.30.300 rule
• An innovative approach
• Active engagement by the local community 
• Direct or indirect economic and social benefits to the community  
• Best practice in woodland management where appropriate
• Education and awareness raising of trees in the urban landscape

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What sort of Urban Forestry project is eligible?

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We welcome applications from projects that exemplify best practice in urban forestry.  Establishing trees in an urban setting brings with it unique challenges and requires a range of skills including planning and community involvement.  We wish to showcase and celebrate projects that have taken a considered approach and in so doing have maximised the social, economic and environmental benefits that trees bring to our towns and cities.

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Supporting information and images

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You may include relevant supporting information especially images with your entry to help our judges in their decision making.  Examples can include: 

• Materials can be previously published documents such as a summary management plan; maps - species’ distribution / vegetation pre-woodland establishment / soils; publicity leaflet(s).
• Photographs – up to 10 photographs. Please include people and / or scenic views in your images.  
• Videos – up to 3 videos and each one can be up to 60 seconds in length.  Any videos should be a maximum file size of 5MB and should be submitted as a hyper- or downloadable link (e.g. YouTube or WeTransfer).  
• Please confirm that any photos or videos can be used for publicity purposes or clearly state otherwise.

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Publicity

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An objective of Scotland’s Finest Woods and its partners is to showcase entrants as exemplars of good practice so as to encourage other projects in future years.  By entering the competition, entrants are accepting that their woodland may be used as an example of good practice in post-competition publicity, and as may be agreed with the entrant, in other ways.

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In order to maximise the potential for obtaining publicity, entrants are invited to provide publication quality photography as well as videos, if available.  Guidance is given in the section above about submitting images and videos for those who wish to do so.  Please confirm that photos or videos can be used for publicity purposes or clearly state otherwise.

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How to enter

• Head to the Entry Form on the Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards’ website:  www.sfwa.co.uk/enter-awards
• After reading the Guidance, complete the entry form if your project satisfies all the entry criteria.  
• The form doesn’t save anything until you hit Submit. It's a good idea to prepareyour answers in Docs or Notes first so you don’t lose anything, then copy and paste when you’re ready to submit.
• Completed entry form and any supporting information including videos and images to be up to 10MB per entry.  Please submit any videos as a hyper or downloadable link (e.g. YouTube or WeTransfer).
• If eligible, you may enter more than one category (up to 3 categories).
• Statement about AI - please state if AI has been used in the drafting of your entry.
• Please submit your application as early as possible by 23:59 on Sunday 31 May 2026 at the latest.
• Our judging panel will consider entries and make awards at their discretion.  If your project is shortlisted, expect the judges to arrange a site visit with your nominated contact person over the summer.  Please include second contact details if your main contact will be away for any extended periods over the summer.

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Award Ceremony

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The 2026 prize-giving awards ceremony will be confirmed after the closing date.  It is anticipated that the Awards’ Ceremony will be held during National Tree Week in November 2026, for those invited to attend in person and able to do so.  

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Further Information

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For more information, please see www.sfwa.co.uk or contact:  Jean Nairn, Executive Director, Scotland's Finest Woods Awards



• Email:admin@sfwa.co.uk
• Tel: 07954 847055 (leave message)
• Socials:  Twitter; LinkedIn

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