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Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards

These awards celebrate the contribution that woodlands can make to the people, environment and economic prosperity of Scotland

New Native Woods Award

Closing date for entries:
UPDATE –
You can submit your entry
until 23:59 on Friday 31st May 2024. 
 

We are delighted to be running Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards in 2024 again – entries are now open.  We will provide any updates about the Awards’ programme here on the website or through our social channels – Twitter and LinkedIn.

The competition for the prestigious New Native Woods Award is sponsored by Woodland Trust Scotland, one of Scotland’s leading environmental organisations.

Our judges’ task is to find and reward the pursuit of excellence!

What is New Native Woods Award for?

The competition is to reward new native woodland natural regeneration or planting where the exemplary use of silvicultural techniques, planning, practice and management is delivering high quality native woods.

Who can enter?

Entry for 2024 is open to new native woodland projects anywhere in Scotland that must have had at least three years’ minimum of growth and no more than 20 years’ growth i.e. if planted, that happened in or before the 2020/21 planting season and no earlier than 2003/04.  There is a minimum size category of 1 hectare (2.5 acres) and must be young woodland predominantly of native species.

The woodland may have been established by planting or natural regeneration on previously bare land, or on land that has previously had tree cover of predominantly non-native species i.e. it has been converted to new native woodland.  Projects should have been established at least 3 years ago and within the last 20 years i.e. between 2003/04 and 2020/21, so as to include a significant proportion of young planted/regenerated trees.  If the project is an expansion of existing native woodland, the pre-existing trees may be older than 20 years.

Full entry criteria are in the entry form – see link below.

Judging

The judges aim to visit short-listed entries during April/May.  You will be contacted by the judges directly regarding any site visit during April – early May.

Prizes

£1,000 cash prize is usually available for the winning project.  In addition, the prestigious Woodland Trust Scotland Trophy for New Native Woods will be awarded at the discretion of the judges with custody for one year.  The winner and any commended entries will receive a certificate and a special commemorative wooden display plaque recording their achievement.

How to enter New Native Woodland Award

A simple, short entry form is to be completed with basic location, contact details and a statement of no more than 500 words to say why you think your entry would make a worthy winner of this prestigious award and be an exemplar to others.  Any supporting information such as visuals (e.g. photographs or weblinks), a summary management plan, map(s), publicity leaflet(s) and short video(s) if available that will help our judges make their decision can be provided.

Closing date for entries:
UPDATE –
You can submit your entry until 23:59 on Friday 31st May 2024.  
Do you have a winning project in 2024?  

More info …

See list of past winners here >>

Contact person:

Jean Nairn
Scotland’s Finest Woods
1 Ravelston House Loan, Edinburgh EH4 3LY

Tel: 07954 847055
Email: admin@sfwa.co.uk
Socials:  Twitter; LinkedIn

Award Sponsor: