CWA Annual Conference 2021

Community Woodland Association

The CWA Annual Conference 2021 will include in-person site visits & networking (Friday 1 Oct) & an online programme (Saturday 2 Oct)

The Conference programme runs over 2 days: you are welcome to join us for the whole event or just for the sessions that interest you. There is no limit on the number of delegates from a CWA member community woodland group. The event is free but you have the option when booking to make a donation to CWA to help contribute to our running costs. Alongside the Carrbridge Hotel and coach company we will ensure that all relevant COVID-19 precautions are put in place for the site visits &amp; networking in line with Scottish Government guidance at the time.<h2>Conference Programme</h2>Provisional schedule: Friday 1 October (in person - based at Carrbridge Hotel, Cairngorms)9.30 Registration &amp; refreshments at the Carrbridge Hotel. 10.00 Depart to morning site visits: either Strathnairn Community Woodland or Rothiemurchus EstateThe community of Strathnairn took over the ownership of School and Milton woods in Farr in 2003. School Wood (approx. 12 hectares) sits immediately behind Farr Primary School and features a mix of trees which offer a habitat for woodpeckers, red squirrels, foxes, bats, badgers as well as a good variety of plants, mosses, lichens and fungi. The visit, led by Davy Thompson of Strathnairn Community Woodlands, will take in the well-used network of paths and the impressive wood cabin which is used as a class room or for private functions. https://www.strathnairn.org.uk/strathnairncommunitywoodlands.aspRothiemurchus is a special and beautiful place in the Highlands of Scotland, at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. Over the years Rothiemurchus has developed a huge range of activities to complement the management of the estate: our visit will look at their busy retail outlets and the stunning Loch an Eilein, and hear about their distinctive style of visitor management. https://rothiemurchus.net/ 1.00 Lunch at Carrbridge Hotel 2.00 Depart to afternoon site visits: either Laggan Forest Trust or Anagach Woods TrustThe Laggan Forest Trust was established in 1998 and entered a pioneering partnership with the Forestry Commission, seeking to safeguard local employment. Over the years the focus has shifted from forest management to visitor services but rural development objectives remain central to the Trust’s work. The visit, led by Cristian Pizarro, LFT Business Development Officer, will showcase the Trust’s 19ha of woodland and the Laggan Wolftrax Centre, which opened in April 2015 to provide permanent facilities for the established mountain biking trails. The centre, currently being extended, includes public toilets and showers, a café, a bike hire shop and the LFT office. https://www.lagganforest.com/ Anagach Woods is a 382ha community owned, native pine woodland on the edge of Grantown on Spey, which was acquired by the Anagach Woods Trust in 2002. There is a well-used network of trails and the wood is popular with orienteers and mountain bikers, with a dedicated mtb skills area. It is also home to capercaillie, and the site visit, led by Matthew Hawkins of AWT, will reflect on how the Trust manage this beautiful woodland for a mix of social and environmental objectives.https://www.facebook.com/anagachwoodstrust5.00 Return to Carrbridge HotelSaturday 2 October (online)10.30	Welcome by Anna Lawrence, conference chair	10.40	Workshop 1: Community EngagementEngaging and involving local communities is at the heart of what community woodlands do, but it is an ongoing challenge to connect, and stay connected, with all sections of the community. Speakers from four CWA members will reflect on their experiences of using a range of opportunities and methods to engage and involve local communities. Presenters: <ul><li>Murray Ferguson, Culduthel Woods Group - public consultation on woodland management plans;</li><li>Elspeth Coutts, West Stormont Woodland Group – engaging the community through a programme of walks and events;</li><li>Philip Yielder, SWMID – involving local children; </li><li>Sue Walker, Coigach &amp; Assynt Living Landscape – using social media to engage communities over a wide area</li></ul>11.40	Comfort break11.50 Parallel breakout sessions featuring a range of informal discussions: <ul><li>Rewilding – Charles Dundas, Borders Forest Trust</li><li>Marketing forest products - Hester Robertson, Cloud Forest &amp; Lorna Schofield, Wood Knoydart / Knoydart Forest Trust</li><li>Tree safety – Judith Webb, UHI</li><li>Managing visitor numbers / making tourism work for communities – Becky Milne, Camping Skye</li></ul>12.30	Lunch13.30 	Workshop 2: Tackling the climate emergencyThe climate emergency is arguably the greatest threat facing humankind, and is high in public consciousness and policy agendas. Our presenters will share some of the projects and initiatives that community woodlands can deliver to contribute to tackling the climate emergency.Presenters: <ul><li>Ian Dow, Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust - Climate Beacon project</li><li>Donald Boyd, Huntly Development Trust - renewables and e-bikes projects</li><li>Joe Wilton, Tweeddale Community Woodfuel – community woodfuel scheme</li><li>Ailsa Watson, Future Woodlands Scotland - support for woodland creation</li></ul>14.30 	CWA AGM15.00	close

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