WE are delighted to announce the launch of a new award, which is focused on tree planting, in the South West Farmer Awards 2024.

The new category, called The Woodland Hero Award, is sponsored by the Forestry Commission, to find out more about what they do locally please sign up to their newsletter.

To enter the award, you must recognise the importance of planting trees and managing woodland. To enter the award or to be eligible to apply, you must meet one of the following criteria:

  • Creating new trees/woodland, minimum size 1ha, 3-15 years in age
  • Returning woods into management, minimum size 1ha, from 15 years and must be in active management with a woodland management plan
  • Creating a community woodland with public access for all, minimum size 1ha and any age

To enter the awards, visit our South West Farmer Awards 2024 webpage. 

To keep-up-to-date with the latest awards news, click here. 

The award criteria is as follows: "As a Woodland Hero you will recognise the importance of planting trees and woodland as we respond as a nation to the climate and biodiversity crisis.

"You will see the value woods and trees have in helping to create new habitats that will boost biodiversity, improve soil and water quality, sequester carbon, slow the rate of water runoff, potentially producing timber and providing access to a space that enhances health and wellbeing.

"There has been no better time than now to plant trees but it’s not just about creating new woodland, managing existing woods can deliver all these benefits and will help to increase the resilience of our woodland. All woodland would need to meet the Forestry Standard and all applications would need to demonstrate that they have delivered their woodland objectives."