This years APF Exhibition will host a series of short talks and panel discussions called Talking Forestry, to highlight some of the issues that forestry faces.
At APF 26, Talking Forestry is being introduced. This is a new free event with a series of short talks and panel discussions in the APF Seminar Tent (stand 1680-1735).
Experts and leaders from across the sector will be on hand to discuss the biggest issues facing forestry today. From public attitudes to timber and the essential contribution of forestry to national security to future species choices in a changing climate.
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That’s a remarkable amount of work hours for a single machine, the Norcar 600 owned by Erkki Rinne is taken well care of, it even has the original Diesel engine.
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Kieran Anders is a forestry contractor working in the lake district. His work involves hand cutting and extracting timber using a skidder and tractor-trailer forwarder.
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It is not possible to eliminate chain shot, but there are simple steps that can be taken to reduce the risk.
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Arwel takes great pride in the fact that the mill has no waste whatsoever, “the peelings are used for children’s playgrounds, gardens and for farm animals in barns in the winter and the sawdust has multiple uses in gardens and farms as well.
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Timber hauliers need to encourage young blood in, and also look after the hauliers we have, we need make the sector a safe and positive place to work.
FIND US ON
Programme of events
| When | What | Who |
| Thurs 24 Sept | ||
| 10.30 – 11.30am | Trust, transparency and the public perception of forestry – how can we explain forestry better?Recent research shows a widening gap between the realities of forestry and public understanding of its benefits. How is this impacting on how we do our jobs and what can we do about it?Book ticket | Rebecca Smith is a journalist and author of Rural: The Lives of the Working-Class Countryside and a forthcoming book on forestry.After beginning his career at the National Trust and Woodland Trust, Peter Coles joined the Forestry Commission where he is now Area Director for the South-East and London.Paul Brannen is a former Member of the European Parliament and has served as Public Affairs Director for the European Confederation of Woodworking Industries, the European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry, and the UK Confederation of Timber Industries. He is a Forestry Commissioner. |
| 12 – 2pm | Confor AGM and lunch event | Private event |
| 2.30 – 3.30pm | Is forestry a national security issue?The UK imports around 80 per cent of the timber it consumes. How do we ensure we meet the Britain’s timber supply needs alongside the other benefits that woods and trees bring, including for recreation, net zero and nature. Join the Chair and the Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission in conversation on this hugely important topic.Book ticket | Barbara, Baroness Young of Old Scone, has been Chair of the Forestry Commission since 2026. She has led some of the UK’s most influential environmental organisations, including the RSPB and Environment Agency, and was Chair of English Nature.Richard Stanford became Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission in 2021, following a 35-year career in the British Army. He recently became a MICFor, having learnt a great deal about forestry in the past 5 years. |
| Friday 25 Sept | ||
| 11 – 11.45am | Steep ground harvesting today: what are the real limits?(Tilhill event)Steep ground harvesting pushes things to the limit. Hear about the very latest in technology and technique in forestry’s most extreme discipline.Book ticket | Speaker to be announced |
| 12 – 12.45pm | Forestry in 50 years – species choices for a future climateIn fifty years, the climate our trees will be growing in will be very different to how it is now.How is this impacting on trees species selection and what do those at the chainsaw’s edge of decision-making think forestry will look like in 2076?Book ticket | David Edwards, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Coordinator, Forest Research.Eleanor Tew, Head of Forest Planning, Forestry EnglandMark Broadmeadow, Head of Climate Change, Forestry CommissionRob MacKenna, General Manager, James Jones and Sons Ltd |
| 1 – 1.45pm | How do we get more trees on farms?Trees how many benefits for farmers, but how do we get more trees on farms? Farming advocate, Rebecca Wilson, discusses the challenges with James Ramskir-Gardiner from the Forestry Commission’s agroforestry team.Book ticket | Rebecca Wilson is a fifth-generation farmer in Yorkshire, a Cambridge graduate and popular farming blogger. She was included in The Times’ Young Power List 2025.James Ramskir-Gardiner is a National Agroforestry Advisor at the Forestry Commission. |
| 2 – 2.45pm | The TreeAlert top five – protecting our trees, woods and forestsTreeAlert is the national online platform for reporting tree pests and diseases. It monitors national tree health and acts as an early warning system, alerting scientists and practitioners to developing threats.What are the biggest concerns for those at the frontline of tree protection? Three experts in key roles at the forefront of the fight share their most pressing concerns and consider what the future might hold.Book ticket | Max Blake, Head of Entomology, Forest ResearchAnnabel Narayanan, Director of Action OakLisa Brooks, Chief Executive Officer, Forestry Commission |
| 3 – 3.45pm | Broadening the pool – increasing sector skills in forestryForestry has never faced greater competition for talent. But, equally, we have to get the best out of all those already within the industry, recognising the wide range of skills and abilities we already have.Listen to four unique perspectives on maintaining and enhancing the most important assets in the industry, our people.Book ticket | Steve Fowkes, Senior Policy Advisor, Skills, Business and Markets, Forestry CommissionLouise Simpson, Chief Executive, Institute of Chartered ForestersMelanie McEwan, Operations Director, Forestry Training Services UKCharlotte Waller, Marketing Manager, Tilhill Forestry |
| Saturday 26 September | ||
| 11 – 11.30am | Keep it clean, protect our treesBiosecurity protects our trees, woods and forests from pests and diseases. From cleaning your boots, bikes and buggies after visiting a forest to reporting any trees that you suspect are in ill-health, come along and learn more.Book ticket | Plant Health Forestry |
| 1 – 1.30pm | Keep it clean, protect our treesBiosecurity protects our trees, woods and forests from pests and diseases. From cleaning your boots, bikes and buggies after visiting a forest to reporting any trees that you suspect are in ill-health, come along and learn more.Book ticket | Plant Health Forestry |
| 2 – 3pm | Small Woods Association AGM | Private event |
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