Date – 9 September 2024
Time – 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Join us for a collaborative webinar on topics of mutual interest for members of the Institute of Chartered Foresters and Chartered Institute of Horticulture.
The webinar will explore the recent developments in tree breeding programmes from the third and private sector, highlighting the challenges of meeting supply and demand, whilst working towards delivering on our need for more resilient trees and woodlands. Through insight into two different research programmes, members will gain an understanding of the future direction and availability of tree stock and what this may mean for management decisions and species selection surrounding timber and biodiversity. The webinar will include presentations from Oliver Stock from Future Trees Trust and Dr Shelagh McCartan from Maelor Forest Nurseries.
The Future Trees Trust: Hardwood Tree Improvement
This presentation will discuss the Sustainable Seed Source Project (SSSP) which began in 2014 and aims to secure and increase the supply of high-quality seed for a range of native and non-native species deemed to be important future timber sources. The SSSP aims to improve the biodiversity and resilience of British woodlands in a changing climate.
Speaker: Oliver Stock – Forestry Technician, Future Trees Trust
Oliver completed undergraduate degrees at Bangor University and the University of British Columbia in forestry with conservation, later gaining practical experience in urban tree management before returning to Bangor to complete a MSc in Environmental Forestry. This led to work as a research assistant, working on continental scale remote sensing applications for Europe, and has now spent a year with the Future Trees Trust contributing to current projects, and focussing on new work on beech and hornbeam.
Unlocking somatic embryogenesis!
This presentation will provide a brief overview of an advanced vegetative propagation process namely somatic embryogenesis and its role in a breeding programme.
Speaker: Dr Shelagh McCartan – Research and Development Manager, Maelor Forest Nurseries
Shelagh is the Research and Development Manager at Maelor Forest Nurseries where she leads the tree breeding programme and manages the somatic embryogenesis laboratory. Prior to this role, she was a seed scientist at Forest Research where she focussed on stratification, testing and storage of seeds.
Tickets are £10 to attend.