The Royal Forestry Society (RFS) is an educational charity and one of the oldest membership organisations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for those actively involved in woodland management. HM The Queen is the patron.
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The RFS has a broad membership which includes woodland owners, managers, countryside professionals (land agents, ecologists, conservationists), academics, students and others with a general interest in woodland management. Membership is open to all.
History
The Royal Forestry Society was established in 1882 in Northumberland, England. Originally known as the English Arboricultural Society, the organisation was founded by forester Henry Clark and nurseryman John W Robson, both from Hexham.
Activities
The Society has 20 Divisions which between them organise up to 100 woodland field meetings a year on topics that span seed to sawmill. Annually: a top-level conference is held; there is a 4 or 5 day woodland study tour in England, Wales or Northern Ireland; Excellence in Forestry Awards take place, there is a travel bursary for forestry study abroad, and workshops, seminars and knowledge transfer events. Overseas study tours are held every other year.
The RFS helps shape formal forestry qualifications and its own Certificate of Arboriculture is recognised across the sector; it encourages students with a range of awards, bursaries and internships; has launched a research programme with colleges and has partnered with a number of organisations to help share knowledge.
The RFS Teaching Trees project is expanding, introducing primary schools and their pupils to their local woodlands and their benefits to the economy, environment and society.
The primary publication of The Royal Forestry Society is the Quarterly Journal of Forestry (since 1907). The Society manages three woodlands, in the Chilterns, part of the National Forest, and the largest and oldest grove of coast redwoods in Europe at Leighton Hall, Powys near Welshpool. These are managed as examples of good practice and lessons learned are shared with members.
The RFS maintains a library of forestry related books for members.