Wood for the Trees is a series dedicated to exploring the future of our woodlands
New film premiers at climate film festival
Our new film Ancient Woodland Restoration: The Story of Light and Life premiered at Frome Town Hall as part of The Climates Film Festival 2025.
Filmed in the heart of Cornwall’s rare ancient temperate woodlands, this film follows two restoration pioneers as they work to revive some of Britain’s most biodiverse and threatened habitats.
The screening was well attended, and followed by a lively panel discussion. Find out more on our blog.
Ancient Woodland Restoration
Our latest film is a story of life and light
Films on the future of forests
Continuous cover forestry
Part 1
Can sustainable timber and biodiverse ecosystems thrive together?
Part 2
About Us
Wood for the Trees is a series about the future of UK forests, from film-maker & outdoor educator Charly Le Marchant and Vastern Timber managing director Tom Barnes
A better future for our forests?
Tom & Charly visit woodlands and meet experts to discuss the future for British forests. They look at forest management, agroforestry, continuous cover forestry, biodiversity, timber and the trees in a rewilding landscape, and much more, exploring different perspectives and ideas.
Many thanks to all our guests for taking part.
Series Three began in 2023 . Series Two was filmed in 2022, featuring animations by Robin Lane Roberts . Series One was filmed between 2019 and 2021.
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Series 2
What is holding back woodland creation?
With so many good reasons to plant trees why is the progress so slow? To find out what might be holding back woodland creation in the UK, we sought out those people involved in establishing large scale woodland creation schemes (or at least trying to do so). We asked them to explain some of the factors and issues involved.
In 2023 we talked with Harriet Bell of Riverford Farm, about Agroforestry and what's holding it back. This film was launched at the first #AgroforestryShow, hosted by the The Woodland Trust and The Soil Association.
In the summer of 2023, we released a film with The Woodland Trust discussing challenges and opportunities for UK woodland creation. Many thanks to Nick Phillips for being so generous with his time and expertise.
Why plant trees in rewilding projects? We talked to Alastair Driver of Rewilding Britain, about a huge tree planting project as part of a rewilding scheme in Yorkshire.
Is it possible to plant enough trees to sequester UK carbon emissions? An award winning film with beautiful animations to help make sense of the numbers.
Series One (2019-2022)
Ideas to help Britain's Forests Grow
A five minute film of expert suggestions to help our forests grow. In the run-up to COP26, hosted in the UK. we collated ideas from a range of perspectives to help our forests thrive.
Part Ten: Rewilding, regenerating the treescape
Part ten of 'Wood for the Trees' was filmed at the Knepp estate in West Sussex. Professor Alastair Driver, director of Rewilding Britain says "you don't need to plant here, trees will find their way." Film-maker Charly Le Marchant finds out how trees fit into the rewilding story.
Part Nine: Sustainable forestry, the need for nurture
Filmed in May 2021 at the Bathurst estate, with forest manager Graham Taylor MBE, of Pryor & Rickett. Generations of forest management at Bathurst has resulted in a productive woodland of exceptionally tall straight trees. Graham says that active woodland management boosts biodiversity, as well as delivering valuable timber.
Part Eight: Growing improved trees for timber and low carbon construction
Featuring the Future Trees Trust, this episode looks at research to find the best genetic materials and test seed sources for future forests. Dr Jo Clark explains the process of studying how families of trees grow in different settings, and selecting the genetic material for new trees that are most likely to grow and thrive.
Part Seven: Agroforestry, the benefits of growing trees on farms
We visit Vallis Veg, an eco-friendly smallholding in Somerset, and find out how planting trees has benefited their farmland. Chris and Cordelia have established an eco-farm and wild campsite on former agricultural land. Planting trees on their farm has provide multiple benefits, including providing a space for Shared Earth Learning forest school. Chris Smaje is the author of 'Small Farm Future'.
Part Six: Small Woodlands: Challenges and opportunities
At the Hillyfield Woodland farm, small woodland owner Doug King Smith explains some of the challenges in restoring small woodlands. Problems with diseases and pests and issues with the planning system have not been easy to deal with, but Hillyfield is now considered a "first class case study" in small woodland management.
Part Five: Recreating a Woodland Culture
Dr Gabriel Hemery of the Sylva Foundation discusses 'Woodland Culture' and how society relates to woods and woodland. He calls for all children to have access to Forest School and discusses the work going on at the Sylva Wood Foundation, to help people and trees grow together.
Part Four: Valuing the Health Benefits of Trees
Suzi Martineau, one of the founders of The Tree Conference, discusses the health benefits of being around trees. Tom Barnes asks how society could put a value on the benefits we feel from being surrounded by healthy trees and woodland.
Part Three: Resilient Woodland
At the Dartington estate, we talk to forester Jez Ralph, Director of Timber Strategies about the history of forestry in the UK, and what the term 'resilient woodland' means. He discusses the benefits of mixed planting, and how to create resilient woodlands in a changing climate.
Part Two: The importance of woodland management
Dougal Driver, CEO of Grown in Britain, talks about how British woodland can produce timber, "an amazing material" for low carbon construction, and he outlines the processes and benefits of woodland management.
Part One What's the future for our forests?
Tom Barnes is managing director and 4th generation owner of Vastern Timber, sawmills that specialise in processing British grown timber. He hopes future generations can continue to work with locally grown wood. Tom says UK woodlands are in peril, maybe at a tipping point, but there's an opportunity to captialise on the political will and public interest to 'plant more trees' and begin a period of great afforestation.
12 Ideas to Help Britain's Forests Grow
This film collates 12 suggestions, from the experts we met in series one. Produced for COP26 in 2021.
Journal
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Wood for the Trees: meet the team
Charly Le Marchant
A Pocketful of Acorns
Charly Le Marchant is a forest school leader and nature-based film maker; producing, filming and editing films about UK woodlands.
https://www.pocketfullofacorns.com/
Tom Barnes
Vastern Timber
Tom Barnes is managing director of Vastern Timber, a family owned sawmill and timber merchant that specialises in British grown timber. Tom is a champion of British grown timber in the built environment.
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