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Royal Forestry Society
Royal Forestry Society logo
Abbreviation RFS
Formation 1882
Founder Henry Clark, John W Robson
Founded at Northumberland
Type Registered charity
Purpose Woodland management
Headquarters Banbury, Oxfordshire
Region
England, Wales, Northern Ireland
Main organ
The Quarterly Journal of Forestry (QJF)
Formerly called
English Arboricultural Society

The Royal Forestry Society (RFS) is a special group that teaches people about trees and forests. It's one of the oldest groups in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland for people who work with woodlands.

The RFS has many members. These include people who own woodlands, manage them, or work in the countryside. Experts like ecologists and conservationists are also members. Students and anyone interested in forests can join too.

The Story of the Royal Forestry Society

The Royal Forestry Society started a long time ago in 1882. It began in Northumberland, England. At first, it was called the English Arboricultural Society.

Two people from Hexham started it: Henry Clark, a forester, and John W Robson, who grew plants in a nursery. The first leader of the Society was John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham.

In 1905, King Edward VII gave the Society a special permission called a Royal Charter. This allowed them to use "Royal" in their name. So, they became the Royal English Arboricultural Society.

Later, their name changed again. In 1931, they became The Royal English Forestry Society. Then, in 1962, they got their current name: the Royal Forestry Society of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

There is a separate group in Scotland. It's called the Royal Scottish Forestry Society and started even earlier, in 1854.

Exploring RFS Woodlands

Hockeridge Woods
A young Wellingtonia tree planted in Hockeridge Woods in 2015. It marks 200 years since the Battle of Waterloo.

The RFS doesn't own many forests. But it does manage three special woodlands. They use these woodlands to show how to care for forests well. They also share what they learn with their members.

Here are the woodlands they manage:

  • Hockeridge and Pancake Woods: These woods are in the Chilterns, near Berkhamsted and Chesham. A lady named Mary Wellesley gave them to the RFS in 1986. She was a great-great-granddaughter of the Duke of Wellington.
  • Battram Wood: This is a 50-hectare (0.50 km2) woodland in the National Forest. It's close to Battram in Leicestershire.
  • Charles Ackers Redwood Grove and Naylor Pinetum: You can find this near Welshpool in Powys. It has the biggest and oldest group of coast redwoods in Europe.

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What the RFS Does

Hockeridge Woods 17 21 45 357000
Hockeridge Woods looks beautiful in early autumn.

The RFS has 20 local groups called Divisions. These groups hold about 100 meetings each year in woodlands. They talk about everything from planting seeds to cutting down trees for wood.

Every year, the RFS also:

  • Holds a big conference.
  • Organizes a 4 or 5-day trip to study woodlands.
  • Gives out "Excellence in Forestry Awards."
  • Offers money (a travel bursary) for students to study forestry abroad.
  • Hosts workshops and events to share knowledge.

They also have study trips overseas every two years.

The RFS helps create official forestry qualifications. Their own Certificate of Arboriculture is well-known in the field. They support students with awards, bursaries, and internships. They also work with colleges on research and team up with other groups to share information.

The RFS offers a special qualification called the Professional Diploma of Arboriculture. Their "Teaching Trees" project is growing. It helps introduce young students and their schools to local woodlands. It teaches them how forests help the economy, the environment, and society.

The RFS also has a library full of books about forestry for its members.

The main office of the RFS is in the grounds of Upton House, Warwickshire, near Banbury.

The RFS Journal

The main magazine of the Royal Forestry Society is called the Quarterly Journal of Forestry. It has been published since 1907.

The RFS Coat of Arms

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