What is Regenerative Forestry?
Positive Outcomes for Nature and Productive Timber
Regenerative forestry is an innovative approach to a tool for forest management that focuses on enhancing the resilience and biodiversity of forests through management practices which balance commercial timber production (broadleaf and spruce) with sound ecological principles and with a focus on soil health, sustainability and biodiversity.
Unlike conventional forestry, which often prioritizes short-term economic gains, regenerative forestry aims to restore the natural balance of ecosystems, ensuring long-term health and productivity.
This method involves a variety of techniques, including selective harvesting, reforestation, agroforestry, and soil rehabilitation.
This approach seeks to build up stronger and more complex ecosystems with better soils and hydrology and more diversity in the flora and fauna of the forests. Ecosystems thrive on complexity with simplistic systems often failing.
Regenerative Forestry Management Principles
- Ecological Restoration: We prioritise the restoration of degraded forest landscapes by improving structural diversity,reintroducing native species, improving soil health, and promoting natural regeneration processes. Scientific studies have shown that native species reintroduction can increase biodiversity and ecosystem stability (Jones et al., 2020).
- Biodiversity Conservation: We work to preserve and enhance biodiversity by creating more structural complexity, recognising the interdependence of trees and soils, enhancing habitat corridors, protecting endangered speciesusing drainage creatively, supporting scarcer species and maintaining a diverse range of plant and animal life. Research indicates that habitat corridors can increase species dispersal and genetic diversity (Smith & Johnson, 2018).
- Community Involvement: We believe in the power of local communities to drive positive change. Our projects involve collaboration with local communities, providing sustainable economic benefit in the long-term, engaging with local stakeholders, and volunteers to ensure the success and sustainability of our efforts. Community involvement leads to more effective and lasting conservation outcomes (Brown et al., 2019).
- Climate Resilience: By implementing climate-aware strategies in forest management, we aim to increase the resilience of forests to climate change, reducing the risk of wildfires, pests, and diseases and ensuring a sustainable timber crop for future generations. High quality timber will often have longer term uses, capturing carbon for longer. It is already clear that diversified forests are more resilient to climate disruptions (Thompson et al., 2021).
- Economic Sustainability: We promote sustainable livelihoods, particularly in remote locations, through eco-friendly practices that benefit both the environment and local economies, such as sustainable timber production, non-timber forest products, and ecotourism. Research supports that sustainable forest management can provide long-term economic benefits while preserving ecosystem services (Garcia et al., 2017).
