Social and cultural values of woods

 

Summary

The aim of this research was to provide greater understanding of the ways in which people value trees and woodlands in northwest and southeast England and the reasons for this from both an urban and rural perspective.

The ways in which people value trees and woodlands are wide ranging. There is an important relationship between people’s views of trees and woodlands and wider issues of concern over development, the loss of green space and having the opportunity to access woodlands.

In this piece of research woodlands were primarily valued for the escape they provided from the stress of everyday life and as somewhere to have contact with nature.

Similar projects have also been undertaken to explore the ways in which people value trees and forests in:

• Vermont, USA
• Inner London.

Research objectives

• To explore, examine and describe the values held for woodlands and trees through a series of in-depth discussion groups
• To evaluate whether there are differences between the northwest and southeast groups and between urban and rural perspectives
• To examine how forestry and environmental professionals view public interactions with woodlands through a series of semi-structured interviews
• To explore the implications to the Forestry Commission of publics’ values for woodlands and provide guidance for future management and policy development.

Funders and partners

Under their social forestry programme, the Forestry Commission (Forestry Group) is funding research that explores the social benefits of trees and woodlands to a variety of people from a range of ages and socio-economic backgrounds.

Forestry Commission policy

The Forestry Commission has a duty to maximise the social benefits of its estate. This requires an understanding of the ways in which contemporary society relates to forests and of what it expects of forests and forest management.

The England Forestry Strategy states that trees and woods are among our most valuable natural assets although many of the benefits of woodlands are difficult to price in cash terms. Nevertheless it is important that ways of exploring these values are assessed through a number of different research approaches.

Key findings

Woodlands were valued for the escape they provide from everyday life and pressures

• The inexpensive cost of using woods was important for those on low incomes
• Women were generally not comfortable visiting woods alone
• All groups expressed concerns about the loss of green space
• All groups saw education as important
• People’s view of woods related to wider issues of environmental and social change.

Publications

• A sort of magical place
  People's experiences of woodlands in northwest and southeast England. ^{(PDF - 2525K)}
• Human values and their importance to the development of forestry policy in Britain: a literature review.
  Forestry, Vol 76, 2003, pp3-17.
• Publics and woodlands: well-being, local identity, social learning, conflict and management.
  Forestry, DOI:10.1093/forestry/cpi042

Status

This piece of work was completed in early 2004.

Contact

Liz O’Brien
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH

Tel: 01420 526155
Fax: 01420 520558
Email: liz.obrien@forestry.gsi.gov.uk