Education & Learning Award 2026
Congratulations to Gold winners London Metropolitan University - the FORESTED project, and to Silver winners Sparsholt College Hampshire - Level 3 Forestry
The Education and Learning Award recognises those who increase awareness, understanding and skills related to the environment, particularly forestry. Sponsored by The Duchy of Cornwall and PEFC, the award highlighted the critical importance of engaging children and young people with forestry and woodland management.
Gold winners: London Metropolitan University – the FORESTED project
“The project is especially effective in linking trees to everyday wood products because learners follow the material journey from tree selection and woodland management through to timber processing, construction and the creation of outdoor furniture for community use. This direct connection between ecological decision-making, material performance, product design and social value strongly addresses local/global considerations relating to sustainable wood resources and the social and economic benefits of timber.”
Winning the top prize in the Education and Learning Award, sponsored by the Duchy of Cornwall and PEFC, the FORESTED project, or the Future-Oriented Regeneration of Ecological Spaces through Timber, Education and Design, has been awarded gold. Closely linked with Lesnes Abbey Woods in Bexley, the project has restarted active forestry activities there for the first time in 60 years.
FORESTED takes students through the whole journey that a tree makes, from standing timber all the way to finished furniture. It’s not limited to theoretical study either. It’s a practical, hands-on immersive workshop run alongside industry professionals such as ecologists, foresters, and wood processors. Starting with extraction, the course includes an introduction to mobile sawmilling, greenwood working and joinery. And it’s taught on site rather than in a classroom. Judges praised the way that the course was constructed as an integral part of the overall qualification and not just added as an aside.
Project lead George Fereday describes his work as demonstrating “the power of education, design, and making for ecological citizenship.” Achieved through collaboration with colleagues as diverse as the Royal Danish Academy, partners at the London Borough of Bexley, and local community volunteers.
The approach combines free digital tools with low-cost wood craft techniques, making the process accessible to all and repeatable. “We’ve connected people with ecology in new and repeatable ways” he says, adding that the team hopes this combination “will grow resilience and change in other underutilised woodlands” across the UK.
What makes FORESTED stand out is the holistic nature of the course. Students select standing timber, process it down, design with it, and hand the finished furniture products back to the community who grew it. This helps to build a connection between the woodland and the materials it produces.
The judges called it “a template for change,” adding simply: “We look forward to what comes next.”
FORESTED’s next phase looks outward. “We’re now entering a phase focused on dissemination, testing and wider adoption,” says Fereday. “We’ll be convening an outreach event with organisations working at the intersection of woodland management, timber use and public engagement, including the National Trust, Community Trees Trust and Woodland Heritage, to share our findings and explore a scaled pilot across other UK woodland settings.”
A practical guide developed within the project is designed to regenerate other underused woodlands using the FORESTED methodology. The next step is a visit to Making Futures 2026, an international conference on design, craft and regenerative futures. Discussions are also underway with the Building Centre in London about exhibiting FORESTED’s benches as part of its Timber Futures exhibition, running from January to February 2027.
Silver winners: Level 3 Forestry, Sparsholt College Hampshire
“The programme creates lasting environmental, social, and economic benefits by promoting sustainable forestry practices, supporting biodiversity and carbon capture, and developing skilled professionals. By combining practical experience, industry connections, sustainability education, and clear progression routes, the course is continually attracting new learners and helping to address future workforce needs within the forestry sector.”
Sparsholt College wins the silver Education and Learning Award, sponsored by the Duchy of Cornwall and PEFC for 2026. Built around a simple but powerful premise, the students learn about forestry by actually doing it. This highly practical course puts woodland work at the centre of learning, with the results to back it up.
Accepting the award is Nicholas Smith, Forestry and Arboriculture Lecturer, who credits the win to the wider Forestry team, including Richard Swift and James Luke His passion and dedication to making sure that students received the highest quality training and support was evident from the moment that the judges arrived.
“It’s a great recognition of the hard work that goes into the Forestry course at Sparsholt College. It’s fantastic to see the course and the students’ achievements recognised by the Royal Forestry Society.”
Judges praised the range on offer: “Training and assessment opportunities include NPTC qualifications in cross-cutting, felling, chippers, stump grinders, tractors, and clearing saws.” They also singled out the enthusiasm and evident commitment behind the course during their tour of the campus, alongside Sparsholt’s ongoing investment in facilities and progression routes. Coupled with strong partnerships with local estates and industry professionals, it gives students the best opportunity to learn and move on in the forestry industry.
Harry Duncton
Harry Duncton is a freelance journalist who writes about outdoor technology, from robot mowers to leaf blowers and other power tools. His work appears in BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, T3 and Trusted Reviews, and he tests equipment in real-world conditions in Devon.
