ForestHarvest: non-timber forest products in Scotland

 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Events & conferences

Reforesting Scotland has been involved in organising a number of wild harvests events and conferences over the years. This section reports on some of the more recent ones:

Wild Harvests of Scotland: building a sustainable forest culture

Wild Harvests of Scotland: building a sustainable forest culture

Dunkeld & Birnam, 15 & 16 April 2009

Two days of events to celebrate and develop Scotland’s wild and woodland products sector

The programe included:
• The Wild Harvests of Scotland Conference
• A “Slow Food” feast
• An evening celebrating the Orchards of Scotland
• The inaugural meeting of the Scottish Wild Harvests Trade Association

More information here.

Woodland Bounty - wild harvests in the Borders

Buccleuch Arms Hotel, St Boswells, 15 February 2009

24 February 2009

This event was for everyone with an interest in foraging and wild harvesting - with speakers on wild herbs, traditional plant lore and sustainable harvesting, demonstrations of birch sap tapping and mushroom log inoculation, and wild food & drink tasters. Best of all, it was a chance to meet other people with an interest in foraging and wild harvests.

The day was a great success, with over 70 people attending, and it may be the start of something new - a Foragers' Forum for the Scottish Borders.

There is a report of the event, with links to contacts, info & suppliers, on the Reforesting Scotland website.

Ways forward for Scotland's Wild Harvests businesses

Two meetings held at Pollok Visitor Centre (Glasgow) and Abriachan Village Hall (Inverness-shire) during November 2008

This pair of meetings provided a chance for people across the Wild Harvests sector to meet each other and to find out about issues that concern them as a group, including the Scottish Working Woods label, new government funding, and access rights and responsibilities.

Each meeting also discussed ideas for a dedicated trade association – a collective presence to aid access to funding, training and marketing opportunities, and to give the sector a voice in policy decisions.

A broad range of businesses and interests were represented at the meetings. Participants were very positive about the benefits of meeting each other and about future chances for building and strengthening networks.

As a result of the meeting, a steering group was been formed to take forward plans for a Scottish Wild Harvests trade association.

The full report on the November 2008 meetings is available here (PDF document 381KB)

The Scottish Working Woods label launch

The Scottish Working Woods label was launched at the Touchwood festival in Dingwall, in June 2007. Reforesting Scotland co-ordinated a display of non-timber forest products at the launch, including wild food drinks and nibbles - demonstrating the potential for wild harvests products to be part of the label scheme.

The Future of Wild Harvests in Scotland

This seminar was held in Beauly on 10-11 May 2006.

Click here for a brief report of the Wild Harvests seminar.

Fuller details available on the Scottish Forest Industries Cluster website.

Quick Index

Wild Harvests of Scotland, April 2009

Woodland Bounty, Feb 2009

Ways forward for Scotland's Wild Harvests businesses, November 2008

The Scottish Working Woods label launch, June 2009

The Future of Wild Harvests in Scotland, May 2006