This piece is an extract from this week's Forestry Features newsletter, which is emailed out at 4PM every Wednesday with a round-up of the week's top stories. 

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WHICH Muppet would be best at planting trees? We're going for Sam Eagle. He's tough. He's disciplined. He's blue – admittedly, nothing to do with tree planting, we just like the colour. As for the other end of the scale, take your pick between Rizzo the Rat, Kermit (sorry) and Animal (not sorry). 

Okay, this might not be exactly what Richard Stanford had in mind when he declared during a recent panel discussion that 'any Muppet can put a tree in the ground' – he probably just meant the slang – but he had a point. Just about anyone can plant trees, but it's what comes next that's even more important. 

Forestry Journal: Richard Stanford, middle, during the ICF conference Richard Stanford, middle, during the ICF conference (Image: Supplied)

Too often, the trees are planted, the pictures taken, and that's that. Left are the saplings to grow on their own, with barely a thought for giving them any attention. Wander along any roadside – particularly the controversial A14 – or through far too many parks, and you'll see dead tree after dead tree. 

When it comes to shifting attitudes in tree care, this remains a priority for everyone involved in the industry, from Richard and the Forestry Commission, to the Arboricultural Association. 

Another priority is getting farmers on board with tree planting. The recent Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) national conference – in which Richard made the aforementioned statement – put this very thing at its heart, endeavouring to turn agroforestry into the norm. 

Farmers and foresters shouldn't be rivals. It has been demonstrably proven time and time again the benefits trees bring to farm land, not least in the shade they provide to livestock. In many ways, this shouldn't really be a hard sale. And yet, too often, it still is. 

Forestry Journal: Which Muppet would be best at planting trees? Answers on a postcard Which Muppet would be best at planting trees? Answers on a postcard (Image: Archant)

During the course of the excellent conference, farmers, foresters, and academics all had their say, each one of them convinced trees on farm land are the way to go. 

The job remains – as it has done for all time – to get more farmers on side. Forestry has convincing arguments, it just needs to be brave enough to shout them from the rooftops. 

Forestry Journal will have a comprehensive report from the ICF's conference in June's edition of the magazine and online