A DIGITAL woodland inventory tool that promises a faster and more accurate method for collecting data on forestry resources is set to be demonstrated at a live event.

myForest, a flagship project of Oxfordshire-based charity Sylva Foundation, is a platform designed to help woodland owners along the journey of creating and managing forests, supporting land managers through regulation and good practice.

As part of the Northwoods Innovation Programme, Sylva Foundation has now developed new forest inventory tools and integrated these into the platform, supporting users during the inventory process by providing detailed guidance on which data is needed, how to collect it, and – once uploaded into myForest – automatically analysing it. It is hoped that this will enable more woodland owners to collect accurate forest inventory data in less time and with greater confidence. 

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The day-long event, ‘Creating Woodland Inventories’, will take place on Wednesday, September 27, in Grewelthorpe, North Yorkshire. 

Andrew Clark, Sylva’s head of forestry, said: “A forest stand inventory is the collection of information about a specific area of your forest, and it is a key part of your woodland management plan. 

“For many, producing a forest stand inventory can be seen as problematic and time consuming. Confusion around what data to collect, how to collect it, and how to use it once it’s been gathered can be a barrier to producing a successful woodland management plan.

“The new myForest Inventory Tool will help demystify and streamline the inventory collection process and automate data calculations, allowing users to quickly read what is in their woodland.”

Rosanna Curtis, Northwoods project manager, said: “The Northwoods Innovation Programme is delighted to support the Sylva Foundation in their development of the new myForest Inventory Tool to help woodland owners develop their own woodland inventories.

Forestry Journal: myForest will be shown in action during the event myForest will be shown in action during the event (Image: Supplied)

“The event will explore the what, why, and how of woodland inventories in the classroom and in the woods, then using the newly developed tool to create a woodland inventory based on the information collected earlier in the day. 

“We are really looking forward to this informative and interactive event which will support those attending to develop their own woodland inventories.”

For more information regarding the event, contact: northwoods@reheat.uk.com.