Students thank Scottish Woodlands for conference experience
Three students who attended a landmark conference thanks to Scottish Woodlands have described their positive experiences at the event.
Rory Bastow Norris, Sam Kaplan, and Ethan Angel - forestry students in the Department of Environmental and Natural Sciences at Bangor University - were at the ICF Wales Centenary Conference, courtesy of sponsorship by Scottish Woodlands.
The event, held at Bangor University, celebrated 100 years of forestry and explored what the next century holds, with sessions on silviculture, woodland management, timber production and investment.
Sam Kaplan (left) and Ethan Angel (right)
Sam Kaplan said: “I had a great day and it was inspiring to hear from and network with so many forestry professionals. The variety of speakers with different perspectives and priorities within forestry showed me the vast range of opportunities available to me in the future. I loved Harry Legge-Bourke's energetic post-lunch talk on the Glanusk estate, which highlighted to me the issues landowners face and the necessity for effective, sustainable forest management to mitigate these.”
Rory Bastow Norris said: “The event was very well-organised and an enjoyable experience. Each talk was well-structured, informative, professional and engaging. It was nice to see the Bangor students have an opportunity to voice their opinions at the end and I think it was met with appropriate professionalism and enthusiasm from the foresters.”
Ethan Angel said: “The conference was an engaging experience that allowed me to hear how forestry has changed, particularly the progression of ideas and methods. Being able to network with public and private sector foresters was really useful to help me develop a clearer picture of the industry and all its moving parts. Additionally, as an undergraduate at Bangor University, speaking to Bangor graduates working in all sectors of forestry was beneficial in developing my ideas of where I would like to go.”
Charles Gittins, Senior Forest Manager with Flintshire Woodlands, the trading arm of Scottish Woodlands in Wales and parts of England, said: “We were really pleased to support the next generation of foresters by helping them connect with industry leaders, researchers and policymakers. I’m delighted to hear that Sam, Rory and Ethan all found it such a valuable experience.”
Mr Gittins and his colleague Alastair Squire will represent Scottish Woodlands at Bangor University’s Department of Environmental & Natural Sciences Careers Fair, on Wednesday 19th November 2025.
Please note that the Scottish Woodlands Graduate Development Programme is now open for applications (Closure Date Sunday 1st February 2026). More information can be found here.