The latest film in the documentary series Wood for the Trees, Ancient Woodland Restoration: The Story of Light and Life has its premiere on Thursday 22nd May from 6.30 to 9.30 at Frome Town Hall, as part of Frome Climate Film Festival. The evening includes a chance to view two other short films and take part in a Q&A with environmental filmmaker Charly Le Marchant, Mick Bracken of the Woodland Trust and Phil Sturgeon of Protect Earth.
Charly Le Marchant said:
“We are excited to announce the release of the latest film in the acclaimed Wood for the Trees series, focusing on the urgent and inspiring topic of Ancient Woodland Restoration. Created in partnership with Tom Barnes, managing director of Vastern Timber, this new film explores how restoring ancient woodlands can help address biodiversity loss, and why it is important the Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) remaining need to be restored before it is too late.”
“Ancient woodlands are irreplaceable habitats, rich in wildlife and history, but many are under threat from neglect and many are also Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) – ancient woodlands that were cut down and replaced with fast growing timber trees, a process which happened to almost half our ancient woodland sites in the 1960s and 70s. We chose to focus this film on restoration because these landscapes hold the key to a more resilient and biodiverse future. By highlighting real-life efforts to revive a conifer-planted ancient woodland at High Wood in Liskeard and visiting the oceanic rainforest at Millook, we aim to inspire action and share practical knowledge with landowners, policymakers, and the public. We invite everyone passionate about the future of our woodlands to watch, share, and join the discussion on how we can restore and protect these vital landscapes.
“This film captures the dedication, challenges, and rewards of restoring ancient woodland-not just for trees, but for the entire ecosystem that depends on them. It reflects the heart of the Wood for the Trees mission: to ask tough questions, celebrate successes, and encourage a deeper connection with Britain’s forests.”
Ancient Woodland Restoration: The Story of Light and Life is screened as part of The Climates film festival alongside two other films – ‘Ikea Loves Wood’, and ‘Continuous Cover Forestry – Sustainable Timber & Biodiverse Ecosystems: Can they thrive together?’. The latter was filmed last year at Stourhead Western Estate – the woodland that surrounds King Alfreds Tower. Tom Barnes of Vastern Timber, who presented the film, will be sharing his views on timber security in the UK and sustainable timber practices such as CCF at the screening.
Book tickets for £3 at https://bit.ly/ancient-woodlands-film. More information about Wood for the Trees is at https://woodforthetrees.uk.
