Description:
Welcome to this training partnership between Soil Association Certification and the Royal Scottish Forestry Society. This three day course in Perth, can be taken as independent courses, or combined together to provide you with an overview of what certification is and an introduction to management planning within the realms of certification.
Day 1 – Introduction to Certification and UKWAS for Foresters (Perth Subud Centre)
This one day course will introduce foresters to Forest Management Certification, with the history, background and context of FSC, then deep diving how that translates into UKWAS. This course will be invaluable for practicing forest managers who manage forests within the UKWAS certification, or for new forest managers who are looking to broaden their professional skills and knowledge. We will discuss some of the common stumbling points and the additional benefits that forest managers can gain from certification such as the Group Scheme System and FSC Ecosystem Services as a precursor to our 2 day Ecosystem Services training on 6-7 October 2026 (online).
Day 2 – Forest Management Planning and Certification (Perth Subud Centre)
This day will provide more of a deep dive, looking into what differentiates a management plan from management planning within the context of certification. We will focus on discussing and exploring the requirements under Section 2 of UKWAS and how the Management Plan pulls together the entirety of the UWKAS standard and links visions and objectives to real world operations and compliance. We will discuss common pitfalls based on our experience as auditors and a certification body, and we will provide opportunities for group work and open discussion to make this day as practical as possible.
Day 3 – An applied day in Craigvinean Forest, Tay Forest Park
This day will provide a chance to translate learning into action, with a visit to Craigvinean Forest, Tay Forest Park to discuss their current forest management plans and share an auditor’s perspective. Meet at https://what3words.com/copycat.selling.sprinkler
This course will be facilitated by experienced foresters and FSC / PEFC Forest Management auditors.
Disclaimer: This course will not be able to provide any direct consultancy to individual foresters nor will this qualify trainees to become auditors. We will discuss a number of case studies and examples, where trainees will be able to see examples of good and poor practice.
The workshops start at 09:30 each day and end at 16:30.
Attendance at these events count towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training hours.
Objectives:
Day 1
– Understand the context of the Forestry Steward Council (FSC) UK and the UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS).
– Understand the process of certification & auditing (including common issues & challenges).
– Develop an understanding of the various tools within the FSC system to help accessing certification &/or add value to existing certificates (i.e. Group Scheme System, FSC Ecosystem Services, etc.).
Day 2
– Learn about how a management plan integrates with management planning within the FSC system.
– Understand the requirements for section 2 of UKWAS.
Day 3
– Learn from an active forest management case study
– Understand an auditor’s perspective on forest planning
PPE or other equipment:
No PPE required for day 1 and 2. Sturdy shoes and outdoor clothes required for day 3.PE required. The venue is accessible.
Refreshments:
Refreshments and lunch will be provided on day 1 and 2. Bring your own lunch on day 3.
Location and Meeting Point
Day 1 and 2:
Perth Subud Centre, Subud Britain Tayside Group, 7 St.Leonard’s Bank, Perth. PH2 8EB
What3Words https://what3words.com/table.gone.store
Day 3:
Craigvinean Forest, Tay Forest Park
https://what3words.com/copycat.selling.sprinkler
Cancellation Policy:
If you need to cancel your booking, please refer to our cancellation policy here. If you have any questions regarding your booking, please contact membership@rsfs.org.uk.