Social and cultural values of trees and woodlands in northwest and southeast England

Bern

2005

1 Abb., 2 tab., 30 Lit. Ang.

Artikel aus einer ZeitschriftUnselbständiges Werk

1265

200137316

The key issue of 21st century forestry is sustainable forest management based on the idea of sustainable development. The social element of sustainability has not been given the same prominence in forestry as economic and environmental issues, although this is becoming more important as managers realise that the majority of management issues are fundamentally social and political in nature. Differences concerning what people value, such as wildlife and recreation, often underlie the conflicts that can arise between publics and organisations. The objective of this research was to examine people's values for woodlands in England. Qualitative data were collected, in both urban and rural areas, using a series of in-depth discussion groups that explored in detail the values people associate with woodlands. The findings of the study draw attention to the importance of people's childhood memories of using woodlands and how this influences their use of these places as adults. People also emphasised feelings of well-being as they described how being in a wood actually made them feel. The implications of the research for future policy development include the need to build long-term relationships between organisations and publics and provide easily accessible public land.