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It was an honour to learn this week that Andy Moffat has been appointed to this committee, which is one of nine regional bodies that support the Forestry Commission on the implementation of Government’s forestry and woodlands policy. FWACs engage on a range of issues, including national strategy and the implementation of forestry policy at a sub national level, as well as local delivery and advocacy. They also:

 Advocate and champion forestry interests and woodlands partnership working at local level for woodland resilience and sector development, providing independent insight into local needs and priorities;
 Provide advice, expertise and challenge on the application of national policies into Area and local programmes, and assist in aggregating local priorities into national programmes;
 Support the Government’s interests by engaging with and developing strong local connections and networks to enhance synergies across the diverse forest and woodland sector, including the public forest estate;
 Conciliate in disputed applications for grant aid, felling licences, or approval of forest plans where there is a sustained objection by a statutory body.

Committee members are appointed for a period of three years in the first instance. The role is a voluntary one.

It’s time to celebrate: Andy Moffat’s Visiting Professorship at the University of Reading has been renewed for a further three years. Andy graduated in Geography and Soil Science at Reading 50 years ago this year. He was awarded the honorary DSc degree in 2005 and granted the title of Visiting Professor with the School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science in 2007. Andy is proud to have maintained close links with the university throughout his career and co-supervised a number of PhD students there. He remains actively involved, including in teaching, and is also part of the Thrive Mentoring scheme.

The University of Reading is in the top 30 universities in the UK, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025. Recently awarded Sustainable University of the Year 2025 in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025, the University is committed to tackling climate change and promoting environmental sustainability. Its support for sustainable global development has also been recognised by the Times Higher Education. In their Impact Rankings 2025, the University ranked in the top 50 universities worldwide.

Another successful year for A J Moffat & Associates, with a broad range of clients from both home and abroad, drawing on all the services that the company offers.  We have been particularly active in:

• urban and brownfield forestry research and guidance development,
• forestry sustainability,
• research evaluation in the climate and wildfire sectors, and
• training and education for foresters and ecologists. 

It is gratifying to gain so much ‘return custom’ and to build on longstanding relationships with valued clients, as well as meeting new ones.  Customer feedback on a recent soil training course has been particularly uplifting – see below!

As part of its business remit, A J Moffat & Associates is looking forward to delivering several similar courses during 2025. 

In addition, we are always keen to support or lead projects which play to our central tenet – that in an ever complex world, it is vital that environmental policy and best practice are based on sound scientific footings. 

There has been much research, and much written, about how many people, especially those living in towns and cities, are now significantly disconnected with nature, to the detriment of their mental and physical health.  A number of initiatives, such as ‘Forest School’ (https://forestschoolassociation.org/), have grown up to try to provide the means for children to develop essential skills in a natural setting, whilst others such as Rewilding Britain (https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/why-rewild/benefits-of-rewilding/reconnecting-with-nature) and the Sensory Trust (https://www.sensorytrust.org.uk/) support adults to gain and benefit from an understanding and appreciation of nature. 

In December last year, a new initiative, the Reconnect Nature Association, was established by Dr Kalliopi (Kallia) Pediaditi Prud’homme, a sustainable development scientist, collective intelligence facilitator and artist based in France.  Andy Moffat has known Kallia since working with her on the SUBR:IM (Sustainable Urban Brownfield Regeneration: Integrated Management) programme funded by EPSRC under its Sustainable Urban Environments initiative in the 2000s.  He was therefore delighted to be asked to serve on the ReconnectNature International Strategic and Scientific Committee, which met, for the first time, last week.  ReconnectNature’s Objectives are to:

• provide accessible and educational opportunities to reconnect children, vulnerable groups, and isolated individuals with nature;
• foster creativity, self-confidence, and mental health through immersive and artistic outdoor experiences;
• strengthen resilience to climate and social challenges using interdisciplinary, international, and intergenerational approaches.

Further information about this young organisation can be found on its website: https://reconnectnature.org/ and its LinkedIn site: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reconnectnature/

This month saw Dr Kevin Butt, Reader in Ecology at the University of Central Lancashire and a prominent member of the Earthworm Society of Britain (https://www.earthwormsoc.org.uk/) visit the Wakes Garden in Selborne, Hampshire. Here, back in the 1770s Gilbert White, considered by many as the ‘father of ecology’ wrote in some detail about earthworms over 100 years before Charles Darwin published his seminal book on the subject. However, he wasn’t able to elaborate on the types of species present, but made valuable observations on their behaviour and importance in soil formation instead. To complement the earlier research, Kevin, supported by Andy Moffat, spent three days examining the distribution of different earthworm species across a range of habitat types in the Garden, from beds growing vegetables and herbs, through lawns and meadows to sites under different tree species. Kevin also set up cameras to record night time earthworm foraging and mating, following in the footsteps of Gilbert White who observed the same by candlelight. Kevin hopes to present his results at an international conference “Gilbert White and his Contexts” at the Wakes in June 2025.

Respecting client confidentiality has prevented reporting in any detail our activities in the recent past, but it’s worth taking stock in a generic manner.  A. J. Moffat & Associates has enjoyed a range of clients including the European Commission, an Austrian governmental agency, a British water company, Defra, a County Council and a Community Forest, a London Borough Council, one of Britain’s major forest and timber harvesting companies, a woodland management and contracting service, the Royal Forestry Society, Focus on Forestry First (FFF Ltd) and Forest Research.  Services undertaken have included forestry research, forest soil identification training, brownfield land reclamation evaluation and guidance, formal evaluation of forestry research proposals and delivery, and urban forestry (Trees outside of Woodland).  It is pleasing to report that customer feedback has been consistently good, with return custom in many cases.  A.J. Moffat & Associates are always pleased to give informal advice on a range of arboricultural, urban forestry and forestry issues, particularly from an environmental perspective (see our homepage), and to undertake more demanding briefs as these emerge.  Do get in touch using the email address above.