If you go down to the woods today . . .

This weekend, to mark this year’s FSC Friday, we are encouraging forest fans and tree lovers alike to celebrate good forestry management by visiting Dunster Forest.

FSC Friday (24 September 2010) is a day set aside to raise awareness of the accreditation scheme run by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Endorsed by organisations such as WWF and Greenpeace, the accreditation is awarded to woodlands across the UK managed with good environmental and social practices. By buying wood or paper products with the FSC logo you can encourage foresters across the UK to work for and maintain high standards in sustainable woodland management.

Each of The Crown Estate woodlands are FSC approved. Some produce softwood and hardwood timber for commercial purposes, including those at Glenlivet, Windsor, Applegirth and, of course, Dunster. All that timber has the FSC logo.

I’d encourage anyone with an interest in the outdoors to take a trip to our woods this weekend to see the standards of the FSC scheme being delivered in practice. Discover for yourself the wealth of wildlife and walks, including the wheelchair and buggy friendly Tall Trees Trail, the first of our new waymarked trails. By the end of 2010 Dunster Forest will have expanded the network to seven walking trails, making it easier than ever to “go down to the woods today”.

You now can find maps of the existing and new walking trails on our website. Look forward to seeing you there.