Toolkit available to deepen engagement with forests and climate challenges

A suite of new resources has launched to help forestry organisations, communities and schools engage with climate challenges facing forests today and in the future. The free materials have been created alongside a play, Three Words for Forest, which explores the uncertainties confronting UK forests in a time of climate change. The play draws on interviews with 30 forestry professionals, undertaken by Glasgow University with Forest Research, to understand the uncertainties they and the forests they work with are facing.

Three Words for Forest: Exploring Uncertainty in a Time of Climate Crisis has been developed by the University of Glasgow’s Professor Deirdre Heddon and Dr Rachel Clive, in collaboration with an interdisciplinary research team, Forest Research, UK and European forestry specialists and a professional creative team.

Partners include Govanhill Baths in Glasgow, Green Routes Stirling, the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and Mearns Castle High School, East Renfrewshire.

The resources, available on the Three Words for Forest website, include screening and discussion templates, lesson plans and creative workshop guides, all shaped through collaboration with forestry, educational and community organisations to support meaningful engagement with forest-related issues.

David Edwards, Forest Research, said: “Verbatim theatre proved to be an excellent way to explore the uncertainties around the future of our trees and forests in a changing climate. The play and resources show us that there is no simple answer and present a multiplicity of views which urge us all to find out more, think creatively and get involved.”

Professor Deirdre Heddon, the project’s Principal Investigator and James Arnott Chair in Drama at the University of Glasgow, said: “One of the clearest messages from our research is that people want to know more about forests but often feel disconnected from the conversations and decisions shaping their future. The verbatim theatre play and the new resources created are designed to change that by helping schools, communities and young people build a stronger sense of forest citizenship.”

Dr Rachel Clive, the Creative Lead of the play who worked intensively with disabled experts and community organisations to create the accessible film versions and learning resources, said “We’re delighted to celebrate the launch of the resources with so many of the people and organisations who have collaborated with us along the way. We hope that these will open up new opportunities to engage with trees and forests in accessible and creative ways. The resources can also support more open conversations across issues that can sometimes be quite polarising.”

The project received funding from Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to widen access to and engagement with the filmed theatre production through creating audio-described, British Sign Language interpreted and supported viewing formats alongside resources.

The play and new resources are part of the Future of UK Treescapes programme and its newLEAF project, which explored how trees adapt to climate change – and the role of humans in that process. The newLEAF project, which was funded from 2023 to 2025, helped to support the UK government’s net-zero ambitions by exploring how trees, woodlands and forests can become more resilient to climate change, disease, and land-use pressures. With only 13% of the UK covered by woodland, the government has pledged to plant millions of trees annually. But resilience depends on informed decisions and public awareness and engagement.

For more information, listen to a BBC Scotland Podcast on the project:

Scotland Outdoors – Three Words for Forest – BBC Sounds

The play and resources are available at: threewordsforest.org.uk