Land manager engagement for woodland creation
Author(s): Stephen McConnachie
Stephen McConnachie
MA, PhD
Stephen McConnachie
MA, PhDSocial Scientist
Society and environment research group (SERG)
NRS, Northern Research Station, Bush Estate, Roslin, Scotland
About Stephen McConnachie
Stephen joined Forest Research in October 2021. He is a social scientist, trained as a social anthropologist and specialises in qualitative, exploratory research.
What Stephen does
Stephen works primarily on the land manager theme within the Society and Environment Research Group – seeking to understand and interpret the perspectives of land managers and woodland owners. His recent and current research focuses on agroforestry, woodland creation, public access to woodlands, and the meanings of woodland terminology. He co-manages Forest Research’s Woodland Creation and Expansion research programme. Stephen is deputy chair of the Research Ethics Committee at Forest Research and co-founded the Research Ethics in Environmental Organisations network.
Affiliations
Member of the Royal Anthropological Institute
Research
Development of a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Agroforestry Agri-Environment Schemes
Author(s): Beth Brockett, Alice Broome, Kate Beauchamp, Stephen McConnachie, Matt Guy
Social and Cultural Values and Trees on Farms in England
Author(s): Stephen McConnachie, Maddy Pearson, Harry Marshall, Beth Brockett, Grace van der Wielen
Publications
Green finance for woodland creation: a scoping study on the social dimensions
This Research Report draws on case studies and expert interviews to summarise key issues land managers must navigate when considering,…
Expanding tree cover on farms: what matters to farmers? A guide for advisors
This guide is intended to help advisors to think through what farmers value and consider how these values can inform…
Lead Author: Grace van der Wielen
Supporting woodland managers in England to increase public access provision: Land manager perspectives
This Research Note shares findings from research exploring how woodland managers in England might be encouraged and supported to provide…
Lead Author: Stephen McConnachie
In Brief: Increasing tree cover on dairy farms in England: The role of farmers’ values
Understanding the range of values held by farmers in relation to trees allows us to learn how, when, and where…
Lead Author: Maddy Pearson
Paths to embracing trees on farms: The role of social and cultural values
What leads some farmers to dramatically increase the number of trees on their land? What role do social and cultural…
Lead Author: Stephen McConnachie
Increasing tree cover on dairy farms in England: The role of farmers’ values
This Research Report explores the issues that matter to dairy farmers in England regarding trees and increasing tree cover on…
Lead Author: Maddy Pearson
Tenanted farms and woodland creation – Evidence review and expert interview insights
This paper summarises the social science evidence relating to tenanted farms and woodland creation in Great Britain. Tenanted land makes…
Lead Author: Stephen McConnachie
Other Publications
Riley, M., McConnachie, S., Pearson, M., Brockett, B., & Spencer, K. (2026). Seeing the good for the trees: Tree cover expansion and the notion of the ‘good farmer’. Land Use Policy, 166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2026.107922
McConnachie, S., Fish, R. D., Harris, H., Brockett, B. B. F. T., Marshall, H., Pearson, M., van der Wielen, G., & Ambrose-Oji, B. (2025). Growing trees on farms: Navigating the goals and values of farmers. People and Nature, 00, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70167
Saraev, V., Jones, G., O’Brien, L., Hall, C., McConnachie, S., Forster, J., & Dyke, A. (2024). Quantifying the unseen benefits: an innovative economic valuation of the social and cultural values of trees, woods, and forests at risk. Arboricultural Journal, 46(4), 259–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/03071375.2024.2416317
Petrokofsky, G., Dunn, M., Edwards, D., Harvey, W.J., Hemery, G.E., Marshall, H., McConnachie, S., Petrokofsky, L., Watts, K., & Ambrose-Oji, B. (2024). Development of a Tool for Navigating the Evidence concerning Land Managers and Woodland Creation in the United Kingdom. Forests. 15(2), 299. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15020299
O’Brien, L., McConnachie, S., Hall, C., Forster, J., Dyke, A., Saraev, V., & Jones, G. (2024). ‘Exploring the social and cultural values of trees and woodlands in England: A new composite measure’. People and Nature (online first). https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10644