Woodland Heritage was delighted to present its Peter Savill Award for 2019 to Sir Harry Studholme, current Chairman of the Forestry Commission. The presentation took place at Cirencester Park, the venue for the third day of the charity’s annual Field Weekend and 25 years to the day since Woodland Heritage was incorporated on 15th June 1994.
Presenting the award, Acting Chairman and Co-Founder of Woodland Heritage, Lewis Scott said: “Sir Harry Studholme was the unanimous choice of the Trustees to receive its prestigious Peter Savill Award for 2019, a choice supported wholeheartedly by the wonderful Peter Savill himself too. The Trustees admire greatly all that Sir Harry has achieved and is achieving during his term as Chair of the Forestry Commission and were delighted with his enthusiasm to accept this Award during the Commission's Centenary year.”
Sir Harry Studholme Bt., DL, MA (Cantab), FCA, CTA has owned and managed a family farming, forestry and property business near Exeter for over twenty years. He became a GB Forestry Commissioner in 2007 until appointed Interim Chair from January 2013 to January 2014 and then Chair in February 2014.
Sir Harry was Deputy Chairman of the Independent Panel on Forestry, which reported in July 2012 on the future of the UK’s state-owned forests after the government announced plans to sell off the British state forests.
Fresh back in the UK to accept the Award after attending the EUSTAFOR Conference in Austria, Sir Harry said: “This is such a huge honour, a wonderful unexpected surprise and an award that naturally I was delighted to accept. This is particularly special during the Centenary year when it also reflects on the work of the many inspiring and often unsung folk within the Commission that has made being Chairman a privilege and indeed possible at all.”
Woodland Heritage has worked most closely with Sir Harry over the last two years setting up and developing Action Oak; Sir Harry’s influence, drive and determination have been major factors in taking forward this unique partnership that is set on creating a better environment in which the oaks of today and tomorrow can flourish, less beset with the pests and diseases they face today.
Active across the UK and internationally, Sir Harry’s heart lies in his beloved South West where he started the South West Wood Show in 1995s and remained Chair until 2004. The show continues to this day as the Confor Woodland Show, due to be held next on 5 & 6 September 2019 at Longleat. In 1996 he initiated the first National Forestry Conference held at Cirencester. In 2008 he brought together a partnership that became the National Tree Safety Group.