Female forester at work

Celebrating women's connection to forests

Forestry England, Forest Research and the Forestry Commission have come together to celebrate women in forestry through a photo mosaic that will be created by the People's Picture. The final piece, which will be made using thousands of individual images, will be displayed at an exhibition called 'Women in Forestry, the Lumberjills Story' hosted at Grizedale Forest in the Lake District, between May and December 2023.

Become part of the story

The nation’s forests are special places for women, whether they work in forestry or visit for recreation, relaxation and enjoyment. We’d love you to be part of the project by submitting one or more images of yourself in a favourite forest spot.

The above link takes you to the Peoples Picture website. Any image you submit will be subject to the terms and conditions of The People’s Picture. Forestry England/Forestry Commission are not the data controller and do not control the future use of the pictures submitted.

Lumber Jills operating portable 'liner' saw at Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, July 1945

Women in Forestry, the Lumberjills Story exhibition

As well as featuring the newly created photo mosaic of women in forestry, the exhibition at Grizedale Forest will also celebrate the contribution of the Women's Timber Corps (part of the Women's Land Army) - also known as Lumberjills - during the Second World War. Nearly 5,000 women carried out a wide range of forestry tasks during this time, from felling and loading to driving tractors and operating sawmills.

Women in forestry today

Women have long played an important role in the forestry sector but they remain under-represented. As tree planting increases across the country, so too does the demand for a diverse, skilled forestry workforce. 

There are a wide range of careers in forestry available for women from all backgrounds, from being a forester, ecologist, or tree surgeon, to working in conservation to scientific research. There are also lots of exciting wider roles linked to our nation’s forests, from business planning and management to leisure and tourism.

A woman in a red coat with hood up carries a child, wearing a red rain suit, along a forest path

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