Highlights from our first Open Woods Meeting of 2026

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It was a pleasure to welcome so many members of our community to our first Open Woods Meeting of 2026 on Tuesday 10th February. It was a great opportunity to come together, share updates, celebrate our recent awards, and enjoy a fascinating presentation from local botanist Ben Averis.

Watch the Highlights

If you weren’t able to join us, or would like to revisit some of the key moments, you can watch highlights from the meeting in the video below.

A special thank you to Richard Taylor from Richard Taylor Consultancy for filming this for us, and to Ben Averis for his time and interesting presentation.

And also a big thank you to everyone who attended and continues to support Gifford Community Woodland. It’s through this shared commitment that the woods continues to thrive.

Our next Open Woods Meeting is on Wednesday 27th May at 7.30pm in Gifford Bowling Club. Hope to see you there!

We are an Award-Winning Woodland!

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We are absolutely delighted to share the news that Gifford Community Woodland has been named Best Large Community Woodland at the Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, we were also honoured to receive the Tim Stead Trophy, awarded to the best community woodland in Scotland. This is a truly special achievement and one we are incredibly proud of.

These awards belong to so many people. From the volunteers who give their time to maintain paths, plant trees, and care for the woodland, to those who support our Forest School sessions and biodiversity work, this recognition reflects a huge collective effort. It also belongs to everyone who visits the woods, values them, and helps protect this special place simply by being part of it. Thank you to each and every one of you — this wouldn’t have been possible without your support.

We were also honoured to be recognised in the Scottish Parliament on 12 December, where our work and achievements were formally acknowledged. It was a powerful reminder that what happens locally, with community care and commitment, can have a wider impact.

The Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards celebrate projects that deliver meaningful benefits across social, economic, and environmental strands. Judges look for strong connections between people and their environment — and that is exactly what defines Gifford Community Woodland. From improving access and inclusivity, to encouraging learning, wellbeing, and connection with nature, the woodland is a shared space shaped by the people who use it.

This award is a reflection of how widely the woods are used, loved, and appreciated, and of the care taken to ensure they remain a welcoming place for everyone. We’re excited to build on this success and continue working together to protect and enhance Gifford Community Woodland for years to come.

The above photo is of Catherine and Nev proudly receiving the awards at the Scottish Finest Woods Awards at the Scottish Parliament on 4th Decmber 2025.

Welcome to our new Administrator

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We are delighted to welcome Jill Hyslop to the woodlands team as our new Administrator.

Jill lives next to the woods and loves spending time there. She has lots of admin experience from her previous career in publishing and she is currently Secretary of Gifford Community Council. She’s the perfect person to take over the role from Onie and we’re excited to see what she’ll bring to the role.

We’d like to also give a big thank you to Onie who will be stepping down as Administrator at the end of March. Onie has been an excellent support to the Gifford Community Woodland team these past few months as we developed our Community Engagement Plan for 2022-24 and established efficient working systems behind-the-scenes. Due to the unexpected outcomes of the past two years of lockdowns, Onie is having to leave to focus on her other business commitments. We wish her all the best and look forward to welcoming her in the future as a volunteer when her other work commitments ease.

Onie will be supporting Jill over the next week, as she gets settled in. It’s a busy first week! You can see details of everything that’s happening on our Events page.

So, please give a virtual welcome to Jill. She’s looking forward to meet you at one of our upcoming events and welcoming you to our beautiful community woodland.

Update from the Open Woodland Meeting

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Thanks to everyone who joined us on Monday for the quarterly Open Woodland Meeting. It was great to see you all and hear your thoughts on the upcoming plans. Thank you also to the staff at the Bowling Club for hosting the relaxed setting.

We had an efficient, productive and upbeat meeting. Roo gave an update on the outcomes of the previous Trustees meeting and actions from the previous meeting including an update on the creation of the new wildlife pond in the wood. Nev updated everyone on the woods activities such as rhododendron clearance progress, removal of windblown trees and drainage works.

We updated everyone on the exciting links being made with Yester Primary school and Forest Schools. As well as providing updates on all community engagement activities. And we asked everyone to give feedback on which adult learning events they would like us to prioritise when planning for the next quarters.

Some attendees also expressed an interest in helping to host volunteer activities in the woods, support with fundraising events, assist the communcations team in the delivery of the newsletter and promotional work, support Forest School and youth group activities, help out with the community-led fruit trees project, as well as training to become a Gifford Community Woodland Volunteer Leader.

We’d love to hear from the wider members of Gifford community too!

If you have an interest in helping to care for Gifford Community Woodland, please take part in this short survey by 31st March. Thank you!

Take the survey

Browse the documents relating to the February Open Woodland Meeting here:

Minutes of February 2022 Open Woodland Meeting

See Woods Report here

See Community Engagement Summary here

As ever, do get in touch if you’d like to get involved. Thank you!

Come to the next Open Woodland Meeting on 28th February 2022, 7.30-9pm

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What would you like to see happen in the woods? Are you keen to get involved in caring for the woods?

Come along to the next Open Woodland Meeting on 28th February from 730-9pm at the Gifford Bowling Club.

This is an informal, friendly meeting where you can hear all about what’s been happening in the woods and have your say about upcoming activities. There’s no pressure on anyone to speak and it’s a lovely way to meet other Gifford residents.

There will be an update on what’s been happening in the woods during the past quarter and plans for the next quarter. Everyone attending will be given the opportunity to suggest and provide feedback on the events and activities we hope to undertake during 2022.

There’s also the option to join the meeting online using the Zoom link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81084923958…

Please let us know you are coming by emailing gifford.woodseh41@gmail.com

We hope to see you there!

See Agenda here

See Woods Report here

See Community Engagement Summary here