“If I had to pick one event to attend in a year, it would be this one, by a country mile. An outstanding group of people and a brilliant organisation.”
Conference
The annual CWA Conference takes place each autumn over two days (Friday and Saturday), bringing together community woodland groups, individuals and related organisations from across Scotland. Held in a different location each year, the conference provides an opportunity for those involved in community woodlands to connect, learn and be inspired.
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Friday
The conference begins at midday with registration, a welcome lunch, and time to explore a range of community woodland stalls and exhibitors.
The afternoon programme gets underway at 1.00pm with an official welcome, followed by presentations from guest speakers and an opportunity to learn more about fellow delegates and the work they are involved in. Later in the afternoon, delegates can choose to take part in two workshops from a selection of four or five engaging topics.
CWA members are then invited to attend a brief Annual General Meeting (AGM) before everyone comes together for the evening meal. The day concludes with one of the conference highlights – the annual ceilidh, offering plenty of music, dancing and informal networking.
Saturday
Registration opens from around 9.15am, followed by a welcome and a presentation from a guest speaker.
Delegates then split into smaller groups to visit one of three local community woodland sites, providing a valuable opportunity to see inspiring projects first-hand and learn from those involved. Returning to the conference venue for lunch at approximately 1.00pm, the afternoon programme begins at 2.00pm with feedback from the site visits.
The remainder of the afternoon offers a choice of presentations and an interactive group activity, encouraging discussion, idea-sharing and collaboration. If time permits, the programme concludes with an informal soapbox session, giving delegates the chance to raise issues, share ideas or spark conversation before the closing remarks.
The conference officially closes at 4.00pm.
Details of past conferences can be found below - click on the images for more information, including presentations, and workshop and site visit reports.
Details of the 2027 Conference will be added as soon as they are confirmed - look out for the date and venue being confirmed very soon.
