Rooting for Talent: The New Landscape of Forestry Recruitment
Spring 2026 Update
The forestry sector is currently navigating a dual reality: while the usual shortage of traditional forest managers continues to present a challenge, the industry’s rapid expansion is planting the seeds for a broader range of opportunities. As businesses scale to meet ambitious climate and timber targets, we are seeing a rise in commercial and operational leadership roles such as General Managers and Business Development Managers that haven’t always been typical in woodland and forestry management. These positions offer a fresh entry point for professionals from other sectors, bringing in valuable expertise in strategy and growth. By blending traditional forestry roots with new perspectives from outside the industry, we can build a resilient workforce capable of managing our forests for both the environment and the economy.
Cultivating Change: Building Forestry’s Future Workforce
Joe recently represented Cultura Connect Forestry at the Forestry Skills Forum EDI meeting in Birmingham, joining leaders from the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) and across the sector to tackle a critical mission: the Inclusive Workforce Strategy. The discussions highlighted a clear reality—to reach their 2035 goals, the industry must evolve beyond its traditional roots. By focusing on practical priorities like attracting a younger demographic and welcoming talent with transferable skills, we can bridge the current labour gap and ensure forestry is seen as a modern, accessible career for the next generation of land stewards.
Bridging the Forestry Communication Gap
The central challenge of modern land management is that while people love forests, they often dislike the actual practice of forestry. This "NIMBYism" creates friction at both ends of the lifecycle: residents frequently object to the visual landscape changes during planting, yet voice even stronger opposition to the noise and harvesting required for a woodland to be sustainable. To meet ambitious net-zero targets, we must bridge this communication gap, helping the public understand that forests are a managed crop and shifting the narrative from one of short-term disruption to long-term stewardship.
The future of our forests depends on the people who manage them. Whether you are a seasoned forester or a professional from another industry looking to bring your strategy and leadership skills to a green career, we want to hear from you. Explore our current opportunities or upload your CV here.
