Woodlands are thriving as never before, teeming with new ideas and energy. Thousands of people are out there joining in with woodland life, be it gathering wild food or fuel for their stoves, enjoying walks in natural spaces, looking for birds and wildlife, making woodblock art, creating sustainable and beautiful crafted wooden objects, joining in community woodland work, using woodlands in education and for active play, rising to challenges in wild camping or bushcraft skills, or simply finding a peaceful hour to relax surrounded by trees.

Woodlands are natural carbon sinks and are vital in our climate-change defences: timber buildings constructed from local wood are energy-efficient and capture carbon; the energy provided by logs and pellets is fully renewable; woods are important in protecting biodiversity. Activists and foresters are protecting native species and managing woods with coppicing and other methods. When we choose durable wooden furniture created from sustainable sources, we're rejecting the disposable, throwaway culture. Our woods are a fantastic resource, as well as places of peace and natural sanctuary.

To celebrate all this, and more, there is the publication of a new book produced in association with the environmental charity Reforesting Scotland – Woodlanders: New Life in Britain's Forests. It's currently the Scottish Book of the Month.

Please come along on Saturday 6th November, 1.30 to 5.30pm to the specially set-up yurt in the poetry garden at St Andrew Square, Edinburgh city centre. It's a FREE event where you can meet some of the contributors to the book, along with other guest speakers and people demonstrating things they create or gather, or telling us about their own personal connection with our woodlands.

Guests include those listed below
Confirmed participants:

• Paul Millard of Red Kite Yurts is setting up the yurt
• Gordon McLellan – storyteller
• Ian Edwards - editor of Woodlanders and former RS director
• Miles Irving – forager, mushroom specialist
• Moy Mackay & Johnny Morris – Wolf Glen tipis
• Cairn o Mohr - winery
• Fay Young – writer
• Fi Martynoga – writer
• Kenny Grieve – green woodworker, wooden toys
• Bob Fleet – green woodworker
• Roy Vickery – botanist, author, folklorist
• Mary Ann Robinson – storyteller
• Piers Voysey – Community Forester (RS Director)
• Ed Inglehart – glassblower & mushroom collector
• Jools & Jem Cox – South West Community Woodlands
• Stewart McCarroll – turner & Quaich (wooden drinking cup) maker
• Paul Millard – Red Kite Yurts
• Amanda Calvert – Community Woodlands manager
• Hugh Fife – mental health worker (RS Staff)
• Stephen Finch – furniture maker
• Sally Macpherson – RS member
• Richard Wilkinson – oak frame builder (Heartwood)
• Ninian Stuart – Steward, Falkland estate
• Gordon Munro – poet
• Lilias Fraser - poet

We're delighted that Woodlanders is Book of the Month for Books From Scotland,

Judith Millidge