A Geographical Information System (GIS) designed for woodland owners and managers has undergone a significant upgrade to provide users with new functionality, in a technological boost to making woodland management and planning more streamlined.

myForest, a flagship project of Oxfordshire-based charity, Sylva Foundation, is a platform designed to help its users along the journey of creating and managing forests, supporting land managers through regulation and good practice.

In its most recent development, as part of the Northwoods Innovation Programme, Sylva Foundation has launched new functionality in myForest, enabling users to create and download geospatial pdf maps for use in the field with third party mobile technology.

The upgrade gives woodland owners and agents the opportunity to download their mapped compartments, sub-compartments, and features, as well as assess their live location. This means myForest users will be able to carry out their work more efficiently, reducing the need for specialist knowledge while incorporating these mapping practices into their everyday creation and management processes.

myForest Manager, George Dennison, said: “The myForest Team is thrilled to have launched this cutting-edge functionality, enabling users to take the work they’ve done in myForest out into the field with them. It is also hoped that with the ability to download geospatial maps from myForest, landowners and agents will now be better placed to work with contractors on-site, providing all parties with greater confidence in the outlined operational plans.

With the new tool now launched, help and guidance will progressively be updated on the myForest Guidance page. As always, myForest users are welcome to get in touch with the team should they have any questions or issues.”

Northwoods Project Manager, Rosanna Curtis, said: “We’re delighted to announce that the Northwoods Innovation Programme is launching the first of its online tools, geospatial maps, developed with funding from the Forestry Commission through the Woods into Management Forestry Innovation Fund. The ability to take and interact with your maps whilst in your woods is an exciting capability and will help woodland owners capture a variety of accurate information for a variety of objectives, I would encourage anyone interested to investigate myForest.

 

The Northwoods Innovation Programme is looking forward to developing and supporting further innovation in the next couple of years. We are proud to be part of the development of innovative tools that will help land and woodland owners map and manage their woodlands and improve the flow of benefits from the woodland.”

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