Smart Forests Radio

In this episode of Smart Forests Radio, we speak with Niall Burnside, Senior Lecturer in Biogeography and Geoinformatics at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), about marine ecosystems and their connections to Scotland's Atlantic temperate rainforests. The conversation explores how ecological research is increasingly organised around interconnected ‘source-to-sea’ systems rather than fixed geographical boundaries. Niall walks us through the technologies SAMS deploys, such as drones, LiDAR, robotics, and AI, and how they help understand marine and forest systems as a whole. He also reflects on the educational networks developed through SAMS's Scientific Robotics Academy, including STEM outreach, hands-on training, and knowledge exchange with woodland communities, and their role in widening access to digital environmental technologies.

Interviewers: Jennifer Gabrys and Phoebe Hamilton Jones

Producer: Harry Murdoch

Image: SAMS Robotics Academy

In this episode of Smart Forests Radio, we speak with Gordon Gray Stephens, Saving Scotland’s Rainforest advisor and director of the Native Woods Co-op, about the growing movement for restoring temperate rainforests on the west coast of Scotland. Gordon reflects on how the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest coalesced around a single shared term, “rainforest,” and why that shift in language has made a material difference in conversations with policymakers, funders, landowners, and communities. He discusses the role of digital technologies in this restoration work, from mapping the spread of invasive rhododendron across the landscape to using thermal drones for deer counting. He also makes a case for keeping these tools in the hands of people working locally, rather than allowing them to merely feed decision-making processes from afar.

Interviewers: Jennifer Gabrys and Phoebe Hamilton Jones

Producer: Harry Murdoch

Image: The Woodland Trust

In this episode of Smart Forests Radio, we speak with Rachel French, former biodiversity officer at the Mull and Iona Community Trust (MICT), about the regeneration of the Ardura Community Forest on the Isle of Mull and the vital role forests play as community spaces. Rachel discusses connecting people with woodlands through school visits, volunteer programmes, and wildlife-themed events, alongside the restoration of ancient Atlantic oak woodland and peatland. She also describes the technologies used in the forest—from QR codes monitoring water quality during Sitka spruce harvesting to drone surveys, camera trapping, and fixed-point photography—before reflecting on how harvesting Sitka spruce and emerging opportunities such as biodiversity credits can support local livelihoods and sustain community forests.

Interviewers: Jennifer Gabrys and Phoebe Hamilton Jones

Producer: Harry Murdoch

Image: Mull and Iona Community Trust (MICT)

In this episode of Smart Forest Radio, we are in conversation with Gethin Davies, senior project manager at Celtic Rainforest Wales, about efforts to restore temperate rainforests across four Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in Wales. Gethin discusses how the initiative is using technologies, such as drones, LiDAR, electric collars, and the INNS (Invasive Non-Native Species) Mapper app, to monitor and manage these habitats, while noting their limitations alongside the continued importance of people on the ground. He explains two complementary monitoring strands: a socioeconomic assessment and an ecosystem benefits survey. The conversation further touches on community engagement activities and the role of Welsh folklore and language in connecting people to the land.

Interviewers: Jennifer Gabrys and Phoebe Hamilton Jones

Producer: Harry Murdoch

Image: Celtic Rainforests Wales

En este episodio de Smart Forests Radio, hablamos con Simón Crisóstomo Loncopán, lonko («jefe» en mapudungun) y presidente de la Comunidad Mapuche para la Gobernanza Territorial de Curarrehue, en la región de la Araucanía, Wallmapu, Chile. Simón reflexiona sobre cómo los procesos de liderazgo y gobernanza han surgido desde el interior del territorio, moldeados por la educación política mapuche, los movimientos sociales y las redes comunitarias que se extienden por toda América Latina. Simón describe las metodologías y tecnologías que respaldan la defensa territorial y la gestión forestal, incluidos los planes de gestión indígenas para la prevención de incendios y la restauración de ecosistemas. La conversación destaca la cartografía como herramienta para la protección y las reivindicaciones territoriales, que cobra fuerza cuando diversas perspectivas trabajan juntas, facilitando el diálogo con las comunidades mapuches y el Estado. También explora cómo los drones y las imágenes tridimensionales ayudan a ir más allá de una visión impuesta, ofreciendo nuevas formas de ver y conectar con el territorio.

Entrevistadora: Pablo González Rivas y Paula Tiara Torres

Productor: Harry Murdoch

Imagen: Jennifer Gabrys (2023)