A One-Day Practical Training Course
Date: Thursday 2nd April 2026
Location: Kilteel, Co. Kildare W91 TK6A
Time: 9.30am-5.00pm
Instructor: Prof. Ted Wilson MSIF FRSB
**This course is now fully subscribed. Additional registrations will be added to a waiting list**
Pro Silva Ireland is delighted to announce a new date for the popular one-day training course on initiating continuous cover forestry (CCF) in Irish oak plantations.
This course is designed for forest owners, foresters and forest workers who have previously attended Pro Silva Ireland events and who wish to deepen their understanding of oak silviculture within a CCF framework. A basic level of knowledge of CCF will be assumed.
Learning by doing
This one-day course combines classroom-style discussion with practical field sessions, providing a comprehensive introduction to the management of oak under CCF.
Participants will explore the biology and silviculture of oak, examine the principles underpinning CCF transformation, and gain hands-on experience of crown thinning in an oak plantation. The emphasis throughout in on practical decision-making in the field and understanding how early interventions influence long-term stand development.
Topics covered
The course will address a range of key topics, including:
- Basic tree biology
- Timber quality assessment
- Impact of grey squirrel damage
- Epicormic shoot development
- Crown formation and branching
- Tree marking for crown thinning
Expert instructor
The course will be led by Prof. Ted Wilson MSIF FRSB, a silviculturist with extensive international experience as a forester, researcher and educator. His work focuses on the applied science and practical management of continuous cover forests.
This training course is supported by funding from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
