The Permanent Forest

Pro Silva Ireland
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The Permanent Forest brings you the voices, stories and experiences of people working with permanent forests across Ireland. Produced by Pro Silva Ireland, this six-part podcast series explores continuous cover forestry through conversations with the people putting it into practice. Hear what inspires them, what they've learned and how they're helping to create resilient, productive forests that support biodiversity, nature restoration and climate action. The Permanent Forest – Conversations about people, nature and the future of forestry.

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    Ireland's Forests: The Story So Far

    How have Ireland's forests changed over time, and what can their history tell us about how we manage them today? In the first episode of The Permanent Forest, host Chris Hayes traces the story of Ireland's forests, from ancient woodlands and centuries of clearance to the emergence of modern forestry. With contributions from Paul McMahon, Janice Fuller and others, we uncover some surprising insights into Ireland's forest history, why forestry became associated with the great estates, and how a small group of foresters began challenging conventional approaches to forest management. Discover how the past continues to shape our attitudes towards forests, and why continuous cover forestry offers a different vision of what our forests can be – productive, resilient and rich in benefits for people and nature. Ireland went from a country that exported timber to one that had to import wood, as centuries of forest clearance transformed the landscape. Contributors Paul McMahon was born in Ireland and studied at University College Dublin, before completing a PhD in history at the University of Cambridge. He has pursued a varied career in academia, finance and environmental policy. His book Island of Woods: How Ireland Lost Its Forests and How to Get Them Back (2023) traces the history of Irish forestry over the last 10,000 years and points to new types of forest management that can benefit the Irish landscape. He is the co-founder of SLM Partners, which invests in sustainable agriculture and ecological forestry across the world, including in Ireland. Dr Janice Fuller is the ecology lead on Coillte’s Nature Conservation Team. Her role is mainly focused on managing 30% of the Coillte estate for nature, much of which is managed under CCF. Janice has a PhD in forest ecology; her thesis examined forest dynamics over thousands of years using pollen analysis to determine vegetation history in southern Canada. She also has a Masters in Conservation Biology. Janice has a particular interest in woodland and peatland ecology based on many years working in these fascinating habitats. She is the vice-chair of Pro Silva Ireland. The Permanent Forest — Production Credits Host: Chris Hayes Production: Crannóg Media Music: Paul Hayes Graphics: Designwest Creatives Ltd. Series coordination: Olive Leavy and Sean Hoskins   The Permanent Forest is a Pro Silva Ireland production. Our sincere thanks to everyone who generously shared theirstories, experiences and perspectives throughout the series. Funding acknowledgement This podcast series was supported by funding from theDepartment of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. To find out more about continuous cover forestry, visit prosilvaireland.com. © Pro Silva Ireland 2026.

    Ireland's Forests: The Story So Far
  • 1 Episode

About

The Permanent Forest brings you the voices, stories and experiences of people working with permanent forests across Ireland. Produced by Pro Silva Ireland, this six-part podcast series explores continuous cover forestry through conversations with the people putting it into practice. Hear what inspires them, what they've learned and how they're helping to create resilient, productive forests that support biodiversity, nature restoration and climate action. The Permanent Forest – Conversations about people, nature and the future of forestry.

Information

  • Creator
    Pro Silva Ireland
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    1
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Pro Silva Ireland
  • Show Website
    The Permanent Forest