The virtual Centre has been set up to provide an unique hub and collaborative platform that brings together tree health expertise and experience, from the UK and the rest of the world, in the joint creation of knowledge and research to protect and enhance the future health and resilience of our forests, woodlands and trees.

The main aims of the new Centre are:

• Support for government forest and tree strategies and the successful establishment of tree planting programmes.
• Improved resilience of the UK’s forests, woodlands and trees.
• Enhanced capacity and capability in forest and tree health research, bringing forward the next generation of tree health scientists.

Forest Research is the research agency of the Forestry Commission and Great Britain’s principal organisation for forestry and tree-related research. It is internationally renowned for the provision of evidence and scientific services in support of sustainable forest management. The work of Forest Research informs the development and delivery of UK Government and devolved administration policies for sustainable management and protection of trees, woods and forests.

As part of the wider Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), family, the Agency will help to deliver Defra’s Strategy, A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment which sets out a shared vision for the Defra group.

For more information visit: www.forestresearch.gov.uk.

The mission of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is to understand and protect plants and fungi for the well-being of people and the future of all life on Earth. Our aspiration is to end the extinction crisis and to help create a world where nature is protected, valued by all and managed sustainably. In partnership with our global network of collaborators, we work to understand, protect and restore biodiversity at taxonomic, genetic, functional and ecosystem levels, and at all spatial scales. Our expertise contributes fungal and plant knowledge to partnerships aimed at safeguarding all biodiversity, and our exploration of the useful properties of plants and fungi provide significant benefits to society.

For more information visit: www.kew.org/science/