October 2026

Contents

News
- Action Oak announces new Chair
- Action Oak annual Symposium 2026
- UK oaks and the generation gap? Article by Action Oak's Research Coordinator
- Action Oak on Gone Foresting "Every Third Breath: The Art of Seeing Trees"
Community Updates
- Tree Damage Assessment (UKSA) Protect our oaks: contribute to the Tree Damage Survey 2026
- myForest Oak Health webinar
Tree Alert

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Action Oak News

Professor Nicola Spence CBE appointed as new chair of Action Oak

(C) Andy Hall

Action Oak is delighted to announce Professor Nicola Spence CBE as the partnership’s new Chair from October 2026, bringing over 35 years of experience in plant health, policy, and biosecurity.

Professor Spence recently retired from her position as Chief Plant Health Officer at DEFRA, where she advised ministers and oversaw the UK’s response to plant pests and diseases. Her work has strengthened UK biosecurity on threats such as ash dieback, Colorado beetle, and yellow-legged hornet and she has played a pivotal role in the development of Great Britain’s Plant Biosecurity Strategy.

Prior to her role at DEFRA, Professor Spence CBE worked in plant pathology research at Horticulture Research International and the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera), where she became Chief Scientist in 2009. Professor Spence also helped promote science and bioscience innovation in York, where she acted as the Chief Executive of Science City York.

Professor Nicola Spence CBE said: “whilst working at DEFRA, I have been able to see Action Oak develop and grow over a number of years and I am excited to play a bigger part in its future moving forward.”

Professor Spence began her academic career at the University of Durham where she gained her BSc in Botany. She later moved to Birkbeck College, University of London to study an MSc in Microbiology before beginning her PhD at the University of Birmingham. Her research focused on bean common mosaic virus in Africa. For her academic and professional services to plant health and biosecurity, Professor Spence was appointed Commander of the order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2022 New Years Honours.

Professor Spence CBE is the former president of the British Society for Plant Pathology, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, Honorary Professor at the University of Birmingham Institute of Forestry, a Chair of Castle Howard Arboretum and a trustee at The Royal Horticultural Society.

Previous chair, Geraint Richards MVO OBE FICFor and Head Forester to the Duchy of Cornwall and to His Majesty The King said: “Nicola brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Action Oak. Her expertise will be invaluable as the organisation moves forward into a new era of exciting development.”

The team at Action Oak, and its host organisation The Royal Forestry Society, would like to thank Geraint Richards for his time and dedication as the partnership’s chair for the last seven years.

Please join the team in welcoming Professor Spence CBE to Action Oak.

Action Oak Symposium 2026

Each year Action Oak welcomes partners and invited guests to the annual Symposium. This year we are being hosted by the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and supported by the Scottish Forestry Trust.

The Symposium brings together partners, researchers and practitioners to network and learn more about current and future research projects. This year, attendees will also take part in a participatory workshop to help progress our UK Oaks Research Roadmap, which is currently being developed by the Action Oak team. The outcomes of the workshop will develop the roadmap and inform future strategies relating to oak conservation.

To stay up to date with news from the symposium, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Bluesky where we will be sharing highlights from the event.

Symposium Programme

How can we find solutions to the UK's oak Generation gap? Article by Action Oak's Research Coordinator, Prof Melanie Smith

Melanie explores the challenges the generation gap presents and what has and continues to threaten our oak population today.

Click on the image below to go to the article.

Action Oak joins Royal Forestry Society Podcast Gone Foresting

"Every Third Breath: The Art of Seeing Trees"

In the summer Annabel Narayanan, Director Action Oak, joined Tim Craven, founder of The Arborealists, and Ersin Han Ersin, director of Marshmallow Laser Feast, on Gone Foresting; A Royal Forestry Society Podcast to discuss the entanglement between art and woodland conservation, including the parts of trees that often go completely unseen.
"Every Third Breath: The Art of Seeing Trees"

Listen to the podcast

Protect our oaks: help gather data by joining the grey squirrel damage survey

Can you help the UK Squirrel Accord (UKSA) by collecting and submitting data on the negative impacts of grey squirrel bark stripping damage?

“In 2025 there was another mast year followed by a mild but wet winter. Will that result in a significant increase in grey damage over the next couple of years? Collating data through the UKSA survey will help provide evidence and understand change.”

Anyone with landowner permission can carry out the user-friendly Grey Squirrel Activity and Impact Assessment, designed by The National Forest (TNF), in woods across the UK. Then submit the results into a simple online UKSA survey. The aim is to better understand the scale of bark stripping problems across the UK to help guide future action and raise awareness.

Read Kay's Article

Community Updates

Oak health webinar: observing and understanding oak health across the UK

Throughout 2026, the Forest Lab: observing and understanding oak health project, has been running training workshops working closely with oak woodland managers to provide the skills and resources to assess the condition of the oak woodland they manage.

This webinar, on Thursday 3 December 10:30am - 11:45am, will provide feedback on progress so far and discuss the role of health condition monitoring in woodland management planning.

Webinar details