Shireen Grace Chambers FICFor (born 21 February 1962) is a British forester and the CEO of Future Woodlands Scotland.

Early life and education

Chambers studied

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

and

soil science Soil science is the study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the Earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils; and these properties in relation to th ...

Bangor University , former_names = University College of North Wales (1884–1996) University of Wales, Bangor (1996–2007) , image = File:Arms_of_Bangor_University.svg , image_size = 250px , caption = Arms ...

and graduated in 1985. She moved to

The Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

, where she helped to establish a forestry department. She returned to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

in 1991, when she joined the Central Scotland Forest Trust.

Career

Chambers was appointed CEO of Future Woodlands Scotland in 2022, a Scottish conservation charity working to create and conserve native woodlands and greenspaces. Prior to joining Future Woodlands Scotland, she was executive director of the

Institute of Chartered Foresters The Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) is the professional body for foresters and arboriculturists in the United Kingdom. Its royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters paten ...

(2006–2022). She was made a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Foresters in 2012. She was awarded an honorary fellowship from Bangor University in 2015. Chambers has outlined how forestry can help to support sustainable, low carbon farming. She has spoken about the need for the public to be aware of the damage that can be caused by imported pests and disease in UK forests. In 2017 Chambers was made chair of the Board of Trustees of Tree Aid, which she led until 2023. In her capacity as Chair she visited

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...

to understand he impact of trees in rural communities. Inspired by her time in Burkina Faso Chambers established dryland developments in the United Kingdom. She serves as a member of the Forestry Strategy Reference Group. Chambers has worked to improve the representation of women in forestry. She launched the Institute of Chartered Foresters campaign "#ILookLikeAForester" in March 2019. She was awarded a Member of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(MBE) for services to forestry in 2019. Under her leadership the Institute of Chartered Foresters has doubled member numbers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chambers, Shireen 1962 births Living people British foresters Alumni of Bangor University Members of the Order of the British Empire Women in forestry