RDS launches 2026 Forest and Woodland Awards to find Ireland’s green champions

The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) has officially launched the search for Ireland’s pioneering farmers and woodland owners with the opening of the 2026 RDS Forest and Woodland Awards. With a prize fund of €8,000 and the coveted RDS Silver Medal for category winners, the Awards celebrate the dedication, innovation and vital stewardship defining the future of Irish forestry.

Entries are now open and will close on Friday, December 19, 2025.

As Ireland’s national forestry awards, the RDS is seeking champions who are actively implementing Climate-Smart agricultural practices on their land. The Awards recognise farmers and woodland owners who successfully balance sound commercial management with environmental protection and the enhancement of biodiversity.

Category winners will each receive €2,000 and an RDS Silver Medal with runners-up receiving €1,000 and an RDS Certificate of Merit.

The awards are divided into four main categories designed to reward excellence across the economic, environmental and community development sectors:

• The Teagasc Farm Forestry Award recognises working farmers who seamlessly integrate forestry into their overall farm enterprise, demonstrating active forest management to strengthen wider sustainability and economic benefits.

• The Silvicultural Excellence and Innovation Award is aimed at landowners who demonstrate exceptional technical management in timber production (broadleaf, conifer, mixed or coppice), setting the standard for commercial forestry in Ireland.

• The Community Woodland Award celebrates and rewards communal ownership and/or management projects that establish and manage forests in a way that delivers significant, measurable and sustainable benefits to the local economy and environment.

• The Native Woodland Conservation Award is dedicated to those achieving excellence in the conservation and sustainable management of native and long-established semi-natural woodlands, boosting biodiversity and local economic opportunity.

Sarah Keating, Sustainability and Innovation Programme Manager, RDS said: "The RDS Forest and Woodland Awards are our national platform to truly celebrate, showcase and reward the vital stewardship of Ireland’s farmers and landowners. Their commitment to climate-smart practices is defining the future of our rural economy and environment. That is why we have kept the categories simple so everyone can see themselves reflected. 

"If you’re a farmer integrating trees for better sustainability, the Farm Forestry Award is for you. If you’re focused on growing high-quality timber using best practice, enter the Excellence and Innovation Category.

"If you are managing a woodland for the benefit of your local community, the Community Woodland Award is the one for you. And if you’re expertly tending to our precious native woodlands, enter the Conservation Award.

"We urge all landowners to enter and let us shine a light on your important contribution."

Entry forms and further information on the RDS Forest and Woodlands Awards is available online at RDS Forest & Woodland Awards - RDS. Completed entries can be emailed to forestry@rds.ie before the deadline of Friday, December 19.

The winners will be announced in April 2026 at a special ceremony in the RDS Concert Hall, forming a key part of the annual RDS Foundation Festival. The prestigious event offers all applicants an invaluable opportunity to network with peers, experts and policymakers and attend talks on critical topics like sustainable land use, bioeconomy and timber use in construction.

The RDS extends gratitude to its partners for their support and dedication; the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Teagasc and Woodlands of Ireland.