Lantern
A sustainability strategy for Tate
2017
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Lantern has completed a significant piece of work with the Tate galleries to help them update their environmental policy and to develop a sustainability strategy. We worked with the estates team to calculate and identify the areas of greatest environmental impact and to develop a plan to address key challenges.
Tate understands their potential impact, and as an organisation have always sought to inspire and educate and have also been working to improve their environmental performance for many years.
The significant changes to the built estate including the new Blavatnik building at Tate Modern and new extension at St Ives meant that it was the right time to take a fresh look at how the organisation understands, measures and improves their environmental performance.
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The new strategy will help inform Tate's responses to their environmental challenges and provides the organisation with a clear routemap to future success.
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Greenscape Facilitation Fund Project
March 2018
The Greenscape landowner cluster lead by Lantern has successfully bid to be part of the Countryside Stewardship's facilitation fund programme.
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The EU funded three year programme administered by Natural England supports facilitators working with groups of landowners to support them to improve the environmental performance of their landholdings as part of the wider landscape.
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The project is funded through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and in addition Greenscape is supported by Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Surrey Hills Enterprises and the Forestry Commission.
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Greenscape focusses on woodland habitats and will support those managing land in the greensand valleys south of Guildford and the North Downs to work together to provide better connectivity across the landscape. The project area is a key part of the western weald and its extensive but fragmented woodland still retains elements of its original significant biodiversity. This approach will enable biodiversity to thrive and the collaboration will result in additional environmental, economic and social benefits across the entire area.
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You can find more information about the project on our dedicated page, link here, or alternatively if you'd like to join the group and are a landowner near Guildford or Godalming then get in touch by email at hello@lantern.uk.com.
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Come and hear us speak at Ecobuild
Tuesday 6th March 2018
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Lantern is delighted to be speaking at this years Ecobuild about the exciting work we are doing with developers to re-use trees felled as part of development. Lantern has worked with as number of developers to re-use the material from trees that are unfortunately lost as part of development.
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Treating the wood from these trees as a valued resource rather than a problematic waste enables businesses to realise a range of benefits. We work with developers to identify re-use opportunities for the material including furniture, artwork, community uses and ecological projects. Our process maximises the social, environmental and economic potential of the wood.
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This year we have been invited to speak about this approach at Ecobuild and will be at the Waste Zone on Tuesday March 6th at 3.30pm. We'd be delighted if you were able to come and hear us speak and happy to chat afterwards.
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We will also be displaying a selection of the furniture from the project that we are working on with Lend Lease at London's Elephant Park.
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Its free to attend so see you there!
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London Woodlands Evidence Base - Full report available - December 17
The current state of London’s woodlands is revealed in a new report launched this week.
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The document presents the findings from a project commissioned by the Forestry Commission (FC) supported by the GLA, London Tree Officers Association and GiGL and delivered by Lantern to better understand the condition of London’s 12,899 hectares of woodland and shed light on how to manage it more sustainably and to greater benefit in the future.
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This ambitious project mapped London’s woodland resources and engaged with landowners geographically representing 97% of London’s woodland area through surveys and workshops.
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Key findings included Forestry Commission data suggesting that only 25% of London’s forests are actively managed, with just 41% of landowners confirming they have a tree and woodland strategy in place. Overall, woodlands are deemed to be under resourced with 40% of those surveyed feeling that resources did not reflect what was needed, whilst some woodlands are felt to be critically threatened by disease, public misuse and urban development.
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Opportunities to create a brighter future for London’s forests included increased community involvement and raising the profile of this vital resource as part of the urban landscape.
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Click here to download the full report. A summary is also available here.
New project to revive landscapes across the Wealden Greensand in Surrey
September 17
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Lantern is delighted to be working with landowners on a new project to help revive landscapes and biodiversity across west Surrey.
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Lantern is working with both Surrey Hills Enterprises and Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) to deliver this exciting initiative.
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The project will focus on woodlands and hedgerows looking at management techniques to help support species across this area and foster collaboration amongst landowners to help create impact across the entire landscape.
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More information about the project and how you can become involved can be found on the project page or if you would like to find out more then email hello@lantern.uk.com
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The 2017 London Tree and Woodland Awards
July 2017
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Lantern was at City Hall for the 2017 London Tree and Woodland awards last night. The evening kicked off with a welcome from Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Shirley Rodrigues. Ms Rodrigues highlighted the benefits of London's tree resource and the great work going on in the capital to support our green infrastructure. She was closely followed by Sir Harry Studholme, Forestry Commission Chair who also championed the need to view trees as a material resource as well as for their biodiversity and habitat value. This was perfectly illustrated by the bowls presented to award winners which were made from London wood and made in London by Tom Biddulph.
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There were some fantastic winners from across the sector and Lantern was delighted that Chris Burley from Heliconia furniture received a highly commended in the London wood enterprise category for his work on the Elephant Park project making furniture from trees that came down at the site.
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Lantern worked with Chris on this project which clearly impressed the judges. More can be found about the project in our case study section.
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A full list of all winners can be found here: https://www.forestry.gov.uk/releafawards
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Erith Quarry Tree re-use project helps local children build new skills
June 2017
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Lantern is working with Anderson Group, L&Q and landscape consultant Sharon Hosegood Associates to deliver a tree re-use project at the Erith Quarry site in Bexley. The development team wanted to re-use as much of the wood from trees that sadly had to be removed as part of the development to create unique items for the site and to offer the local community a chance to get involved.
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Lantern worked with the team to design a programme that would fit the bill. A sculptor was chosen to work with the timber to create a sculpture for the site which will take pride of place when development is complete. We're helping the sculptor deliver carving workshops to children from Peareswood Primary School in the area who are using the wood to carve leaves which will be put together to make a striking display at their school.
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The project demonstrates how forward thinking developers can create additional value for their developments and the surrounding communities by using on site resources carefully and thoughtfully. Projects like this one can help build stronger relationships between developers and the communities they serve. It also demonstrates efficient use of onsite resources and diverts material from waste streams.
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For more information on projects like this one visit our Lend lease case study or our tree re-use page and to find out how we can help with your project please email hello@lantern.uk.com.
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Lantern and Balfour Beatty webinar to explain the benefits and opportunities of tree re-use
Weds 28th June
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Lantern is going to be joined by Balfour Beatty next week in a webinar organised by the Institute of Environmental Managers (IEMA) covering the opportunities, benefits and a how to for understanding how to re-use trees removed as part of development.
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Lantern has gained considerable expertise in this area after running successful projects to re-use timber for a wide range of purposes that may otherwise have simply been chipped and disposed of.
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Re-using the material creatively can provide additional value both to the development and the wider community.
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The webinar is free to attend and open to all. Follow this link to sign up:
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For more information about our tree re-use service see our tree re-use page or Lendlease case study. or if you would like to talk to someone about this exciting approach call Amy on 07815 832 243.
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Sustainable timber sourcing in the UK - Leaders and laggards revealed in new report by WWF
November 2016
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In a new report from WWF on sustainable timber sourcing in the UK furniture industry 68% of the 74 retailers assessed have no published policy or any other credible sourcing statement on their websites. WWF's research found that many retailers either don't know or don't care where their wood comes from.
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The report sought to establish the origin of the furniture entering the UK market, whether there are any risks associated with the sources and whether or not UK businesses importing furniture are doing their utmost to ensure that they source from well managed and sustainable forests.
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Whilst there were examples of excellent practice amongst companies such as B&Q, Wickes and Warren Evans there were some top retail names with surprisingly little evidence of sufficiently robust timber supply policies in place such as Habitat, DFS and Harvey Nichols.
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Companies not investing in sustainable supply chains not only risk contributing to the degradation of planetary forest resources but also show a lack of accountability for their own business practices and their ability to respond to a rapidly changing and developing supply market.
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Their are substantial benefits to be gained from sustainable supply chain investment and considerable evidence of the value and importance of forests around the world. It really is time that those falling behind in managing their supply chains caught up. Download the full report here.
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If your company is struggling with this issue Lantern can help. We work with organisations to help them develop sustainable timber supplies. Contact us to find out how we can help you.
Autumn at the Surrey Hills Woodfair-
October 2016
BEAUTIFUL autumn weather provided the perfect backdrop to the Surrey Hills Wood Fair.
We joined the fun to publicise the West Surrey Woodlands Project. The project aims to bring Local Authority and private woodlands back in to management to create environmental, social and economic benefits and welcomed a stream of visitors to the Lantern stand, from local scout groups to the Mayor of Waverley.
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A record number of visitors enjoyed the event in the grounds of Birtley House, Bramley. The Fair was the perfect opportunity to learn more about Surrey’s stunning ancient woodlands and to see rural craftspeople at work.
If you’d like to find out more about the West Surrey Woodlands project visit the project page on the Lantern website. To find out how Lantern can help with your project, call us on 07815 832 243.
ICF event highlights role of green infrastructure in development -
October 2016
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Lantern recently attended part of the Institute for Chartered Foresters study tour of London. We were there as guests of developer Lendlease who were talking about their green infrastructure strategy at the Elephant Park development.
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After hearing from Luke Fay of Treework Environmental Practice about the challenges of, and solutions to, retaining as many mature trees as possible on site we also had a chance to see the beautiful public space furniture designed by Chris Burley of Heliconia Furniture and Sebastian Cox of Sebastian Cox Ltd made from some of the trees that had to be removed.
Lantern was instrumental in helping ensure that best use was made of the wood from these trees. It was therefore fitting that the next stop on the tour was the Crossbones burial ground in Southwark who received some trunk offcuts from the Elephant Park project to use as seating for visitors.
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If you'd like to know more about this project then get in touch 07815 832 243 or email us at hello@lantern.uk.com
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Helping Lendlease implement an innovative reuse approach for trees from their development site
July 2016
For the past year Lantern has been working with Lendlease and Timber Strategies on a great project to re-use the timber from trees removed as part of Lendlease's exciting Elephant Park regeneration project in Central London.
Lendlease wanted to demonstrate a creative and unusual approach to the challenge of tree removal within a major regeneration project. The Elephant Park scheme will retain 122 mature trees from the former Heygate Estate but for those trees that had to be removed, an innovative approach was required.
Lantern has helped ensure that the wood from the removed trees will be turned into beautiful furniture that will be situated in the public spaces of this development, whilst the smaller off-cuts of timber have been donated to local groups for their own use.
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All of the wood has now been milled and is drying ready to be used by furniture makers to create a number of distinctive pieces that will sit within the development.
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We hope that the first pieces of furniture will be in situ by 2016. This project demonstrates the creative possibilities of using more homegrown timber and means that the trees that once stood on the site will continue to contribute to the area. Get in touch with us on 07815 832 243 or at hello@lantern.uk.com to discuss how we can help you with your project ideas.
Realising the opportunity of ESOS
February 2016
The Lantern team have been busy helping a range of organisations through their Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) compliance. Over the last six months the team has travelled across the country carrying out energy audits to help companies understand where they are using their energy and identify saving opportunities. In many instances small changes in business operations can lead to significant savings in both energy and expenditure and through the ESOS process Lantern has been able to highlight which changes will reap the best rewards.
The audits have now all been completed and Lantern is ready to help those companies who wish to realize the opportunity for implementing the savings identified.
We can help you implement the measures identified in your ESOS report so give us a call on 07815 832 243 or drop us a line, hello@lantern.uk.com
Helping a west London primary school embrace a greener future
August 2015
Lantern’s Jude Hassall visited Lady Margaret Primary School in July to deliver three interactive lessons on energy saving to year three children.
The children looked at how much carbon their school created in a year using a range of props and made a small steam powered boat work, to show energy in action. They produced a fantastic set of posters to display around the school to encourage pupils and staff to reduce the energy they use in school.
The lessons were planned as part of Lady Margaret’s science week and are one of the ways Lantern are helping the school develop a deeper understanding of environmental issues. Lantern has been working with the school over the past year to help them understand their ecological and carbon footprints and to develop a plan to reduce their impact across all areas of the school, with a particular focus on engaging the children through the curriculum.
The children really enjoyed the lessons, were full of ideas and suggestions and have been inspired to make changes for the better. Lantern received fantastic feedback from the children, including:
“I really liked it when you came to our class and taught us some things we never knew. I loved making a poster with you about saving the earth. I liked it how you explained to us about carbon dioxide. Thank you for teaching us! Now I always tell my parents about the earth”.
To find out how Lantern can help inspire your school or organization to understand and reduce your environmental impact, get in touch by emailing us at hello@lantern.uk.com or call us on 07815 832 243.
New guidance boost for community biomass and woodfuel groups
March 2015
A Community Biomass Guide, written by Lantern on behalf of the Department for Energy & Climate Change (DECC) and the Forestry Commission, is now available online here
Produced in response to DECC’s Community Energy Strategy, the guidance is aimed at communities who want to manage local woodlands to produce woodfuel for local stoves and boilers, or those who are planning a community woodfuel heat project but have yet to identify their fuel source.
The guide was officially launched by Baroness Verma, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change at the Community Energy Conference in Birmingham last week, where Amy and Jude from Lantern were on hand to answer questions.
The new guidance is already making an impact as part of the application process for the Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF). Lantern’s Jude Hassall said: “Developing community scale biomass and woodfuel projects can be a daunting task. The new guidance will hand hold groups through the decision making and planning process, and enable them to fully engage with experts working on their projects.”
For further information about the guidance or for support in developing your biomass heating project or woodfuel supply chain, please contact us.
Sustainable living by the sea
February 2015
Work gets underway this week on the major refurbishment of a Dorset seaside apartment for which Lantern acted as sustainability consultants.
Aware that the re-fit was an opportunity to make their holiday home more environmentally friendly, the owners commissioned Lantern to produce a Sustainability Checklist to guide them through the project.
Following a site visit to understand the challenges and opportunities posed by the 1970’s seafront building, Lantern was able to identify areas where the choice of technology and materials used in the build could reduce energy bills, save water and create a more sustainable, comfortable and healthy environment.
The three–tier checklist didn’t stop with the building phase; Lantern’s advice included measures that could be taken in the future by the wider apartment block as a whole and environmentally friendly lifestyle choices which the family can adopt in the future as they enjoy their home by the sea.
To read the full case study click here.
Demonstrating Investment in Forestry - FREE Events
September 2014
Lantern and Forestry Commission England and Lantern have teamed up with previous grant recipients across England to showcase, through a series of free outdoor demonstration events, how European Union funding has enabled them to grow and improve their businesses.
Understanding London Woodlands
July 2014
The Forestry Commission (FC) has chosen Lantern to lead a project which aims to establish the current levels of woodland management in London. The project findings will inform future FC and local authority activities across the Capital. The project is also supported by the Greater London Authority and the London Tree Officers Association.
Lantern will be collating data from a wide range of projects and stakeholders as well as producing new primary data, including working with GiGL(Greenspace Information for Greater London) to enable GIS capability. The woodlands will be assessed against key indicators covering management planning and activity, community engagement and productivity.
Craig Harrison from the FC said: “This project will provide us with a vital understanding of woodland management and resourcing across London, it will enable the FC and other organisations to understand where they should best focus their efforts so London's woodlands deliver the most to society, the environment and the economy”.
Jude from Lantern said “This is a really exciting project to be working on, it will provide a vital evidence base on which to plan for the future of London’s woodlands.” Lantern has extensive experience working with local authorities and delivered the Good Woods project for B&Q. To find out more about what Lantern can do email us at hello@lantern.uk.com or call us on 07815 832 243.
Woodland Guidance To Grow Community Relationships
July 2014
A new community engagement ‘toolkit’ designed to improve communication between woodland owners/managers and local people has been launched.
The step-by-step guide offers a practical approach plus supporting tools to help woodland owners and managers in England positively engage with a wide range of stakeholders.
It’s designed for anyone developing a woodland management plan, undertaking management activities within a woodland or working to build long-term relationships with local communities.
The guidance – co-authored by Lantern and the Sylva Foundation with support from the Forestry Commission was developed as part of the Good Woods project. It is set out as a process which can be adopted by woodland managers and owners whatever stage their programme of work is at. It also enables users to determine what level of engagement is appropriate to their situation and provides the tools they will need to get started.
The toolkit puts down roots for building a better understanding of the vision for a woodland and the benefits of woodland management, it aims to reduce negative reactions to woodland management due to lack of communication or understanding of woodland management and also increase levels of support for, and involvement in, woodland management activities.
Lantern’s Amy Hammond explains: “Our experience shows it can be a challenge to balance the management needs of woodland spaces with the expectations of local people. The toolkit aims to help managers communicate effectively with members of the local community about management activities and successfully resolve any issues that arise”.
To download a copy of the guidance visit:
http://sylva.org.uk/myforest/communities
The Lantern team has extensive experience in engaging with woodland stakeholders, producing written guidance and delivering training to owners/managers and community groups. To find out how we can help you contact us at hello@lantern.uk.com or call us on 07815 832 243.
Good Woods film launched
March 2014
The latest Good Woods film has been launched this month. Lantern was instrumental in the design and delivery of this project, supporting woodland owners covering over 10,900 hectares training community woodland groups and working with B&Q to further the sustainability of their supply chains.
Jamie Lawrence, Kingfisher Net Positive commented:
"'20% of the wood in B&Q is from the UK' - some great collaborative work to protect and improve that local resource with some exceptional partners: BioRegional, Sylva, Lantern, local communities & business. "
To find out more about this project, click here.
Helping to restore a Surrey woodland
Dec 2013
Lantern helps deliver a Good Woods project visit to a woodland in Surrey
Lantern visited a woodland near Grayswood, Surrey as part of the B&Q Good Woods project. The current owner has recently taken over the woodland and a new management plan is to be submitted to the Forestry Commission shortly, so she was delighted to have received expert advice from the project to help shape the plan.
The site is a 'Planted Ancient Woodland Site' (PAWS) that the owner wants to restore to a mixed deciduous native woodland. This steep and undulating site presents some challenges in terms of ongoing management access and extraction of standing timber. The conifers are a mix of Larch, Norway Spruce and Western Hemlock. Many trees will need harvesting in the next few years with potential for some income that will be used to implement the management plan.
Evidence can be seen within the woodland of its original composition, with some majestic oaks struggling for space within the dense conifer plantation. Several large trees, future veterans, grow along the margins of the wood, while occasional stumps of former oak, ash and beech trees remain throughout. Clearings created by wind-blown trees show how opening the canopy had created an opportunity for native self-sown trees, with beech, hawthorn and hazel doing particularly well.
The owner received detailed advice on how to enhance the habitat around the stream that runs through the woodland which will allow greater levels of ground cover and native woodland plants to emerge.
The owner was keen to get the management plan approved and to begin restoration work in the woodland. She already has local volunteers who wish to work in the woodland and help with the restoration, and will reward them with firewood under a ‘logs for labour’ model.
Eventually, through a combination of felling and thinning, space will be made within the woodland for a reintroduction of local species back to the site. The help from the Good Woods project will allow her to begin the restoration work on this historic Surrey woodland.
