About
In a first-of-its-kind celebration of women in forestry, the Forestry Commission, Forestry England and Forest Research, supported by Defra, commissioned The People’s Picture to create a photo mosaic that was on display at the Forestry England exhibition: Women in Forestry, The Lumberjills’ Story hosted at Grizedale Forest from May to December 2023.
The exhibition celebrates the contribution of the Lumberjills, a group of women who played a vital role in maintaining the supply of timber in WWII. Gigapixels are huge photographic images. They can be viewed on-screen in an interactive format, or as very large format prints with an incredible amount of detail.
Artwork
The giant mosaic created by the People’s Picture features over 2,000 publicly submitted photographs, past and present, of women from across the forestry sector and the general public. It was on display throughout the exhibition, as well as available to view online as a virtual interactive artwork. Thank you to all the women who submitted photographs, illustrating the connection today’s women have with forests and woodlands.
Gallery
The commitment and dedication of the women made a real difference to the war effort. During their time up to 18,000 women became skilled in forestry and had earned the respect they deserved, paving the way for women to undertake forestry roles in the future.
In 2023 45% of the workforce at Forestry England are female, but some sectors are still under represented. Remembering the perseverance, bravery and community of The Lumberjills can inspire us to continue to work for change.
As tree planting increases across the country, so too does the demand for a diverse, skilled forestry workforce.
There are a wide range of careers in forestry available for women from all backgrounds, from being a forester, ecologist, or tree surgeon, to working in conservation to scientific research. There are also lots of exciting wider roles linked to our nation’s forests, from business planning and management to leisure and tourism.
Battling discrimination, the women referred to as the ‘Lumberjills’ rose to the challenge of the hard physical labour involved, some even felling trees in a blizzard to prove the naysayers wrong. Their commitment and dedication made a tangible difference to the war effort, with the timber produced used in railways, mining, aircraft and even for charcoal gas mask filters. Yet, whilst many may have heard of the Women’s Land Army – the story of their Lumberjill colleagues has been all but forgotten, until now.
Years of Liberation
Photos
Square Feet
Iconic Artwork
Further Information
Women have long played a role in modern forestry but are underrepresented. As tree planting across the country increases, so does the demand for a larger skilled domestic forestry sector to deliver Government tree planting and net zero ambitions. There are a wide range of careers in forestry available for women from all backgrounds, from being a forester, ecologist, or tree surgeon, to working in conservation to scientific research. There are also lots of exciting wider roles linked to our nation’s forests, from business planning and management to leisure and tourism.
Often facing prejudice from local communities and the men that worked alongside, the women lived on very little money, were always on the move and had to find accommodation at each new place of work.
Despite the tough working conditions, many of the women forged friendships and respect while doing their bit for the war effort. Their incredible contribution paved the way for women in forestry.
Forestry England is supported by the government’s £750 million Nature for Climate Fund, part of which will kick-start a step-change in tree planting in England. This will help us achieve our commitment to increasing and protecting our biodiversity by providing habitat connectivity, as well as capturing carbon as part of the pathway to net zero emissions by 2050.
“Doing this as my work, being a part of this ecosystem of woodland and doing something which influences it is profoundly satisfying. To be a small part of a bigger picture, watching it unfold around you, knowing it will be here long after you’ve left, is a great privilege.”
Kate Jordan | Learning and Engagement Officer, Grizedale Forest
Explore
Zoom in and explore the collected stories of all those who took part from the comfort of your phone or armchair. We collected over 2,000 publicly submitted photographs, past and present, of women from across the forestry sector and the general public. Please explore the mosaic.
Gigapixels are huge photographic images. They can be viewed on-screen in an interactive format, or as very large format prints with an incredible amount of detail. A gigapixel image contains one billion pixels, which is 1,000 times the size of a one-megapixel image, or equivalent to 1,000 megapixels.
