Forest 100: a year in the life

Mushrooms on mossy log in darkness — Photo credit: Tony Bartholomew©

Forest 100: a year in the life is an online exhibition featuring the photographs of Scarborough-based editorial photographer Tony Bartholomew which celebrated the centenary of Forestry England.

Featuring images taken within the boundaries of the nation's forests in North Yorkshire, including Dalby Forest, the exhibition includes photographs ranging from midnight moth hunters bathed in eerie green light to springtime sap seeping from freshly-cut spruce.

For one year Tony recorded the flora and fauna of the forests, the people who worked and played in them, and the people who shaped their past and now protect their future.

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Sphagnum moss on the forest floor with some fallen leaves

Focus in

While the forest can sometimes feel like a vast, endless space, a lot of pictures present themselves by observing what is close to hand.

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Working forest

People enjoy outdoor leisure in the forests; but we need to remember they were created 100 years ago as a place of production providing timber for the nation.

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A blur of lights beyond a group of spectators at night rally

People's playground

From exhilarating mountain bike trails to gentle family walks with easy access for all, the forest has become a place of relaxation, play and escape.

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Frost covered moss on forest floor with lines of trees in the distance

Natural landscape

Though clearly planted with timber production in mind, the forest appears as a changing landscape throughout the seasons.

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Man stood staring at the ground holding a wooden tool within stone wall maze

Faces of the forest

Some of the people working for and with Forestry England in North Yorkshire’s forests.

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Small bird flying out of hands with wings spread

Nature's home

From butterflies to funghi, the flora, fauna and ecology of the forests can be seen here.

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Snow topped tree branches surrounding snow dusted forest path

Winter wonderland

We haven’t had a really hard winter in the forests for a year or two, but when we did get a decent layer of snow, it combined with crisp winter light to make for a good day’s photography.

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