Everything is better in the trees

6 December 2024 Forests in photos

This December, our photo of the month is ‘Morning Star', taken by Gareth Goldthorpe in Haute-Loire in France. The photo was the winner of our very first Photo Contest in 2017, and a runner-up in the 2023 Best of the Best contest.

How does the forest continue to inspire you and your photography?

Forests and woodlands continue to play a large part in my life, both photographically and personally. From walking the dog to getting away, everything is better in the trees.

Have the forests you photograph in changed since you took your winning photo?

Unfortunately, I no longer live in the area (or the country) where I took my winning photograph, so I cannot speak for their current state. However, as many of the forests in that area are managed, and PEFC certified, I am confident that they are still thriving.

How has your photography journey continued since you participated in the PEFC Photo Contest?

I continue to be passionate about photography and my focus (intended) remains to be the Natural World; from forests and coastlines to foxes and red kites, I relish being in nature and making art from it. (See my portfolio for more recent examples).

What can each of us do to safeguard our forests?

Use them, respect them and resist all efforts to develop them.

Have you discovered anything about PEFC and/or certification over these past years that you didn’t know before?

I work in biodiversity conservation and the concept of certification is widely used in our projects the world over; from “gibbon friendly coffee” to active collaborations with paper producers, Fauna & Flora work with nature, communities and business to protect wildlife and habitats.