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Graduate Prizes 2020: Andrew Harper aims to carve new career after securing the Lockhart Garratt Excellence in Forestry Award

Posted 3 March 2021

Andrew Harper with his Lockhart Garratt Excellence in Forestry Award trophy.

A ÎÞÂ붯»­ graduate seeking to turn his love of the outdoors into a career in forestry management has won the annual Lockhart Garratt Excellence in Forestry Award.

Andrew Harper, from near Shrewsbury, was named the recipient of the award after completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Forestry and Woodland Management.

As well as securing the recognition of the award itself following his studies, Andrew was also gifted a specially handcrafted memento from John Lockhart, Company Chairman of Lockhart Garratt.

Andrew – who chose to take up postgraduate study at Harper Adams due to the university’s reputation in land management courses – said: “The Forestry & Woodland Management course at Harper Adams provided a comprehensive set of core modules, with the ability to choose several modules that suited my specific interests.

“The combination of class-based delivery by subject experts - both from within the university and externally - worked well, with practical application of learning via field visits bringing the theory to life.”

For Andrew’s dissertation, he worked upon research examining how forestry and land management could be used upon a particular area of land – detailing the ways in which forestry and woodland management could be applied and the variety of benefits that would follow.

He said: “The case study I completed determined the potential of increased tree cover to mitigate flood risk and deliver wider environmental benefits within a specific catchment area, with a management plan outlining the means of delivery.”

A keen outdoorsman, when not at work or study Andrew can usually be found enjoying the countryside around their Shropshire home with his family.

He added: “Living in Shropshire with a love of the outdoors my spare time involves mountain biking and walking in the hills.

“With a young family, we enjoy National Trust visits and making the most of countryside activities.”

Following his graduation, Andrew is now working to build a career in the diverse forestry and woodland management sector – building upon both his skills to date and his prize-winning studies at Harper Adams.