THE region's forests have come under international scrutiny in a journal on urban wildernesses.

The book called Wild Urban Woodlands focuses on how landscapes around the world, once dominated by heavy industry, have been reclaimed by nature.

Produced by two German professors, the international journal features a section on community forests in the North-East of England.

The paper on the region was written by Clive Davies, director of the North-East Community Forests.

Mr Davies said he drew on local examples for his paper in the journal, which also features case studies from Germany and Japan.

He said: "I am delighted that the valuable work of North-East Community Forests and improvements in the North-East region are receiving recognition on an international platform."

According to the book's authors, Dr Ingo Kowarik and Dr Stefan Krner of the Technical University of Berlin, urban landscapes around the world are evolving to create a new kind of wilderness.

Since it was formed, North-East Community Forests has helped to create 1,850 hectares of woodland and has created or improved more than 822 km of recreational route ways in the region.

There are currently two community forests in the region: The Great North Forest, Tyne and Wear, and the Tees Forest, Teesside.

Mr Davies recently shared a platform with Government heavyweights, including the Chancellor Gordon Brown, at a conference in Manchester.

Wild Urban Woodlands - New Perspectives for Urban Forestry can be obtained from www.springeronline.com for £69.