The first issue of Wood Focus for 2012 looks at a disease affecting sweet chestnut trees, a study on teak forests calling for conservation, and how biomass-based plastics offer an alternative to those made from oil. The Wood Technology Society explains how it is trying to reverse the perception of the "invisible industry" by engaging with children at exhibitions, and we highlight new papers in International Wood Products Journal.

In features, Alan Moffat takes us on a tour of his amazing sustainable wooden house built in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, while Ning Yan looks at the outcomes of a recent study to answer the question of whether bark can be used as an eco-friendly replacement for phenol in wood composite adhesives.