Donal Magner began his career as a forester with the Irish Forest Service in 1970 before joining Coillte in 1989 and forming Magner Communications in 1993. He holds a master’s degree in forestry from University College Dublin. He is secretary of the Wood Marketing Federation and editor of the Forestry and Timber Yearbook (1996-2010) for the Irish Timber Growers Association.

He has edited and produced a number of publications including Irish Forestry the Journal of the Society of Irish Foresters (2002-4), Devil’s Glen: Sculpture in Woodland (2004), Glimpses of Irish Forestry (2006), Ecologies of Distance (2007) and Woodspec: A Guide to Designing, Detailing and Specifying Timber in Ireland (2007). He has explored forests in Ireland, Europe, especially Eastern Europe, Canada, United States and South Africa. He has played an important role in developing Irish forest policy especially as chairman of the forestry group within the Irish Business and Employers Confederation – IBEC. A native of Castletownroche, Co. Cork, he now lives in Wicklow with his family.