Western Forest is the new national forest!

We at the Forest of Avon and our partners are so excited to share with you that we won the Defra funded bid to create the first new national forest in 30 years. Western Forest, a visionary project linking three regions to create a landscape focused on connection!

The Western Forest will connect and join up our existing woodlands through focused delivery across the region to create and restore the woodlands for people and nature. By doing so, we will create important corridors for our wildlife, mitigate flood risk, create new accessible woodlands for communities in both our rural and urban communities and grow the green economy.

“The Forest of Avon is thrilled to have led a wonderfully diverse and engaged partnership to bring the Western Forest to life. This is about resource, funding and expertise coming directly to landowners, partners and communities, planting millions of trees in the right places. Together, we will enhance landscapes for all to enjoy, improving the lives of our 2.5 million residents and visitors to the region.

Encompassing two of England’s Community Forests and working alongside the National Forest Company and Defra, the Western Forest will enhance, connect and improve our urban and rural landscapes, support investment into the region, create jobs and skills opportunities and bring the endless benefits we get back from planting and caring for our trees. It is a very exciting time for this region and we look forward to helping shape what the Western Forest will become.”

Alex Stone, Chief Executive of Forest of Avon, England’s Community Forests

Vision

The Western Forest will shape a greener, more connected landscape with trees and woodlands at its heart. This will contribute to a resilient future that will benefit the economy, nature and both rural and urban communities. 

Credit: First Avenue Photography

Key themes

Connect our existing woodland networks, improving our woodland corridors through multiple types of tree habitats to increase climate resilience and wildlife connectivity
Connect and support land managers with funding, skills and knowledge to plant trees on farms to drive climate and business resilience
Connect rural and urban population to our rich natural history to inspire an inclusive forest to live in and visit
Connect young people to shape the vision for the Western Forest, creating an intergenerational forest for now and the future
Connect industry and business to the Western Forest to continue growth and meet national net-zero ambitions

By 2030 the Western Forest will:

Plant

2500 hectares of woodland and tree habitats, with an aspiration to plant 20 million trees by 2050.

Restore

1500 hectares of existing woodland.

Connect

The forests will work with both rural and urban communities, working across new collaborations to create transformational programmes focused on volunteering, health, education and access.

“This is very exciting news and builds on the excellent regional partnerships and environmental ambitions. The first Local Nature Recovery Strategy was launched in the West of England recently, but nature doesn’t stop at the boundary, we need to work at a landscape scale, so the Western Forest connects into the catchment of the River Avon and links the Cotswolds and Mendip Hills National Landscapes. It will engage our communities, creating new woodlands in both urban and rural settings and better connect them with our existing wooded landscape.”

Mark Minkley, Bath and North East Somerset Council

Priority Areas

Over the first five years, the Western Forest will focus activity across five priority areas from the rolling hills of the Cotswold National Landscape and Mendips to vibrant urban centres like Bristol, Gloucester and Swindon to create a mosaic of wooded habitats. These priority areas identify the greatest opportunities and benefits for nature and people, working with our regional partners and land managers to deliver increased tree habitat alongside improving access and other key habitats our area celebrates.

“This is tremendous news, and exactly the scale of ambition that nature has been calling out for. Through the partnership we will be able to work with landowners to join the dots in the landscape, reconnecting woodlands and hedgerows in a way that will bring benefits to farmers, people and nature.  The Western Forest will plant a great hope for a wilder future, and we are looking forward to playing our part in helping Gloucestershire make the most of this amazing opportunity.”

Andrew McLaughlin CEO Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust

Trees on Farms

In its rural areas, the forest will work with farmers in a predominately agricultural landscape to demonstrate how integrating trees into farm businesses can deliver multiple environmental, economic, and social benefits, without compromising food production.

Deliberately integrating trees and shrubs into farming systems can provide one or more beneficial functions such as shade and shelter for livestock or producing crops like fruit and nuts. Trees on farms can increase total farm yield whilst building climate resilience into the farm and its surroundings by mitigating flood risk and the effects of drought, reducing soil erosion and improving soil health, sequestering carbon and building climate resilience and business diversity.  

Credit: First Avenue Photography

“Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is delighted that Western Forest has been selected as the new national forest. This creates a huge opportunity to support farmers across the region to integrate trees into the farmed landscape through agroforestry and farm woodlands that can regenerate the soil and improve resilience to flooding and drought. By supporting urban and rural communities to create new woodlands, Western Forest can also help people struggling with mental health challenges sow the seeds of their own resilience.”

Joanna Lewis, Chief Executive, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

People and Nature

Residents and visitors are key to the success of the Western Forest. 2.5 million people call this area of England home, and extensive travel links bring people from all over the country and beyond to enjoy our natural assets.

Our people and nature programme will include cutting-edge communications, new collaborations between stakeholders and landowners, and innovative pilot programmes around volunteering, health, education and access. Activity will be led by The Natural History Consortium, who have a 20-year track record of convening partners to find innovative ways to connect people and nature.

Credit: Alex Carl Turner

“The New National Forest will serve over 2.5 million local residents, and we will put people and wellbeing at the heart of our transformation plans. Our Western Forest will support communities across the western edge of the Cotswolds and Mendips and urban centres including Bristol, Bath and Swindon. Our priorities for improving access to nature will boost health as well provide thousands of opportunities for building green skills, volunteering, and supporting the regional economy in local areas. We can’t wait to get started!”

Savita Willmott, Chief Executive, The Natural History Consortium.

Partners

Image features: Tony Ballance, Chair National Forest Company; John Everitt, CEO National Forest Company, Mary Creagh, Minister for Nature; Steve Reed, Secretary of State; Alex Stone, Forest of Avon

The Western Forest will be spearheaded by the Forest of Avon, one of England’s Community Forests supported by government funding and with expertise from the National Forest Company. It is the result of a successful regional partnership bid led by the Forest of Avon with support from the Natural History Consortium, the region’s councils and Great Western Community Forest, with more than 40 organisations lending their support including the West of England Combined Authority.  Defra is funding the new national forest Western Forest supported by the National Forest Company.

Our call for support

Thank you to everyone who has supported the project so far, we look forward to working with other partners to deliver the Western Forest. In developing our plan, we have begun to build partnerships and strengthen existing ones across the regional boundaries of the West of England, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. We are actively seeking landowners, business and communities to come on the Western Forest journey with us. Whether you are a landowner, a new delivery partner, corporate sponsor, or any other interested party, the Western Forest is designed to benefit everyone.

Contact us to learn how you can help grow the forest!