Expanding Britain's woodlands

In the Neolithic (New Stone Age) period, most of Britain was covered with forests, much of it deciduous. Even 500 years ago, there were large areas of the country which were still forested. As the population increased and the navy and manufacturing industries demanded greater supplies of timber, these forests became much smaller and sometimes even disappeared.

By 1985 only 7% of England was covered in woodland, the second smallest total of any country in the European Union. As part of Britain's reply to the resolutions passed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro the aim is to double this total by the year 2040. Whilst small-scale schemes have been introduced to encourage individuals to plant one or two trees, the main project has been to establish twelve Community Forests. These forests would serve a number of purposes, improving the countryside around towns and cities. Many would be planted on disused or derelict sites formerly occupied by industry. They would offer a number of valuable additional facilities for education and sports as well as creating extra habitats for wildlife. To give an idea of the scale of the project, the 12 forests cover an area of almost 500000 hectares, twelve times the size of the Isle of Wight.

Part of the Marston Vale Community Forest in Bedfordshire

Community Forests

The benefits of the forests are many and varied. In Cleveland, a woodland country park has been built on the site of two disused brickworks with the aim of restoring the landscape to a more natural state. At the Marston Vale Forest in Bedfordshire, developing on the site of disused brickworks and clay pits, local people are being encouraged to collect seeds native to the area and plant them in the forest, looking after them to maturity. Educational projects play an important part in all the designated areas. The Mersey and Red Rose Forests have involved local schools in designing environmental projects to include within the woodlands themselves. In the Thames Valley and Avon project areas traditional timber crafts are being revived to provide the signs, buildings and materials for the sites. With more than half the population of England living within easy reach of one of the new forest areas, this project aims to involve millions of people within the next ten years.

The locations of Britain's new Community Forests. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Activity

For information about the Community Forests, contact the Countryside Commission (tel: 01242 521381).

Find the location of the Community Forest nearest to your home area. What facilities are being offered to schools and individuals now and what are planned for the future?