The future for Foresters’ Forest projects

What’s next for our Foresters’ Forest projects?

As we near March 2022 and the end of our five-year National Lottery Heritage funded programme in the Forest of Dean, we are asked how our project work will continue. 

Our programme and its 38 projects have made a big difference to the Forest of Dean, completing all sorts of works on the ground along with involving people and raising awareness of what makes the Forest so special.

Continuing projects

Most of the projects, 26 in  total, plan to continue.

• The ‘Stronghold for Nature’ biodiversity projects will continue under the management of Forestry England, including the Conservation Grazing project led by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. In this way the Forest’s wildlife habitats will continue to evolve, and species monitoring can continue. These organisations will also continue to involve local volunteers.
• Some of the project activity will feed into the delivery of the Forestry England ‘Our Shared Forest’ programme.
• Community projects, such as Worcester Walk Community Project, have brought local communities together and show every sign of going from strength to strength as more people want to join in.

Other projects will continue provided that their organisation can find sufficient funds to do so.

12 projects have completed their work and have finished.

Project futures - summary

For a full overview about each of the projects, including exactly how most plan to continue, please see this summary document: Foresters’ Forest Project Futures     

Continued volunteering opportunities 

For the projects that are continuing there will still be opportunities for people to volunteer.

Some volunteers will continue under the guidance of organisations such as Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, and others with Forestry England.  Volunteers will be contacted before March 2022 to ask them how they would like to continue.

If you currently volunteer for a Foresters’ Forest project do contact Deb Cook, email forestersforest@fvaf.org.uk to find out more about local volunteering opportunities.

Programme achievements – report to follow

Throughout November 2021 we are running an online survey, seeking as many responses as possible to provide a final evaluation report for our programme. Due to be published in the New Year, the report will detail what difference the Foresters' Forest Landscape Partnership Programme has had on the heritage and people who live in and visit the Forest of Dean, between 2017 and 2022.