Heartwood Forest

News UK July 2008

 * Woodland Trust to create England’s largest new native forest, July 28

England’s largest continuous new native forest is to be planted in Hertfordshire by the Woodland Trust, creating a broadleaf woodland covering 850 acres near St Albans.

The proposed new forest will benefit people and wildlife alike, will be open to the public and will create a woodland asset within 20 miles of the centre of London.

The Trust is intent on planting more than 600,000 native trees on land it is planning to buy near Sandridge, between St Albans and Harpenden.

Comparisons
The new Hertfordshire Forest will be


 * Bigger than Sherwood Forest Country Park (450 acres)
 * Bigger than Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens combined (collectively 625 acres)
 * Twice the size of Regents Park (410 acres)
 * Larger than Whipsnade Zoo (600 acres)

Costs and fundraising
Site purchase, planting of trees and management costs for its first five years total £8.5m, prompting the Woodland Trust’s largest ever fund-raising campaign.

Quotes
“Native woodland is our equivalent of the rainforest. Woods and trees are not only good for the soul, they are life enhancing and make a real difference to people’s health and wellbeing.”

“We estimate that two million people live within 15 miles of Sandridge alone. Our new wood will provide a large and accessible space for people at a time when there is huge pressure to develop and build on land in the south east”

The land, currently farmland, has pockets of irreplaceable ancient woodland providing precious wildlife habitat. But the site also offers the charity its most exciting woodland creation opportunity in England in its 36-year history.” Sue Holden, Trust chief executive.

England has lost half its ancient woodland since the 1930’s, either to development, agriculture or planting with non-native conifers - leaving just five per cent of native woodland cover and making England one of the least wooded countries in Europe.

References