Our Past, Our Future: working together for the New Forest

Our Past, Our Future: working together for the New Forest

Group of volunteers and children in the New Forest National Park
Credit: New Forest National Park Authority

Landscape Partnerships

Lyndhurst & Minstead
New Forest
New Forest National Park Authority
£2999100
This £4.4million landscape partnership scheme has worked to restore lost habitats, develop skills and inspire young people to champion and look after the New Forest.

The scheme is led by the New Forest National Park Authority (NFNPA) with 10 other organisations and supported with a £2.8m grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. 

Why is the New Forest so important?

With an ancient commoning system granting rights to graze animals and gather firewood and peat, the New Forest is a unique landscape in lowland England.

The national park is of international value for nature conservation. It has an unusually high number of rare species of birds, mammals, invertebrates and plants.

Listed as Heritage at Risk, the area is suffering from:

  • environmental issues (climate change, habitat fragmentation and deterioration in water quality)
  • economic pressures (housing and energy development, reductions in funding and in land-based jobs)
  • social challenges (decrease in traditional skills, recreation pressure and loss of connection with the natural environment)

summary of key outcomes and achievements made by the project
 New Forest National Park Authority

What has changed since the start of the scheme?  

  • 21 projects have been rolled between October 2015 and March 2021, working to help nature, develop forest skills and inspire a new generation to conserve the national park.  
  • The connection between land, communities and local economy has been improved. Relationships with contractors, timber businesses and wood fuel suppliers have grown in strength, providing a profitable way for landowners to manage their woodlands. 
  • A feeling of achieving together has been fostered within the local community. Volunteers came together to improve 45 hectares of woodland across 11 sites.
  • Woodlands are ideal places for people to learn and increase their overall wellbeing. A variety of groups have benefited from access to private woodlands including Above and Beyond, a charity which trained ex-military personnel in basic chainsaw skills.
  • More than 21,000 wildlife sightings have been recorded in the New Forest, highlighting the huge success of habitat restoration efforts.

Find out more about the project.

 

Infographic above:

Our Past, Our Future: Working together for the New Forest.

A £4.4m scheme led by 11 partners working across 21 projects to restore lost habitats, develop forest skills and inspire a new generation to champion and care for the New Forest.

2015 to 2021

Heritage: 58 community projects

Habitats: 213 hectares restored

Wildplay: 3 sites set up

Groups and schools: 397 engaged

Commoning: 270,000 people learned about commoning

New Forest Knowledge website: 133,000 documents published

Volunteering: 2,000 volunteers; 77,000 hours

Training: 157 courses; 3230 people attended

Events: 789 held; 133,000 attended

Riverbank and hedgerows: 61km restored

Historic monuments: 108 restored