The Northern Forest

The region of Northern England stretching from Liverpool to Hull is home to 13 million people. Yet this beautiful part of the country has just 7.6% woodland cover – significantly less than the UK average of 13%.

We're working with the Community Forest Trust and four of the Community Forests in the North of England – The Mersey Forest, City of Trees (Greater Manchester), the White Rose Forest and Humber Forest – to create a new Northern Forest. This will increase woodland cover while bringing endless benefits and opportunities for people.

The Northern Forest is already in progress, but once complete it will:

• help tackle climate change and encourage nature-rich landscapes
• reduce the risk of flooding
• create thousands of new jobs
• cool and clean air in towns and cities
• improve health and wellbeing.

Read our 2018-2025 impact report to find out more about the transformational change being delivered by the Northern Forest.

Be a part of the Northern Forest

We can't create a new Northern Forest without you. This is your chance to help us grow the Northern Forest, make a difference and create something special for the people in and around Northern England.

Grow the Northern Forest

Are you interested in helping to grow the Northern Forest?

If you own or manage land in the area, we can fund up to 100% of the costs of woodland creation and establishment, thanks to the Trees for Climate grant from the UK Government's Nature for Climate Fund. We can provide funding and advice in a wide range of situations, including:

• planting in riparian zones, valley sides, open farmland and many other locations
• buffering or connecting ancient woodland and other existing woods, as well as advising on ancient woodland management
• using natural processes to create new woodland
• working with you to attract a range of funding to help your woodland project deliver multiple benefits.

Trees for Climate

Funding provided through the Trees for Climate programme is available across the whole of the Northern Forest. The programme is led by England’s Community Forests in partnership with the Woodland Trust, the National Trust and Community Forest Trust.

Trees for Climate offers:

• funding to cover up to 100% of the capital costs of support for specialist surveys, project design and woodland creation, including creating woodland through natural processes
• up to 15 years of establishment and maintenance works included
• funding for woodlands and a variety of wooded habitats including wood pasture, agroforestry and trees outside woods
• compatibility with Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments
• the option to register with the Woodland Carbon Code
• support for fences, gates, paths, benches and more, including other habitat work within your project boundary
• free advice and support from a local woodland adviser throughout the design, planning, regulatory and planting process.

For more information, please email treesforclimate@woodlandtrust.org.uk.

You can also apply for subsidised trees through our MOREwoods scheme.

Invest in the Northern Forest 

While we have generous funding from the government to allow us to proceed with the Northern Forest, a project of this scale requires continuous funding to ensure we meet our target of 50 million trees planted over the next 25 years. Why not invest in the Northern Forest and become one of our partners?

Email northernforest@woodlandtrust.org.uk to find out how.

Volunteer for the Northern Forest

With 50 million trees to plant, we need all hands on deck in order to create the Northern Forest. We're working with Community Forests on regular public tree planting events and we'd love you to be involved.

Find out how to volunteer with us.

Make a donation

If you can't commit to any of the above, why not make a donation? Every penny counts towards creating the Northern Forest.