England's Community Forests

Thousands of FREE trees are being planted across Derbyshire now our second planting season to grow #DerbyshireHeartwood Community Forest is underway. 🌳80,000 trees 🌳on 47 sites 🌳covering 60 hectares Want to know how you can get involved? Visit 👉 ow.ly/19a750YsWIY

It's Wildlife Wednesday! Take a look at this fabulous find by our conservation volunteers whilst working at Tylers Common recently, known as a Dock Leatherbug, Coreus marginatus. It feeds and breeds on dock but also will feed on other plants. #thameschase #WildlifeWednesday @CommForests

One week on and we're still feeling energised after holding our first Parliamentary Reception at the House of Commons Terrace Pavilion 💚 Find out more about the event here: englandscommunityforests.org.uk/englands-commu… #EnglandsCommunityForests #Trees #woodlands

Tree planting season is well and truly underway, with crisp but fun planting sessions near Abridge recently. Thanks to Trees for Climate funding, over 350 trees will be planted once this project finishes, improving available habitat for wildlife and the aesthetic appeal of the area for people. Nine different species made up the planting plan, giving a good variety of food sources and shelter for animals in the future. A big thank you to our volunteers for planting with us, as well as the members from Abridge Golf Course who came out in force to support and take part. #thameschase #TreesforClimate #Defra @CommForests

🌳Its National Tree Week! 🍁Check out this leaf pile in our Community Tree Nursery! 🍂At this time of year, it's important to leave space for nature and remember that a little bit of mess can make a big difference for our wildlife. Leaving leaf piles over winter, and log piles if you have space, can be a great home for hedgehogs and other garden friends! #thameschase #NationalTreeWeek @TheTreeCouncil @CommForests

🌳It’s National Tree Week! During this week we will be sharing some fascinating facts on our favourite trees from around the Thames Chase Community Forest. First up is the Guelder Rose. #thameschase #NationalTreeWeek @TheTreeCouncil @CommForests

Bringing a splash of blue and purple into our late summer landscape, Blackthorn and the sloes they produce are excellent fruiting trees. The bitter taste when eaten raw may not be a favourite for people, but birds and small mammals find them irresistible! #thameschase @CommForests @Thames_beat

🌻With the morning sunlight coming gently through the flower petals, it is easy to see how the humble sunflower got its name! We plan on collecting some of our sunflower seeds for planting next year, being sure to leave at least half the heads for birds and other wildlife to enjoy as an excellent source of food! #thameschase @CommForests

🥕 They took longer to germinate than we thought, but our carrots have finally started sprouting in our Community Tree Nursery. As well as trees, we also grow a few types of fruit and vegetable each year, to help us with our educational sessions with young people. Plus, we get some tasty produce for our volunteers to take home in the autumn! #thameschase @CommForests

👀 Check out this Red Clover, spotted in the Thames Chase Community Forest Tree Nursery! 🍃A familiar sight along our roadways and in our meadows, Red Clover is a nectar-rich plant which brings great benefit to many of our favourite pollinators. Insects like red-tailed bumblebees can often be seen visiting its flowers, from May through to October. #thameschase @CommForests

🐝 Did you know that it is Bees' Needs Week? The aim of the week is to raise awareness of the importance of bees and other pollinators, and to highlight the ways in which everyone can help them thrive! Find out more here: gov.uk/government/pub… #thameschase @CommForests

🌳 What role do social and cultural values play when it comes to farmers increasing tree cover on their land? 📽️ Two farmers, from Lincolnshire and Cornwall, talked to us about their values and how they influence their decisions about trees. Supported by Defra, we spoke to eight farmers and their families in total. This insight will help inform those advising farmers on the benefits of increasing tree planting on farms. 🔗 Read some of the case studies 'Further paths to embracing trees on farms': forestresearch.gov.uk/publications/f… #TreePlanting #CulturalValues #ForestResearch

🌿 Check in with Thames Chase Programmes Manager, Becky Gibson at Benyon Primary School, South Ockendon. 💡 Interested in planting trees at your school or community space? Whatever your idea, your Community Forest team will listen, provide advice where you need it and support you through the whole process of planning, funding and delivering your scheme. 🌳 For more information email: enquiries@thameschase.org.uk #thameschase #Defra #TreesforClimate @CommForests

🎉This year Thames Chase is celebrating 49 hectares of new woodland being planted across the Thames Chase Community Forest an area that covers 98 square miles including Havering, Basildon, Brentwood, Barking & Dagenham and Redbridge. During this planting season, Year 5 of the Trees for Climate scheme our dedicated team has delivered: ⭐️44 projects 🌳164,911 trees planted 🐦‍⬛48.9 hectares of new woodland planted 🍃25,736m of new hedgerow created 👫354 people engaged with planting Thames Chase Community Forest can support a range of woodland creation schemes. Tree and hedgerow planting in the Thames Chase Community Forest has been made possible thanks to the Trees for Climate Fund, supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Interested in finding out more? Get in touch: enquiries@thameschase.org.uk #thameschase #treesforclimate #Defra @CommForests

John Meehan, who was the Thames Chase Director from 1996 to 2006 has returned to Thames Chase as the Chair of the Thames Chase Trust. He has recently retired from Essex County Council where he was the Head of Climate Adaptation and Mitigation. During John’s time as Director the team fund-raised to create the Thames Chase Forest Centre, built the Ford Education Room and worked in partnership with Forestry England to acquire 10 sites across the Community Forest. He also worked closely with the Woodland Trust who acquired another 2 sites in Thames Chase. During this time approximately 1 million trees were planted in the Forest. Since he has been away, he set up the Groundwork South Essex Trust and managed the Floods and Nature Teams at Essex County Council. He also set up the Essex Forest Initiative which during 5 years has planted another million trees with partners across Essex. John said “I am absolutely delighted to be back at Thames Chase. It is a project close to my heart. In the nineties many people thought it would not last but here we are 35 years on from its start and it is going stronger than ever! Thames Chase has doubled in size, with the Community Forest now covering an area of 98 square miles, including the urban areas and an eastward extension to parts of Basildon. Last year Thames Chase planted 49 hectares or 121 acres of wooded land, and they plan to plant even more this coming winter. Finally, the Thames Chase Forest Centre in Pike Lane, Upminster continues to attract huge numbers of people who come to learn the inspiring story of how Thames Chase and partners continue to transform this part of Essex and East London". As Chair of the Trust John will work alongside the board of Thames Chase Trustees helping to continue to develop and strengthen the organisation, share our vision and support enrichment, preservation, and stewardship of the Thames Chase Community Forest. If you would like to find out more about becoming a Trustee please get in touch: enquiries@thameschase.org.uk #thameschase @CommForests

🎉This year Thames Chase is celebrating 49 hectares of new woodland being planted across the Thames Chase Community Forest an area that covers 98 square miles including Havering, Basildon, Brentwood, Barking & Dagenham and Redbridge. During this planting season, Year 5 of the Trees for Climate scheme our dedicated team has delivered: ⭐️44 projects 🌿48.9 hectares of new woodland planted (Equal to 76.4 football pitches!) 🌳164,911 trees planted 🐦25,736m of new hedgerow created (The length of 2318 red London buses!) 👫354 people engaged with planting 🍁Thames Chase Community Forest is part of England’s Community Forests, a diverse and growing network of 15 forests each working in partnership with their local communities, landowners, and businesses to help nature recover and regenerate the landscapes in and around our largest towns and cities. The network has planted over 8 million trees across the country since the Trees for Climate programme began five years ago – that’s 35% of all government-funded tree planting since 2020. 💡Thames Chase Community Forest can support a range of woodland creation schemes, whether it be large scale planting, or a low density or mixed habitat scheme, hedgerows, orchards or woodland pasture. Whatever your idea, your Community Forest team will listen, provide advice where you need it, and support you through the whole process. Tree and hedgerow planting in the Thames Chase Community Forest has been made possible thanks to the Trees for Climate Fund, supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Interested in finding out more? Get in touch: enquiries@thameschase.org.uk #thameschase @CommForests #TreesforClimate #Defra

Our network of Community Forests is currently feeling extra proud of just how much woodland we created together over the last tree planting season 💚 Find out more about a record breaking year for our Trees for Climate programme: englandscommunityforests.org.uk/englands-commu…

🌳We have released the latest official provisional statistics on: 🔸UK woodland area 🔸Certified woodland area 🔸Areas of new planting and publicly funded restocking 🔸Projects registered under the Woodland Carbon Code Read more: ow.ly/a77q50WgznG

We planted over 3.1 million trees in the 2024/25 planting season! 🌲🎉 That's over 35% of all government-funded tree planting - a massive result for England's Community Forests and a record year for our network 💚 Find out more here: englandscommunityforests.org.uk/englands-commu…

🌿Check in with Thames Chase Programmes Manager, Becky Gibson at Harold Court Primary School, Romford Essex. The trees planted two winters ago are doing great and are well cared for by students and staff. 💡 Interested in planting trees at your school or community space? Whatever your idea, your Community Forest team will listen, provide advice where you need it and support you through the whole process of planning, funding and delivering your scheme. 🌳 Tree and hedgerow planting in the Thames Chase Community Forest has been made possible thanks to the Trees for Climate fund, supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) funding woodland creation in England. For more information email: enquiries@thameschase.org.uk #thameschase #Defra #TreesforClimate @CommForests