THE NEW chief executive of The Heart of England Forest is ready to spearhead the charity in the fight against climate change.
The woodland creation and conservation charity has already planted over 2million trees across more than 7,000 acres of land across south Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
The forest is a mosaic of habitats which includes 4,685 acres of new woodland and 600 acres of ancient woodland for the benefit of the environment, wildlife, and communities.
Andy Parsons’ career in the environment sector has included chief executive roles with South West Lakes Trust in Devon and Cornwall and the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty organisation.
He told The Observer: “I’ve joined a charity that is one of the foremost creators of woodland in the country and we have a massive role to play in helping to mitigate against, and adapting to, climate change, whether that is to help and maintain flood management, keep soils healthy, or provide areas of shade for wildlife.
“All the local authorities within the Heart of England Forest have declared climate emergencies which is not an easy thing to do but is not as hard as actually addressing that climate emergency, and we can support their responses which is a really important role for us.”
Andy aims to build on HEF’s work planting, maintaining and conserving woodland habitats, as well as running volunteer and education programmes.
He plans to hold drop-in sessions throughout 2025 to strengthen HEF’s relationships and raise awareness of their work.
Andy added: “We’re a significant and responsible landowner, and it’s important to us to be a good neighbour and strengthen those relationships.
“I want to meet the parish councils and community groups who live and work within the forest’s boundaries and find out what we have been doing well, what we could do better, and talk about our plans and their plans. We may have a role to play in how they are helping to mitigate climate change.
“While we talk a lot about what we are doing, we want to explain why we are doing it. We are facing the defining challenges of our generation – a climate emergency, the loss of biodiversity, and connecting everyone, from all walks of life, with nature and its benefits. This is why we are here – to be part of the solution.
“The permanency of the work that we are involved in growing a huge forest with an array of habitats including new tree planting, mature and ancient woodland, grassland, heathland, farmland, and wetland, to enable animals, plants, and people to thrive, makes our charity and our work vital. We are excited about what we are already achieving and the future possibilities to create a greener future for our communities and beyond.”
Further information about the locations, dates and times of the drop-in sessions will be posted on Heart of England Forest’s website at www.heartofenglandforest.org
