morefromtrees Keeping you up-to-date on the latest news from Knowsley on creating The Mersey Autumn 2011

2010/11 in figures

£5 of projects for Photo: McCoy Wynne every £1 invested The Mersey Forest continues to A welcome from Cllr Eddie provide great value for money, especially in the current economic Connor and Pat McCloskey climate. Local authorities gained £5 worth of green projects for every £1 This summer we celebrated the 20th they invested in The Mersey Forest in birthday of The Mersey Forest with a 10/11. woodland carnival (pictured above) at Risley Moss. The annual contribution of £18,155 per authority led to the delivery of £834,611 of projects right here on Over these two decades there have our doorsteps thanks to the way The been many changes to organisations and structures, but those Mersey Forest Team levers in extra we all face at present are possibly the most challenging. funds.

In the midst of all this change some great work continues as you Investment will see in the stories below, and the demand from communities Return is greater than ever - highlighting the need to continue working together to create The Mersey Forest. Highlights from Cllr Eddie Connor Pat McCloskey Knowsley Member for The Mersey Forest, Chair of The Mersey Forest Knowsley Council Partnership 3.7 hectares of woodland planting has been achieved within Knowsley. This is an area the size of 5 football pitches.

160 street have been Follow us on Twitter planted to enhance Knowsley’s neighbourhoods. Join our 320 followers on Twitter, an excellent way

to keep up to date with the latest Forest news. www.twitter.com/merseyforest 144 hectares of existing woodland has been brought into management to secure its future. Latest local stories Page 2

School playing field to be rescued

The Mersey Forest in partnership Sustainable drainage of ForeStClim, The Mersey Forest with BTCV is mounting an attempt Hedges and wet-loving trees works with partner organisations to rescue Halewood CE Primary’s are being planted to soak up in Germany, France, the playing field from flooding, using water, providing a low cost Netherlands and Luxembourg water-absorbing trees and swales solution that also delivers to develop strategies to to give kids back their play space pleasant landscaping, areas for help local communities adapt to and provide wildlife habitat at the learning and habitat for wildlife. projected climate change. same time. The approach being used is drawing on techniques used in The kind of sudden rainfall No place to play sustainable drainage systems, which is currently problematic At present, following wet weather or SuDS for short, which also at Halewood is expected to the playing field is unusable include creating shallow grass- occur more frequently in coming for long periods as it becomes lined ditches or swales which link decades due to climate change, easily waterlogged and takes a together, holding and channelling and so pilot projects such as this long time to dry out. The excess water, allowing it to soak into to make our green spaces more water also drains on to the the ground and away from areas resilient will be increasingly neighbouring housing estate where the children play. important. - meaning local residents have problems with boggy ground Climate change funding within their gardens. The Mersey Funding for the work has come Forest’s approach is planned to from ForeStClim, an EU-funded help both parties. climate change project. As part Latest local stories Page 3

“It was great to see the kids climbing trees and enjoying the magic of a campfire.”

Exploring The Mersey Forest

What is The Mersey Forest?

Sandfield Natural Play Centre in Whiston has beaten off the competition to be named the UK’s ‘Nursery of the Year’ following support from The Mersey Forest to turn its grounds into a haven for natural play.

The Mersey Forest secured £10,000 from Cory Environmental Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund to prepare Sandfield’s The Mersey Forest is a growing grounds for outdoor learning to re-connect children with nature. network of woodlands and green spaces spread across Cheshire Woodland transformed and Merseyside, which has been The funding enabled a 10-year management plan to be created for creating ‘woodlands on your the Centre’s woodland and a safety audit to be carried out, and doorstep’ since 1994. task days to be coordinated to clear litter and rhododendron with BTCV and staff from the Northwest Regional Development Agency. The woodland’s wildlife value was enhanced by planting extra The Forest is one of the leading species of trees, and a family cooking session was held to introduce environmental regeneration parents to the idea of ‘Forest School’ outdoor learning. initiatives in the North West. Through community and Adventurous streak partnership working, we have Now, Sandfield’s outdoor learning in the woodland are proving a planted more than 8 million trees huge hit. One parent said: “I tell my child he is going and a huge – equivalent to five new trees for smile breaks out across his face. This nursery is an ideal setting for his adventurous streak!” every person living within the Forest area. Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive of award organisers the National Day Nurseries Association, said: “During our visit it was We achieve all of this and more great to see children taking part in a range of outdoor activities such through our partnership of seven as making mud pies, climbing trees and enjoying the magic of a local authorities (Cheshire West camp fire.” and Chester, Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St.Helens & The Mersey Forest is now looking into the feasibility of a woodland improvement grant for Sandfield through the ’s Warrington), landowners, the English Woodland Grant Scheme. The Natural Play Centre is also Forestry Commission, Natural developing its natural play philosophy with outdoor expert, author England and businesses including and international trainer Jan White, and is a case study for Play United Utilities. England, with whom it is working on a project to improve play in primary schools. merseyforest.org.uk Latest local stories Page 4 Final piece of the jigsaw

up and managed to provide a realistic forest experience to capture children’s imagination, even in the heart of an urban area.

Volunteers and ex-offenders to help The clean-up and tree works within the woodland are planned to be undertaken with the help of volunteers and the involvement of groups from Merseyside Probation Service, helping ex-offenders to play a positive role in the community. This work will be funded partially through Forest Education Initiative Northwood residents can look The surrounding neighbourhood has funds through the Northwest Forest forward to the completion of a major also benefited from 160 new street Schools cluster group. revamp of their local green space trees through The Mersey Forest’s thanks to funding secured with Green Streets programme. Experienced Forest School Leader the help of The Mersey Forest and to lead sessions landowner Knowsley Council. Funding to complete project Once the woodland improvements Now the main Northwood site is set are completed, not-for-profit Progress so far to be completed over the next six company ‘The Forest School A previously unwelcoming and months thanks a further £185,000 Experience Ltd’, led by Forest School under-used public green space from the Setting the Scene for Leader and former headteacher, (pictured above), which is the size Growth programme. This funding Grahame Watts, will be inviting staff of 10 football pitches, has so far is matched by £50,000 from the Big from local schools to experience been improved with the first stage Lottery Fund ‘Community Spaces a free ‘taster day’ of Forest School of enhancements including a new Fund’ and a further £30,000 from activities on the site. Schools entrance, access path and fishing the Forestry Commission’s English will then be able to book Forest pegs around its natural water feature. Woodland Grant Scheme. School times for their children. The local community were consulted Schools should contact Grahame and engaged in improvement plans The funding green light will see the on 07725109563 or at grahame@ and have now fully embraced the rest of the site developed, including theforestschoolexperience.co.uk for renewed site, particularly the pond welcoming, yet secure, entrances, further information. area that is a hub for community all-access paths and installation of angling and pond dipping activity. signage, seating and bins. The site The Mersey Forest will also benefit from habitat works and Forest Schools Over £62,000 worth of funding including , woodland To make Forest Schools happen was invested in the site through management and further work on at Northwood, specialist advice the Forestry Commission’s Setting the pond and wetland habitats on and support has been provided the Scene for Growth programme the site. by The Mersey Forest Team, who (funded by the Northwest Regional in recent years have helped bring Development Agency), Marks & Designed with schools in mind outdoor lessons to more than 2,500 Spencer ‘Green Living Places’ fund The development of the site will be pupils across Merseyside and North and the Neighbourhood Renewal tailored to help local schools deliver Cheshire. At Northwood this support Fund ‘Environmental Blight Fund’. This outdoor lessons. ‘Forest School’ has included woodland management success has been the culmination of sessions have been shown to help advice, finding funding (though work between a range of partners children re-connect with nature, the Forest Education Initiative including The Mersey Forest, and also improve their self-esteem via Lancashire Wildlife Trust), and Knowsley MBC, 2020 Knowsley, and confidence. The site’s areas of developing a partnership agreement Groundwork Merseyside and the established woodland will be cleaned between practitioner and landowner. community. Latest local stories Page 5

Funding success for Knowsley’s Community Woodlands

Community woodlands across the borough are set to be improved for the benefit of people and wildlife, thanks to high levels of grant funding secured by grassroots groups working with Knowsley Council, The Mersey Forest and other partners.

Making local welcoming Four community woodlands - Halewood Park, Little (Stockbridge Village), Ten Acre Pits (Huyton) and a woodland creation months leading up to Christmas School), Parish/Town Councils site in Northwood (Kirkby) - have and beyond. (Knowsley Parish, Halewood each secured £50,000 from the Town) and Friends groups (Friends Big Lottery Fund ‘Community Match funding through The of Ten Acre Pits, Little Woods Spaces Fund’ towards a range of Mersey Forest of Stockbridge Association, improvements. These include new These grant successes have given Halewood Park Volunteers, entrances, path works, signage the green light for even more Court Farm Woods Association, and interpretation information, money to be secured. The Forestry Millbrook Park Millennium bins and benches as well as Commission’s English Woodland Green Trust), with the support habitat restoration works on the Grant Scheme has provided of Knowsley MBC Green Spaces woodlands, ponds, wetlands and match funding to all of these Team, The Mersey Forest and other habitats that exists within grants through the support of 2020 Knowsley, who have worked the woods. The Mersey Forest, which in some tirelessly together to make full use cases has provided an additional of the funding schemes currently A further four woodlands - Finch sum of over £30,000. This is the available to local green spaces. Woods and New Hutte Woods case for Little Wood (subject to (Halewood), Millbrook Park confirmation), which also secured Further grant applications have Millennium Green (Kirkby) and £15,000 from the Ibstock Cory been submitted and a wide The Sanctuary (Knowsley Village) Environmental Trust, giving it a diversity of funders approached - have successfully attracted running total of over £100,000 of to secure additional investment £10,000 each from the Big Lottery funding secured. in Knowsley’s woodlands. This is Fund ‘Awards for All’ scheme. likely to bring even more success, Court Farm Woods (Halewood) Whole community involved building upon the impact of additionally secured £15,000 These funding successes have the funding already secured. from the Cory Environmental been the result of the co- Together, this work will enable Trust in Britain. For all of these ordinated efforts of a wide range these valuable community sites, this funding has meant of organisations from across the woodlands to once again become significant restoration of the community. This includes local an integral part of their local woodland environment, but is community groups (Northwood community and a springboard to also intended to be a catalyst Community Allotments, Leather’s help people explore the nature on for community and volunteer Lane & Wood Road Residents their doorstep. engagement during the coming Association), schools (Highfield Latest Forest-wide stories Page 6

Photo: McCoy Wynne

“The Mersey Forest is looking fantastic after twenty years”

More than a thousand people Action-packed day Paul Nolan, Director of The Mersey celebrated two decades of The Activities throughout the day Forest, said: “A huge variety of Mersey Forest at a “carnival in the included storytelling woodland people are involved in creating The woods” this summer. walks, den building, puppet Mersey Forest, from schools who shows and willow weaving, have planted woodlands in their 8 million trees planted in 20yrs with the soundtrack to the grounds, to community volunteers The event at Risley Moss Local carnival provided by innovative helping look after their local Nature Reserve in Warrington musicians Urban Strawberry woods, to a wide range of partner was held to thank all those Lunch who perform using recycled organisations. The woodland who’ve been involved in planting instruments made from junk. carnival was about thanking them more than 8 million trees across all, as well as looking ahead to Merseyside and North Cheshire “Looking fantastic” the next 20 years of continuing to over the past twenty years. Pam Warhurst said: “The Mersey improve the local environment.” Forest is looking fantastic after The carnival was opened by Chair 20 years and it’s all down to the The carnival was part of of the Forestry Commission Pam contributions that thousands of Warrington Borough Council’s Warhurst, Warrington North MP people have made.” annual Green Safari event, run with Helen Jones, and Chair of Risley Risley Moss Action Group. Moss Action Group, Andy Pearson. Latest Forest-wide stories Page 7

Photo: McCoy Wynne

£250,000 for local tree planting

Merseyside and North Cheshire trees, woodlands and mini- improve our neighbourhoods is set to benefit from tens of orchards. for the benefit of all. It will be thousands of new trees thanks to fantastic to see the impact of more than a quarter of a million The Big Tree Plant brings the many tree planting projects pounds worth of funding offered together national tree-planting that this funding will support to The Mersey Forest. organisations and local groups across Merseyside and North working with Defra and the Cheshire.” The Big Tree Plant Forestry Commission. The The national Big Tree Plant campaign is supported by grant The Mersey Forest funding campaign has set aside £255,000 funding of £4 million over the was applied for through over the next four years to next four years to get more Community Northwest, support tree planting and people in local communities the charity that supports The get people involved in their planting and caring for trees. Mersey Forest, Pennine Edge environment across the local area. Forest and Red Rose Forest Starting this autumn, The Mersey Improving neighbourhoods - the latter of which has also Forest will use the funds to help Pam Warhurst, Chair of the been offered an additional community groups, schools and Forestry Commission, said: £184,000 for tree planting in local residents to brighten their “The Big Tree Plant is all about Greater Manchester. neighbourhoods with new street bringing people together to Latest Forest-wide stories Page 8

Making the case for community woodlands

Last winter’s outcry over plans for public woodlands led to the announcement of a national review of England’s approach to woods and forests. As part of this, The Mersey Forest has been making the case for the importance of community woodlands for people, wildlife and economy.

Visit by Chair of Panel Chairing the Independent Panel on Forestry set up to advise the government is the Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones. In June,

The Mersey Forest and partners Photo: Tony Beyga took the Bishop to see a brand new community woodland in action and talk to local residents of view and took on board all the The paper argues that the current who have benefited from the comments and feedback. debate needs to focus on “how project. we can increase the amount of “We hope he took away a positive woodland, protect what we have One year on from being planted, impression and he could clearly and maximise its public benefits”. Mab Lane Community Woodland see the amount of hard work and It tackles the issue from three has been named as Merseyside’s effort that has gone into making angles: forestry for commerce, Neighbourhood Improvement the woodland a very valuable forestry for community, and Project of the year and been community resource.” forestry for climate. proclaimed “a brilliant idea” by local residents who say it has All at The Mersey Forest wish the A round-table discussion was also “really changed the area”. Bishop a speedy recovery from held with partners from across his recent ill-health, and we look the local area to feed into The “Valuable community resource” forward to working with him Mersey Forest’s formal response to As part of his visit to the again soon. the Independent Panel’s “call for woodland, the Bishop heard from views”. members of the local community Mersey Forest paper launched about the difference that the The Mersey Forest has also Read the paper at: woodland had made to the area, launched a paper entitled www.merseyforest.org.uk/files/ with local resident Tony Beyga “Seeing the wood for the trees - seeingthewoodforthetrees.pdf commenting: the Forestry Review and why it matters”, which draws upon the “Bishop Jones appeared very Forest’s twenty years’ experience impressed with the woodlands in . and listened to everyone’s point Latest Forest-wide stories Page 9

Sustainable creature comforts

As winter approaches, The Forest has mapped ‘off gas’ parts Mersey Forest is working to give of Cheshire and Warrington, and local businesses and residents made contact with businesses in a renewable choice for their these areas to provide advice on heating, using wood as a fuel. changing away from increasingly expensive alternative fuels such Online calculator as heating oil and coal. The Mersey Forest has launched an online calculator to help Helping landowners to grow businesses and consumers wood for fuel explore the financial and carbon Through its Woodland Advisory benefits of switching to a wood Service, The Mersey Forest is also fuel boiler to take advantage of now offering free support and the government’s Renewable training on growing wood for from their own row of trees in a Heat Incentive (RHI). fuel for eligible woodland owners young at Northwich’s and managers in Merseyside and Carey Park which is in need of The free tool at www. Halton. thinning. merseyforest.org.uk/rhicalculator is believed to be the first of its This will include advising on This is of broader interest since kind, and provides users with opportunities to benefit from thanks to the work of The Mersey estimates of how much they the new Woodfuel Woodland Forest Partnership over the past would earn from the RHI, how Improvement Grant launched by twenty years, there is now a whole quickly their boiler would pay for the Forestry Commission to fund cohort of young woodlands across itself, the expected difference in the thinning of woodland and the Merseyside and North Cheshire annual fuel bill and what return extraction of timber. By building that will soon be in a similar they could see after 20 years. both supply of and demand for position. Therefore eyes are on the woodfuel in Merseyside and pilot project to see the viability of It is hoped that the new tool Cheshire, The Mersey Forest is the ‘allotment’ approach at other will encourage organisations working to not only support the sites across The Mersey Forest and residents to emulate the local economy, but also show how area. recently opened Hope Academy sustainable renewable fuel can in Newton-Le-Willows, which be part of the solution to climate Funding has installed a boiler change and energy security. Funding for the RHI calculator and solar panels which together and Woodland Advisory Service provide 100% of its heating and allotment comes from the Mersey Rural hot water requirements. The Mersey Forest has also Leader programme, Defra and the teamed up with Northwich Northwest Regional Development Off the gas grid community group the Friends of Agency. The NWDA also co-funded The calculator is already Anderton and Marbury to launch the project to support ‘off gas’ highlighting the particular a pilot ‘wood fuel allotment’ that businesses alongside the Cheshire advantages of biomass for those may prove to be the way forward and Warrington Economic in off-grid areas whose properties for many of the area’s young Commission. aren’t connected to mains gas. woodlands. The test project will In anticipation of these findings, enable local stove and fire owners over the past year The Mersey to pay a small fee to harvest logs Photo: McCoy Wynne

Want to know more or get involved? Contact Paul Nolan, Director, The Mersey Forest 01925 816217 mail@merseyforest merseyforest.org.uk