Midlands Forest Network

Developing the Midlands Forest Network

Top down flat aerial view of dark lush forest with green trees canopies in summer.

Mapping the Network

Tell us about your current and future pipeline projects to capture this growing network of woodlands habitats across the Midlands.

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Join the Midlands Forest Network Forum

Be part of this ambitious growing network. You will have the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from shared learning, mapping and opportunities.

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The Midlands Engine Partnership is committed to green growth, encouraging investment in economic sectors and natural assets that decarbonise our region and help to build a sustainable, resilient economy.

Now, more than ever, the Midlands needs a landscape rich in woods, trees and other habitats, where natural habitats are more connected, to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate, support economic growth and enhance wellbeing for communities. The UK is one of the least wooded countries in Europe with the Midlands one of the least wooded parts of the UK with woodland cover in the Midlands Engine area being just 7.4% compared to an England average of 10%.

The Midlands Engine Area

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natural capital value

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of England’s ancient woodland

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visitors annually to open greenspace

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woodland cover

Natural Rivers and Green Corridors Project 1 – Woodland Planting – free to use

What is the Midlands Forest Network?

The Midlands Forest Network (MFN) is a bold initiative that’s aspiring to bring about new opportunities and investment for the protection, restoration and creation of woods and trees in the Midlands. Led by a partnership between the Woodland Trust, National Forest Company and Midlands Engine, and supported by an initial investment of c £400,000 from Defra and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the MFN will create a web of connected habitats that thread through our landscapes and communities, linking existing woodlands and green initiatives, engaging people in the natural world and delivering social, environmental and economic benefits for the whole of the Midlands.

Shrewsbury_Shropshire_Parks_Park_1_Midlands_Engine-scaled

Over the next two years, the project will:

Establish a ‘Midlands Forest Network’ vision and delivery framework to engage stakeholders, coordinate effort and share practice.
Map where public and private investment in nature-based solutions, in particular woodland, can best deliver public goods and community benefit, supply chain resilience, green infrastructure, and flood risk reduction.
Work with our stakeholders to build a portfolio of woodland-based ‘investable propositions’ that deliver the vision and attract green finance.
Engage a wider and more diverse Midlands audience and connecting them with woods and trees.