Posted on: May 21, 2012
Forest of Avon Trust patron, Alice Roberts, joined the University of Birmingham as Professor of Public Engagement in Science in February. Alice is also Director of Anatomy for the NHS Severn Deanery School of Surgery and has most recently been seen on television in Mammoth: Secrets from the Ice.
Alice grew up on the edge of the wooded Blaise Castle Estate and still remembers playing amongst the majestic beech trees with her brother. She is committed to the positive role that trees and woodlands play in peoples’ lives and has been a patron of the Trust since its start in 2009.
Trust Executive Director, Jon Clark, said: ‘It is fantastic that Alice can find the time to combine her extensive academic work and the demands of a busy television career, with continuing support for the Forest of Avon Trust. We are really grateful to her for this.’
To help support the Trust’s work for trees in and around Bristol, click here.
Posted on: May 15, 2012
Local cider orchard
For a limited period, if you set up a Standing Order to become a Friend of the Forest of Avon Trust you will receive a FREE top quality English apple tree in a pot, worth £35.
The Friends scheme directly supports the Trust’s work with local communities and entitles members to a free tree, a free Tree Dedication, tree planting/ maintenance and regular updates about our work.
To set up a Standing Order, please click here.
Your apple tree would be be available in the November- March planting season
Posted on: May 10, 2012
Ellen’s Wood is a large privately owned woodland, developing as a great haven for wildlife. The landowner allows access on foot along a network of paths, which offer varied walking options. For further details,view/ download the leaflet Ellen’s Wood Final pdf.
Ellen’s Wood was created as part of the Forest of Avon and joining the Trust as a Friend will allow us to continue our work with landowners, safeguarding existing access to woodlands and creating new ones.
Posted on: May 1, 2012
Orchard Planting Weston Super Mare
The Natural Connections project has been working with a group in Weston Super Mare, from the Healthy Living Centre, who are involving the local community to develop an allotment site. To encourage more local people to get involved and raise awareness of this excellent project the Forest of Avon Trust worked in partnership with Avon Wildlife Trust to engage local families in a day of planting and making bug homes to improve the allotment for both people and wildlife.
A dozen apple trees were planted around the plot with some companion planting of herbs and lavender to attract pollinators and benefit the trees. Despite the ground being a bit heavy going all the planting was completed on the day and a high level of interest was generated in the wider project with many of those involved committed to coming out again. Everyone stayed out for the whole session and a family, with two boys who had not been to the site before, were keen to start preparing ground on the rest of the site for future planting. The boys said ‘This is so much better than being indoors and being bored!’.
Posted on: March 26, 2012
On Wednesday 13th June the Forest of Avon Trust is co-ordinating Into the Woods – an outdoor event that will explore how activities in nature can provide health, social and educational benefits. This event is being run as part of its Natural Connections project and is being run through the Bristol, Bath & West Forest Education Network. The event will take place in Bristol’s Big Green Week and has been set up for health, social and education professionals who want to find out about activities in natural settings, such as Forest School, and how to develop future provision for groups and individuals they work with.
For those attending it will offer opportunities to:
- Explore the benefits of these experiences to those involved through presentations and discussions.
- Discover a range of activities through demonstrations and hand-on workshops.
- Network and meet experienced outdoor professionals.
Rowena Kenny – Wildways Project Officer for South Gloucestershire Council, Freelancer and Academic will set the scene in exploring – The Power of Nature for Health and Wellbeing. She will pull on her 20 years of experience to look at a range of examples that demonstrate the benefits that activities in nature can provide.
Presentations and hand-on workshops will include: exploring the experiences and benefits of woodland activities for adults with learning difficulties, engaging families and early years groups with SEN in nature, Forest School activities with disengaged young people, sensory exploration activities in woodland, dens and fires with groups and exploring nature in the woods.
Timings and costs for the day are 10am – 1.30pm (please note these are the new timings for the day and the flyer is now incorrect). The cost to attend is £25. The event will be based at Lawrence Weston Community Farm’s Woodland in Bristol.
For further information and booking contact jonattwood@forestofavontrust.org or call 01179633383. For more information please download and circulate this flyer.
Posted on: March 15, 2012
Enjoying a well earned break after a day of planting & mulching
The sound of the Suburb’s Church, Cadbury Heath has recently included skips being filled. Pastor Michael Williams and members of the Church have transformed a green area and on the 6th March, the Trust helped them apply the finishing touches.
Michael, Nathan Duggan and Liam Thomas (and Jon Clark!) planted 180 native shrubs and barrowed numerous loads of mulch to keep the weeds down. The Trust co-ordinated the planting, with funding coming from a grant from Oldland Parish Council and free mulch from South Glos Council.
It’s a great project and demonstrates the Trust’s role in delivering more trees, more action.
Forest of Avon Trust patron, Alice Roberts, joined the University of Birmingham as Professor of Public Engagement in Science in February. Alice is also Director of Anatomy for the NHS Severn Deanery School of Surgery and has most recently been seen on television in Mammoth: Secrets from the Ice.
