A sense of community is what makes The Mersey Forest so much more than a tree planting exercise. When communities take ownership of their environment and make it a healthier and more attractive place to live, it is more likely to be cared for and sustained in the long term.

Community Forests do not just change landscapes; they also change lives, by creating a better quality environment for local people to use and connect with. Building connections between the changing physical environment and local people is at the core of the community forestry approach.

The Mersey Forest Partnership is doing more than just consulting the community about their changing environment. Our work engages communities at the outset, from the planning and design of the Forest, through to implementation and long term site management. Only through the combined efforts of local schools, community groups, volunteers, users of the Forest and the Forest Partnership itself, will the public benefit of the Forest be fully realised.

The approach is to build a sense of community stewardship, by first mobilising local people to get involved, harnessing their energy, and then working to develop a sense of shared ownership. In short, Forests strengthen the connection between the built and natural environment and, in turn, strengthen the communities themselves.

To read or download The Mersey Forest's community group guide, click here (opens in new window). To find out how this work fits into The Mersey Forest's strategy, click here.

Here's a taster of what some of our supported community groups are up to...




And here are the blogs of some of the other community groups we support:

Community involvement at Brickfields
Friends of Mill Wood and Alder Wood
Friends of Woolton Woods
Friends of Owley Woods