The National Forest Local Origin Seed Project

The National Forest Company and Charnwood Borough Council established the Local Origin Seed Project in April 2002, as a pioneering initiative designed to meet the growing demand for local origin trees and shrubs. Funded by the National Forest Company, Charnwood Borough Council, The Forestry Commission, English Nature, The Environment Agency and Staffordshire County Council, the project has four main aims:

to facilitate collection of large quantities of National Forest seed from local origin sites researched by the Project.
to promote the growing on of National Forest seed as local origin stock by commercial nurseries, so that sufficient is available for local planting schemes.
to promote and encourage the use of local origin stock in National Forest Tender Schemes and planting projects in the National Forest , Charnwood district and adjoining areas
to ensure the registration of identified sources of local origin seed under the Forestry Commission's 2002 FRM Regulations.

Seed collections were carried out in the National Forest in the autumn of 2002, 2003 and 2004. The first stock grown-on from seed, sourced through the Local Origin Seed Project, became available in winter 2003/04.

The project is also working in partnership with British Flora to establish a source of local provenance wildflowers, seeds and plants, particularly native Bluebells, for use in approved planting projects within, and in close proximity to, the National Forest.