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Imagine a Midlands where woodlands are thriving, towns and cities are cooler and greener, wildlife can move freely across the landscape, and more people can feel the benefits of nature in their everyday lives. The Midlands Forest Network is a long-term plan to make that future real by growing and connecting woodlands, trees and hedgerows across the region.
The Midlands Forest Network is a collective effort to restore and expand woodlands at scale. The partnership aims to bring together local projects, partners, landowners and communities into one joined-up regional network. By expanding tree cover, restoring habitats and connecting existing landscapes, it will help nature recover, while making places healthier and more resilient, and creating opportunities for people and business.
The Midlands is full of potential but its resilience is at risk. Woodland cover is lower than the national average. Many neighbourhoods, especially in towns and cities, have very few trees. Wildlife habitats are fragmented, flood risks are rising and too many people don’t have easy access to green space. With so much emphasis on the north and south of England, the Midlands is the ‘missing middle’, alive with opportunity and ready for action.
The Midlands Forest Network is designed to deliver lasting benefits for nature, people, and the economy. By creating and connecting woodlands at scale across the region, it will restore habitats, strengthen ecosystems, and help landscapes adapt to climate change. More trees where people live and work will improve air quality, reduce heat, and support better physical and mental health, while investment in woodland creation and management will create green jobs, build skills, and support a thriving nature-based economy that works alongside farming, housing and infrastructure.
The Network focuses on connecting the dots. Instead of planting trees at random, an evidence-led approach has been used to identify:
Large existing woodland act as ‘hubs’, connected by new woodland corridors ‘spokes’ that allow wildlife to move and create access for people. Alongside this, urban tree planting focuses on neighbourhoods with the least canopy cover and the greatest need.
The Midlands Forest Network is built on collaboration. By working together, partners can align efforts around shared priorities, strengthen local projects and skills, unlock funding and investment at scale, and speak with a stronger voice for the Midlands. Whether you’re just starting to explore or ready to get involved, we’d love to hear from you.
Except where noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Licence.
Midlands Forest Network (2026) is led by the Woodland Trust and the National Forest Company, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and DEFRA.
