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Big transformations happen when people come together with new ideas, a shared purpose and the determination to make a difference. Across the National Forest, our partners are finding new ways to connect people with nature, create opportunities for businesses and communities, and build a landscape that can thrive for generations to come. Here’s a snapshot of that work in action this October.
02 Nov 2026
Listening to the sounds of hope
What if trees could make music? Through PHOTO-CANOPY 26, led by Burton and South Derbyshire College, sound artist and music producer Darren Crawforth is exploring the relationship between nature, creativity and technology.
With our support, Darren has been collaborating with trees and plants across the Forest, using a process called biosonification to translate biological signals and electrical impulses into sound. The project also invites students to respond with their own creative work, providing an exciting example of how the Forest can inspire new ideas and bring people closer to the natural world in unexpected ways.
An album is in development and there will be more updates to follow, but you can already hear the first glimpses of the project in the trailers for each musical track.
Bringing nature and health together
Nature has an important role to play in supporting people’s health and wellbeing. To help more people realise those benefits, we joined forces with Forestry England to jointly host a Nature and Health Network workshop at Moira Village Hall.
The event brought together 39 people from a wide range of backgrounds, including NHS staff and nature-based providers, to explore how they could work more closely together. Participants shared ideas, considered a collective vision and discussed the potential for a dedicated network.
Interest in taking this forward was overwhelmingly positive. By building stronger connections between health professionals and those delivering nature-based activities, the initiative aims to help more people benefit from the opportunities that green spaces can offer.
Helping tourism businesses lead the way
Tourism businesses are helping shape a Forest that works for nature, people and the local economy. This month brought encouraging news for our National Forest Transformative Tourism Champions, whose commitment to regenerative tourism is gaining recognition.
Fire & Stars Woodland Camping, Wigwam Holidays Charnwood Forest and Hastings Retreat have all been shortlisted in the Regenerative Tourism category of the 2026 Leicestershire Tourism Awards. Fire & Stars and Wigwam Holidays Charnwood Forest are also finalists in the Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park category. Woodland owner Ed Milner has been shortlisted for Best Experience for The Woodlands Arms at Markfield.
These businesses demonstrate how tourism can be about more than attracting visitors. By developing experiences rooted in the landscape, they are helping build a visitor economy that values the Forest and its future. Winners will be announced in December, with a number of category winners progressing to the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence in 2027.
Discovering the hidden world of Fungi
Autumn offers a wonderful opportunity to look more closely at the wildlife that makes the National Forest special. At Feanedock, 22 people joined our team and ecologist Beverley Rhodes for a fungi foray, exploring the woodland floor and discovering around 36 species of fungi.
Among the many interesting finds were shaggy inkcaps, a stinkhorn egg, and a jewel-like parrot waxcap. The enthusiasm of the group was infectious, with some participants visiting the site for the first time, including people who live locally.
Elsewhere, 20 walkers joined our team, together with a ranger from Forestry England for a five-mile walk through the Heart of the Forest, taking in Gresley Woods, Albert Village Lake, Feanedock and Boothorpe. The route included the site of the 10 millionth tree planted earlier this year.
Part of the YHA Festival of Walking, funded by Sport England, the walk attracted people from as far afield as Stamford, Peterborough, Cheshire, Coventry and Buxton. Many were first-time visitors who said they would return.
From discovering fungi beneath our feet to exploring woodland paths, these experiences show how access to nature can spark curiosity, encourage people to explore and build lasting connections with the Forest.
Growing the role of trees in a changing climate
Trees can do far more than transform a landscape. They can help farmers build resilience, support nature’s recovery, create new business opportunities and contribute to a stronger economy.
At St Peter’s Wood, a site owned by Mountpark, we brought together partners Mountpark, Nicholsons and Fisher German for an engagement event exploring how tree planting and woodland creation could be scaled up to meet the challenges ahead.
With more than 30 years of experience regenerating land, we are now building on that legacy through our new vision, Transformation through Forests. The ambition is to accelerate change within the Forest, enable the creation of new national forests and champion a wider Forest Network for England.
The discussions explored how trees can support businesses, farming and changing land use, alongside the potential for public and private finance to encourage more woodland creation.
St Peter’s Wood provided a practical setting for this work. Its mix of conifer and deciduous woodland, natural colonisation and different habitat areas is helping build knowledge through ecological and carbon monitoring. The site also provides a place to share learning, while contributing to the local community.
By bringing landowners, advisers, businesses and those who can help finance change together, the event helped explore how the next phase of woodland creation can move from ambition to delivery.
Looking ahead
October has shown how transformation takes shape in many different ways, from creative collaborations and stronger connections between nature and health to businesses developing more responsible tourism and partners exploring the future of tree planting.
Each initiative contributes to a bigger ambition. Together, they are helping the National Forest grow as a place where nature can recover, communities can thrive and businesses can find new opportunities.
If you’d like to help shape the future of the National Forest, as a community group, business partner, landowner or supporter, we’d love to hear from you.
