Forest of the Future

The 400 hectares of pine woodlands on the Formby coast provides a magnificent backdrop to the coast dune habitats, and it is visited by hundreds of thousand people every year. Crucially, it is also one of the few remaining habitats for one of the UK's rarest mammels- the Red Squirrel. As with all natural resources, the long term survival of the woods depends on appropriate ongoing management. Nick Roche from the Mersey Forest team has been working with Andrew Brockbank to look at the management of the National Trust woodlands for the next 20 years.

Without careful management, we could loose much of the woodland that is so important for wildlife and landscape. But now, the many different organisations involved in woodland managemnet on Merseyside have come together to create a joint approach to managing and protecting our precious woodland heritage.

By Paul Nolan, Director, The Mersey Forest Team