New Forest Awakening Festival

Join us in tackling the nature and climate emergencies

The New Forest Awakening Festival – led by the New Forest National Park Authority with a range of partners – is now an annual Festival which runs throughout the whole month of March.

Through a series of online and in-person events, talks, workshops and initiatives, people can discover why the New Forest is so special, its role in the climate and nature emergencies, what people are already doing to protect it, and how everyone can help.

The Festival is about increasing people’s understanding of the issues in the New Forest and how we can all help respond to the nature and climate crises.

Why March? The New Forest is beginning to awaken for spring: we’re awakening our awareness of nature and climate issues; and we’re awakening our action to help protect our precious landscape.

During the 2023 festival, there were 82 events/initiatives. Messages about the climate and nature emergencies reached 1,300,000 people, while nearly 200,000 people engaged with the online posts or events.

The New Forest National Park Authority made a declaration of intent to champion action with partners and communities towards the National Park being ‘net zero with nature’ by 2050. Net zero is achieved when any harmful greenhouse gas emissions are balanced by an equivalent amount being absorbed by the atmosphere and landscape.

The New Forest is a very special place. More than 50% of the area is of international importance for nature, and some sites have the highest possible conservation status.

The climate emergency is putting the fragile landscapes and habitats under threat, with hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters changing nature’s balance in the future.

Many thanks to the following organisations who were part of the 2023 New Forest Awakening Festival:

New Forest District Council

Hampshire County Council

Forestry England

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

RSPB

New Forest Sounds

New Forest Heritage Centre

Local beekeepers

Downton Green Group

Greener Brockenhurst

Climate Eling

Friends of Bartley Park

ECO Sway

Ringwood Race Against Time

Greening Ringwood

Greening Burley

Fordingbridge Greener Living

Lymington Transition

SpudWORKS

PEDALL inclusive cycling

More Veg Seed Company

Lover Repair Café

Plastic Free Downton initiative

Community Energy South

New Forest Marque

Wild New Forest

Bournemouth Uni

Southampton Uni

Cameron’s Cottage

Bird Aware Solent

New Forest Cycle Tours

Woods Cyclery

New Forest Leisure Cycling

Cyclexperience New Forest

New Forest Mohair

Countryside Education Trust

Fort Climate Centre

Freshwater Habitats Trust

New Forest Fruit Company

New Park Farm

New Forest and Hampshire County Show