New Forest hedge planting event brings community together to benefit local wildlife and nature
PUBLISHED ON: 7 MARCH 2025
Joint news release from the New Forest Agricultural Show Society, Hampshire Forest Partnership and the New Forest National Park Authority.
Thanks to the support of the local community, hundreds of metres of hedging have been planted in the New Forest National Park, creating lasting habitats for local wildlife.
More than 200 people – including 84 children – came to the special hedge planting event at New Park, Brockenhurst, on Saturday and Sunday (1 and 2 March), run by the New Forest Agricultural Show Society, the New Forest National Park Authority and the Hampshire Forest Partnership.
In a fantastic show of community spirit in the 20th anniversary year of the National Park, nearly 400 metres of native trees were planted to enhance the local landscape, leave a lasting legacy, and create essential habitats for different wildlife.
When fully grown, the trees will form a living boundary – as much a dense woodland corridor as a linear hedgerow – and will provide food and shelter for a variety of species including mice, birds, bees, butterflies, and bats.
Over the two days more than 2,000 young plants or ‘whips’ were successfully planted near the Long Meadow campsite at New Park – home to the New Forest and Hampshire County Show. Among the native species planted were hawthorn, elder, hazel, holly, blackthorn, dog rose and hornbeam.
Denis Dooley, Chief Executive of the New Forest Agricultural Show Society said: ‘It was wonderful to welcome so many people to such a great community event here at New Park. The sun shone beautifully, encouraging everyone young and old to get stuck in. We are hugely grateful to all who came to plant and to our partner organisations for making the weekend such a success.’
The tree planting, which took place on the National Park’s 20th anniversary weekend, was part of a wider Community Mini Forest project taking shape at the 230-acre New Park site. The project will include three mini forest areas using traditional and Miyawaki planting methods as well as a natural regeneration area. With Miyawaki, the trees grow up to 10 times faster and are planted close together so the ecosystem supports itself and becomes more resilient to disease, drought and climate change impacts.
The site will also include nature ponds, accessible pathways and eventually an outdoor classroom/meeting space. The planting weekend saw hedging added around the perimeter of the project.
The Community Mini Forest scheme has been made possible thanks to funding from the King’s Coronation Living Heritage Fund, the Local Authorities Treescapes Fund, and Hampshire County Council’s Hampshire Forest Partnership, which aims to plant one million trees in Hampshire by 2050.
David Bence, chair of the New Forest National Park Authority said: ‘We’re thrilled with the turnout and the positive feedback from those who took part. It’s clear that there’s a strong sense of community here, and everyone’s enthusiasm for helping the New Forest is heartwarming. This hedge is a lasting gift to future generations and a wonderful example of what we can achieve when we work together.’
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Notes to editors:
About the New Forest Agricultural Show Society
The New Forest Agricultural Show Society is a registered charity, established in 1920, with a charitable remit to ‘promote and encourage the development of agriculture, forestry, equestrianism and horticulture’. We are lucky enough to be custodians of beautiful New Park, which we lease on a long-term basis from Forestry England.
Media contact:
- Megan Youel, Marketing and Communication Lead Email: megan@campinginthenewforest.com Tel: 01590 622400
About Hampshire County Council’s Hampshire Forest Partnership
The Hampshire Forest Partnership is coordinated by Hampshire County Council with the aim of bringing communities and organisations together to plant one million trees by 2050. This is delivering a leafy legacy that provides improvements to our environment now and in the future. Find out more and how to get involved: Hampshire Forest Partnership | Hampshire County Council (hants.gov.uk)
Media contact:
- Hilary Merrett, Communications Team Leader. Email: communications@hants.gov.uk Tel: 03707 794025.
About the New Forest National Park Authority
Protect – Enjoy – Prosper
The New Forest National Park Authority’s statutory purposes are to:
- Conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the Park – Protect.
- Promote opportunities for understanding and enjoyment of its special qualities – Enjoy.
We also have a duty to:
- Seek to foster the social and economic well-being of local communities within the Park – Prosper.
The New Forest National Park was designated in March 2005. Its unique landscape has been shaped over the centuries by grazing ponies, cattle and pigs which roam free. Majestic woodlands, rare heathland and a spectacular coastline provide fabulous opportunities for quiet recreation, enjoyment and discovery.
