About us

Humber Forest isn’t a single ‘forest’ covering an area. It’s the combined greatness of all the trees, woodlands and hedgerows growing in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. What’s more, it’s a community forest – and it’s growing all the time.

Community forestry is all about supporting people to transform their local environment through tree planting programmes (we’re big fans of hedgerows, too).

We do this by providing access to funding and practical help, giving advice, and answering your questions – whilst also promoting the enormous benefits of trees for people, business, and wildlife.

There’s a big job to do in Hull, East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. National woodland cover across the UK is 13%, whereas within the Humber Forest region, it’s just 2.6%. But we see this as an opportunity – we’ve got so much to gain!

By working together to increase tree canopy cover across the Humber Forest, we can significantly reduce the impact of climate change on the area, and make our region a place where people, businesses and wildlife can flourish on every level.

What we do

In a nutshell, we help communities, farmers, landowners, and businesses to plant trees in the easiest and most effective way possible, at no cost.

With backing from local authorities, government organisations and charities, we provide free advice and guidance, access to funding and investment, and plenty of project support – aka people power! We stick around too (if you want), to help you manage your trees and hedgerows once they’re in the ground.

Plotting and planning

Planting trees might sound like a pretty straightforward thing to do, but it’s important that the right trees are planted in the right places so that they have best chance of survival and work in harmony with the existing area, which might include other important habitats such as grasslands and wetlands.

Likewise, many areas are protected because a certain species of wildlife lives there, or because of their cultural significance, so we complete background checks on your behalf to ensure the local environment and the historic value of the site will only be positively impacted by new trees. We also help you to get regulatory approval where needed.

Digging in!

We’re not only here to help you with the planning stage – we can also help you bring it all to life.

Working with our delivery partners, we can source all the trees, materials, and resources you might need (including volunteers and community groups, who are keen as mustard to get stuck in!) – free of charge.

And because we like getting our hands dirty too, we also work with landowners and communities directly.

Where we are

Humber Forest covers Hull, North Lincolnshire and the whole of the East Riding of Yorkshire, from Snaith to Stamford Bridge, Flamborough to Spurn, and everywhere in between.

There are 13 community forests in total and together they form the largest environmental regeneration initiative in England!

England’s community forests all focus on their local areas, but there’s lots of mutual support between them too because they’re all working towards a common goal: increasing tree cover across England.

Humber Forest sits alongside White Rose Forest, Manchester City of Trees, and Mersey Forest – and together, we form the mighty Northern Forest. Our collective aim is to plant 50 million trees before 2043, in and around the cities of Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Hull, in partnership with the Woodland Trust.

More than 6 million trees have already been planted in the Northern Forest since it was formed in 2018, so we’re making good headway. But there’s still plenty of work to do yet!

Partnerships

Collaboration is key to the success of a community forest. None of our work would be possible without the support of landowners, businesses, volunteers, and – behind the scenes – our partners.

Helping us…

We work closely with various charities and government bodies, such as Natural England, Defra, and the Woodland Trust, who support our ambitious goals and provide funding and resources to help us carry out our work. They also help us to broaden our offering by lending their technical and professional expertise wherever needed.

In addition, we rely on local businesses and communities for financial and practical support, such as the provision of materials and the rallying of volunteers for planning and planting events.

Helping you…

Meanwhile, we work with the Forestry Commission and the Woodland Trust (the latter as part of a wider initiative covering the entire Northern Forest, which takes in Manchester City of Trees, White Rose Forest, Mersey Forest, and Humber Forest) to provide grants for tree planting projects here in Hull and the East Riding.

We’re extremely grateful for the support we get from all these organisations, not only because they allow us to carry out our work – but because their shared belief in the importance of trees fuels us in our mission to increase tree canopy cover across Hull and the East Riding!

Funding

Trees benefit everyone in the area – individuals, businesses, and local wildlife – so we aim to provide funding, wherever possible, for tree planting projects undertaken within the boundaries of the Humber Forest.

We’re currently providing two grants that are open to all and cover projects such as:

Urban and parkland tree planting
Tree shelter belts, hedgerows and shrub belts
Arable field and pastoral woodland planting
Private and public woodlands

Both grants cover large and small projects and all agreed costs of tree planting, hedgerow creation, and maintenance for up to 5 years. They can also include support for tree protection, fences, gates and more.

Please note that being in receipt of advice or funding does not mean landowners are under any obligation to make their land accessible to the public.

Our two grant streams are Trees for Climate and Northern Forest funding. The funding you use for your project will depend on where you project is and what you would like included.

The Trees for Climate funding is from Defra, and open to all 13 community forests for planting in rural and urban areas.
The Northern Forest funding is an agreement between Defra and the Woodland Trust and open only to urban planting within the four community forests of the Northern Forest.

We’ll talk through the funding requirements with you and help you choose the best for your project. We also work alongside other partners who may be able to help if your project doesn’t fall within our remit.

Leah Cave

Humber Forest Partnership Manager

An unswerving advocate for the natural environment and a local through and through, Leah has lived in Hull and East Yorkshire all her life and been involved…

Read about Leah ›

Hayley Little

Project Officer

Hayley brings a little of the outside world to Humber Forest, having grown up in North Lincolnshire and having spent the last 9 years working in a…

Read about Hayley ›

Andrew Mason

Project Officer

Andy’s had mud on his boots for over 30 years now, having dedicated a large part of his career – and much of his personal life – to conservation projects…

Read about Andrew ›

Leah Cave

Humber Forest Partnership Manager

An unswerving advocate for the natural environment and a local through and through, Leah has lived in Hull and East Yorkshire all her life and been involved with conservation for 14 years (come rain or shine!), having started as a volunteer with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV).

Leah’s career has since seen her dedicate 12 years to community forestry. As well as taking on various roles within the Humber Forest, Leah’s also lent her passion for trees and woodland to the White Rose Forest, in partnership with the Community Forest Trust.

Leah’s favourite tree is the silver birch, also known as the ‘Lady of the Wood’ (Betula pendula) as it’s the first tree she learnt to identify. Considered a ‘pioneer’ tree due to it its ability to grow anywhere and the way it prepares the soil for further planting, the silver birch is also known as a symbol of renewal and purification, with birch brooms being used at New Years to drive out old spirits.

Hayley Little

Project Officer

Hayley brings a little of the outside world to Humber Forest, having grown up in North Lincolnshire and having spent the last 9 years working in a range of roles, from retail and admin assistant to outdoor activity instructor and policy officer.

She moved to the East Riding after graduating from Bishop Burton College with a degree in Wildlife and Conservation Management and has since joined Humber Forest. A self-confessed “fair weather conservationist”, Hayley thrives on project planning and working with the community to help make the plans come to full fruition.

Hayley’s favourite ‘tree’ is the Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) as it provides food and protection for wildlife all year round and heralds the arrival of warmer weather with its annual bright white blooms. Officially considered a shrub, this thorny plant tends to be found in hedgerows or on the edges of woodland and is said to have once been used by witches to make broomsticks.

Andrew Mason

Project Officer

Andy’s had mud on his boots for over 30 years now, having dedicated a large part of his career – and much of his personal life – to conservation projects. (We think he might have even worn wellies during his spell as a primary school teacher!).

Born and raised in East Yorkshire, Andy’s worked in ranger and warden roles the length and breadth of England, from Tophill Low Nature Reserve to Lea Valley Park in London, and more recently as a Heritage Officer at Spurn NNR for the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Needless to say, he brings a wealth of practical conservation knowledge to the Humber Forest.

Andy’s favourite tree is the English Oak, or Common/Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur), because it’s brilliant for diversity, supporting thousands of species from caterpillars to woodpeckers to bats. Often used a symbol for strength, the oak has links to royalty (ancient kings and Roman emperors wore crowns of oak leaves) and various gods of thunder, with it being prone to lightning strikes.

Contact us

Please select the option which best describes you and complete the contact form. One of our team members will be in touch shortly.

Landowner ›

If you would like more information or to talk through your project ideas, please fill out the form below:

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Nearest Postcode or 6-figure Grid Reference:

Size of land for planting (in hectares):

Brief description of project proposal and what you’d like to achieve:

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I am happy to give the personal details required for processing this form. I understand that they will be held as long as the Humber Forest team is working with the landowner. I understand that the data will be used to help match up landowners with the most appropriate funding package/provider to facilitate tree planting on their site. It will also be used to help with statutory reports to government bodies such as DEFRA. The data will be shared with third party organisations, including the Community Forest Trust and any partner organisations involved in that particular tree planting project. I understand that I can withdraw or update my details at any time. For more information about how we store your data and how you can request your right to withdraw consent to use your personal data later please contact Humber Forest

Volunteer ›

If you would like more information about volunteering opportunities related to Humber Forest, please fill out the form below:

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I am happy to give the personal details required for processing this form. I understand that they will be held as long as the Humber Forest team is working with me or my enquiry. Once my enquiry is closed or work delivered the Humber Forest team will remove my information from any database. I understand that the data will be used to enable the Humber Forest team to help with my enquiry. It will also be used to help with statutory reports to government bodies such as DEFRA if relevant and shared with third party organisations, including the Community Forest Trust and any partner organisations involved in the particular tree planting project, if relevant. I understand that I can withdraw or update my details at any time. For more information about how we store your data and how you can request your right to withdraw consent to use your personal data later please contact Humber Forest

Business ›

If you would like to find out more about how your business can help, please fill out the form below:

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General Advice/Queries ›

For general advice or queries, please fill out the form below with your message:

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