NHS Forest conference 2023: Trees and woodlands on the NHS estate
- Date: Wednesday 18 October 2023
- Time: 9:30 – 16:00
- Location: Zoom
- Cost: Free
Our online NHS Forest conference explores the potential of trees and woodlands on the NHS green estate. In their Green Plans, many NHS trusts identify tree planting as an action, alongside improving the quality of, and access to, those spaces for the health and wellbeing of patients, staff and the wider community.
This event has three themed sessions, each containing several presentations followed by a Q&A, with questions submitted via the audience. There is the option to attend as many sessions as you like, depending on your interests.
Session 1 (09:30-11:00): Trees and woodlands on the NHS estate – a healthcare asset?
We explore the role of trees in urban areas and the contributions that trees make to dispersing air pollution and climate cooling. We consider how we can quantify the value of trees and woodlands on the NHS estate and ask how our knowledge of the extent of tree cover enables us to acknowledge the contribution the NHS green estate plays in the health of the community it serves.
Speakers include:
- Dr James Levine, Senior Research Fellow, Birmingham Uni
- Dr David Armson, The Mersey Forest
- Forest Research
- American Forests, creators of the Tree Equity Index
Session 2 (11:30-13:00): Planning for tree planting and woodland creation on the NHS estate
We take a look at the external landscape and consider the NHS green estate in the context of green infrastructure.
We ask what Biodiversity Net Gain is and what it means for the NHS, and explore how tree planting and woodland creation have been facilitated on the NHS estate.
Chair: Ian Stenton, Sustainability Programme Manager, NHS England. Speakers include:
- Amanda Newsome, Forestry Commission
- James Smith, Forestry Commission
- Dr Miriam Dobson, CSH
- Carly Harper, Trees for Cities
Session 3 (14:00-16:00): Using the NHS green estate for health and wellbeing
We turn to accessibility and the use of the green estate for health and wellbeing.
We consider how to design spaces in an inclusive way; learn from experiences outside the health sector; and hear from those working on hospital sites about how they have ensured their trees and woodlands can be utilised as a healthcare asset.
Chair: Helen Townsend, Forestry Commission. Speakers include:
- Deborah Anderson, Dementia Adventure
- Ben Whittaker, CSH’s Green Walking initiative
- Carole Longden, Forest of Hearts
- Nick White, CSH’s Liverpool Nature Recovery Ranger
- William Styles, CSH’s London Nature Recovery Ranger
This project is funded by the Trees Call to Action Fund. The fund was developed by Defra in partnership with the Forestry Commission and is being delivered by the Heritage Fund.