How are you accelerating action this year?

I support young women through our youth programmes, sharing the key skills, knowledge and passion needed to work within urban forestry. Working with young women brings attention to the urgency of creating accessible and inclusive opportunities to broaden career opportunities for young women.

Taking part in the Institute of Chartered Foresters Emerging Leader programme meant I was able to work alongside many other skilled and knowledgeable women from the forest industry. This experience has encouraged me to be confident in my own leadership skills and encouraged me to create more opportunities where young people can become decision makers.

How is Trees for Cities working to engage the younger generation with the forestry sector?

Our youth engagement projects invite young volunteers across the UK to learn about and connect with their local urban forests. With in-person tree planting, tree education workshops and research on youth and nature connection, we aim to inspire and upskill the next generation of tree advocates. 

Our Trees for Schools programme brings forestry to children, creating nature rich playgrounds and curriculum focused learning that enhances young people’s connection to nature. The team is passionate about widening young people’s understanding about the importance of trees in our cities and ensuring young people are taking part to help plant and protect it.

What’s the response to this type of work?

Let’s hear from the young people themselves – Quotes taken from youth programme cohort 2023/2024:

What are you finding is capturing their interest?

Young people are interested in all of it. They enjoy learning practical skills in how best to plant and protect trees. They are interested in getting outside in their cities and contributing to new woodland creation projects and increasing biodiversity.

They want to learn more about the trees and woodlands in their local communities, building their own connection to the natural world around them. The young people we work with are interested in the relationships between trees and people and culture and the impacts trees have on our health and wellbeing.

And what is great is that they are passionate about sharing their knowledge with other young people. Pupils in one Trees in Schools projects recently created their own assembly about overcoming climate anxiety and the benefits on being in greenspaces.

How does being a woman give you a unique perspective to bring to your work?

Trees for Cities has a higher proportion of women in the team, which means that working with women in the sector is normal for us. Encouraging more women in this sector brings better representation, building a diverse and inclusive workforce that brings a broader range of thought in decision making. The forestry industry is full of passionate people with a conscience, who want to make a difference by looking after trees to improve climate resilience and green communities. Bringing my own knowledge, skills and lived experience to my work enables me to connect with the people I work with. I believe that everyone in this sector is compassionate and adds value, regardless of their gender.

Some people believe we have equality in the UK – why might this be uninformed?

We all know the environment sector has work to do to be truly diverse and representative. The discussions around tree equity in neighbourhoods is a great way of addressing the disparities across the UK that affect both nature and people. Working on projects that increase the tree canopy cover and positively impact the health of people in cities is a step to achieve a more equal society.

Who inspires you the most?

The women that I work alongside inspire me, their passion for their job. I am inspired by the girls and young women in our schools projects and on our youth programmes for their enthusiasm for learning and desire for change.