Ed Leszczynski, Forest Projects Manager, sinks his teeth into the core of the apple orchards we find in and around the Heart of England Forest, in preparation for National Apple Day on 21st October.

For over 10 years, the South Warwickshire Barn Owl Survey group, headed up by John and Ros Matthews and Roger Juckes, have been surveying bird of prey nest boxes across the Heart of England Forest. Find out how the birds of prey are faring in the Forest this year in comparison to previous years.

It is the season of woolly hats and cosy nights at home; pumpkin-picking and spiced lattes; bonfires and harvest festivals; but there is more to this time of year than you may realise.

Our biodiversity team, with the help of volunteers, has been out surveying grasslands across the Forest this spring and summer. The knowledge gained from gathering this information is aiding the management of these wonderful green spaces to further improve them.

The results of our third BioBlitz are now in, with over 350 different species recorded across an area of the Forest in 24 hours, giving a valuable snapshot of the rich biodiversity in our woodlands.

A seed source trial was established in England in 2019 aiming to test some possible seed sources for tree breeding of the wild service tree in Great Britain. One of the trial sites is right here in the Heart of England Forest – see how they are faring in the Forest five years into the trial.