The National Forest Company (NFC) is setting up a pub drop-in session just outside Ashby to share information on available grants, and to talk directly with farmers and landowners about how the NFC can help with aspirations for their land.

Members of the National Forest team will be at The Milking Parlour, Staunton Lane, Calke, between 4pm and 8pm on Tuesday, October 4.       

The NFC has funding for tree planting to create woodland and parkland, for planting and restoring hedges, creating ponds and maintaining wet grasslands, installing water troughs, creating orchards, woodland management, advice on developing sustainable tourism accommodation, and much more.

Rob Cleaver, forest creation manager for the NFC, said: "Creating the National Forest is only possible because of our landowners.

"The aim is for a third of the land in the Forest to be forest cover, which will deliver benefits for biodiversity, carbon storage, timber production, farm and business diversification, tourism and employment.

"Landowners in the Forest can help us deliver these benefits and be part of a positive change in the face of biodiversity loss and the climate crisis.

 "We're setting up these pub drop-in sessions so we can have an informal chat and hear people's aspirations for their land. We can discuss with them how we can help them make that happen, and how they can get the best out of their land.

"In addition to tree planting and many related improvements, we can support fencing, paths, signage, benches, educational visits under our nationally inspiring outdoor learning programme, and forest art installations."

 Since 1995, the NFC has led the creation of the National Forest across 200 square miles of the Midlands, spanning parts of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Working in partnership with farmers, landowners, businesses and local authorities, over nine million trees have been planted, taking forest cover from five per cent to 22 per cent.

At a time when it seems there is only bad news about the crisis in biodiversity, over the last 30 years species abundance in the National Forest has increased across bird, bat, small mammals and butterfly populations, compared to national declines.

In the last five years, woodland birds have decreased by seven per cent nationally but increased by 48 per cent in the National Forest.

Butterflies have decreased nationally in the last decade by 16 per cent but increased in the National Forest by nearly 15 per cent.

 It shows that it is possible to make a difference.

Rob added: "With landowners we've created paths that provide public access to safe green spaces, for people to relax and enjoy the physical and mental benefits of connecting with nature."

The other sessions are:

•  Thursday 6 October: The Bradgate, 37 Main Street, Newton Linford, LE6 0AE

• Monday 10 October:    Horse Shoe Inn, Tatenhill, DE13 9SD

• Thursday 13 October:    The Black Horse, 17 Burton Road, Coton in the Elms, DE12 8HJ

 Anyone with land in the National Forest and an interest in tree planting, habitat creation for wildlife, or simply to see what might be possible, is very welcome to call by.