Why I Volunteer for Sherwood Forest
Samuel Bruning, 19, University of Nottingham student
Green spaces are the beating heart of the UK. Great for exercise, enjoying nature, or simply getting out of our home office, this country has a wealth of natural spaces on offer, for everyone. All offer a key mental break, and all are vital to us and our planet’s intertwined futures.
Nottinghamshire is a prime example of this, with many fantastic examples of green, leafy, open spaces throughout Sherwood Forest. Having been home to characters ranging from Robin Hood to the poet Byron, Sherwood Forest’s rich tapestry of history is blended with natural beauty, combining in a wonderful landscape, and experience.
Yet ravaged by humanity’s effect, the Forest, and it’s features, are endangered. 90% of its heathland has been lost, along with much former woodland. Sherwood is running out of time. And if we lose Sherwood, we lose more than a forest.
Given the climate crisis, preservation is crucial. But Sherwood’s depreciation is seriously concerning. Not only do we need awareness, we need positive action, and we need it now.
That’s why I’m volunteering for the Sherwood Forest Trust. Because when we talk about ‘England’s green and pleasant land’, that should be a realistic future, not simply an idealistic song. With all of us glued to our phones and drowned in the business of our work, nature can make us stop and breath. And when communities are being torn apart by modern division, I believe the natural environment, cultural heritage and modern neighbourhoods of Sherwood Forest need our support.
And although the current Pandemic makes working with school children and engaging with tree planting a logistical challenge, we can still support Sherwood Forest in other ways. We can tell of the Forest’s importance, share our fondness for it with others, so that wherever the future takes us, Sherwood is there with us.
We can pump new blood is pumped into Sherwood Forest, giving new life to England’s ‘heart of oak.’
Go on, what are you waiting for? Get volunteering!
