The New Forest Awakening Festival – led by the New Forest National Park Authority with a range of partners – is now an annual Festival which runs throughout the whole month of March.
Through a series of events, talks, workshops and initiatives, people can discover why the New Forest is so special, its role in the climate and nature emergencies, what people are already doing to protect it, and how everyone can help.
The Festival is about increasing people’s understanding of the issues in the New Forest and how we can all help respond to the nature and climate crises.
Why March? The New Forest is beginning to awaken for spring: we’re awakening our awareness of nature and climate issues; and we’re awakening our action to help protect our precious landscape.
The New Forest National Park Authority made a declaration of intent to champion action with partners and communities towards the National Park being ‘net zero with nature’ by 2050. Net zero is achieved when any harmful greenhouse gas emissions are balanced by an equivalent amount being absorbed by the atmosphere and landscape.
The New Forest is a very special place. More than 50% of the area is of international importance for nature, and some sites have the highest possible conservation status.
The climate emergency is putting the fragile landscapes and habitats under threat, with hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters changing nature’s balance in the future.