The New Forest Biodiversity Forum aims to support and promote biodiversity survey, monitoring, and recording in the New Forest National Park, and to support landowners and land managers engaged in conservation management. This will be achieved through the following actions:

 

• Delivery of an annual New Forest Biodiversity Conference and monthly newsletter.

• Establishment of an online New Forest Biodiversity Hub to facilitate access to useful resources.

• Funding of projects that tackle key evidence gaps relating to biodiversity and conservation. 

 

The Forum is sponsored by Kairos Philanthropy Fund, who have committed core funding over the next three years (2024-26); this core funding is already being used to unlock additional co-funding and in-kind contributions from partners. The Forum is hosted by Wild New Forest CIC, a not-for-profit organisation, and is co-ordinated by a Chair and Steering Group. 

 

Chair

 

Prof Russell Wynn is Chair of the New Forest Biodiversity Forum. He has a marine science background, and in his 20-year science career at the National Oceanography Centre he published over 100 peer-reviewed science papers and took on a variety of senior management roles, including Associate Director for Government, International, and Public Engagement. He switched careers in 2020 to fully focus on wildlife and conservation, and for two years was Manager of the England Curlew Recovery Partnership, before establishing the New Forest Biodiversity Forum in autumn 2023. He is currently also the Director of Wild New Forest, a Trustee of Curlew Action, and an Honorary Professor at University of Southampton.

 

Steering Group

 

Ian Barker

Ecologist, New Forest National Park Authority

 

Clive Chatters

Author, Naturalist, and Nature Conservationist

 

Tracé Cooper-Williams

Senior Nature Recovery Manager, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT)

 

Nicky Court

Manager, Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre (HBIC)

 

Pete Durnell

Team Manager, Hampshire County Council Countryside Service (HCC)

 

Dr Tony Hockley

Director, Policy Analysis Centre, and former Chair of New Forest Commoners Defence Association

 

Julie Stubbs

Head of Land Use, Butterfly Conservation

 

Prof Adrian Newton

Director of Conservation Ecology, Bournemouth University

 

Leanne Sargeant

Senior Ecologist, Forestry England

 

Gemma Stride

Senior Project Manager, Freshwater Habitats Trust

 

Jenny Thomas

New Forest Nature Recovery Senior Adviser, Natural England

 

Nick Tomalin

New Forest Conservation Officer, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)

 

Marcus Ward

Scientific Committee, Hampshire Ornithological Society and Director, Wild New Forest Guided Tours