Virtual tour transcript

Hi there. The first thing to know on our tour is that The Mersey Forest is no ordinary forest.

For a start, it's not just a single site, far away from where people live.

[illustration of town with woodland in the distance]

Instead, it's right on people's doorsteps: with lots of different woodlands to explore, plus street trees and other greenery too.

[Illustration of woodland and street trees interwoven with two neighbourhoods]

Think of it as a patchwork that's spread all across Merseyside and Cheshire. Let's check it out...

[map of The Mersey Forest area - which covers the local authorities Sefton, Liverpool, Knowsley, St.Helens, Halton, Warrington and part of Cheshire West and Chester, including Northwich and Ellesmere Port, but excluding Chester itself]

The Forest area starts up here in Sefton, including visitor hotspots like Formby's pinewoods.

It continues through Merseyside, Warrington and Halton, from street trees brightening Knowsley neighbourhoods, to brand new community woodlands like this one launched at Mab Lane, as well as whole Forest Parks being created.

In Warrington, The Mersey Forest includes revamped green spaces like Euclid Park, and in Halton outdoor classrooms help kids to reconnect with nature.

Last but not least, The Mersey Forest extends into North Cheshire, helping volunteers to care for sites like Northwich's Marbury Country Park, so there's no shortage of places to explore!

Overall this means since 1991 we've turned this... [map of existing tree cover in The Mersey Forest area in 1991]

Into this... [map with present levels of tree cover]

And with your help we can turn it into this! [map of target tree cover in 2020]

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