We are a community restoring the Dell at Tortworth Arboretum to create a woodland where people and trees thrive together.

Founded in 2015, hundreds of volunteers have worked tirelessly to restore the arboretum which had become overgrown, inaccessible and unsafe for the public to visit. We have been reducing brambles, rhododendrons and other invasive species, to allow native flora to thrive alongside our collection of exotic trees.

Alongside our woodland restoration work, we enable and empower people who wouldn’t usually access the countryside for wellbeing. Bec, our Founder, started the Hawthorn Project in 2015 with Jackie Roby, to support self-identifying women recovering from addiction or struggling with poor mental health. Our experienced session leaders create a safe space where women can be outdoors in nature. Together, they learn new skills and connect with others, without the fear of being judged. Alongside this, we run Woodland Management Volunteer Days and the Woodland Wellbeing Project, which are open to all genders.

Our supportive groups offer opportunities to contribute, but without pressure, with people enjoying shared experiences and new interactions. There is a calmness inherent in the place and its historic and unique tree collection, which offers time and space for people to form connections with nature and with other people. We strive to remove barriers to participation to enable as many people as possible to enjoy the place and all it offers.