Job summary
Never has there been a more important time for trees and forests to help tackle the climate emergency and provide a much-needed sanctuary for people and wildlife. The Government has committed to establishing a Nature Recovery Network to improve, extend and connect wildlife-rich habitat, and introduced a range of incentives to recover nature for wildlife, climate and people.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are a new statutory system of spatial planning for nature introduced under the Environment Act 2021. They have been specifically designed to ensure environmental funding streams work together in a coherent way to deliver for wildlife and for wider environmental outcomes including climate mitigation, flood management and access.
The Forestry Commission has a critical part to play in delivering this landmark initiative. We are seeking highly motivated and highly collaborative individuals with skills and experience in nature conservation and sustainable forest management, and who are passionate about nature and nature-based solutions, to work as Nature Recovery Advisors within our Area teams.
Nature Recovery Advisors will support the roll out of Local Nature Strategies with between 7 and 11 LNRSs within their Area. If successful, you will work with Responsible Authorities, alongside staff from Natural England and the Environment Agency, to provide knowledge and advice, data and other evidence to ensure that the Strategies deliver
Government commitments for woodland, wildlife and other environmental benefits. You will champion the role of sustainable woodland management and creation, and work with colleagues to ensure statutory protections are maintained. You will build strong partnerships within your national and Area teams, within Defra, with the Responsible Authorities and with external stakeholders and delivery partnerships.
You will also support the establishment and delivery of landscape scale pilot projects delivering nature-based solutions under the UK Government’s Shared Outcomes Fund. You will provide advice, data and evidence to support effective delivery, champion the role of woodlands and work to connect projects with local ecosystem markets to ensure their long-term sustainability. You will ensure alignment with other work of the Commission in the Area and link them with the staff who can help them with their requirements in relation to regulations and incentives. As Local Nature Recovery Strategies develop, you will have the opportunity to work with those same partners and initiate wider action for nature recovery.
You will work alongside colleagues in the Area team to deliver this in a flexible and collaborative manner. As a Nature Recovery Advisor for the Forestry Commission, you will be an excellent ambassador for woodlands and forestry as a critical part of supporting and expanding a sustainable, wildlife-rich Nature Recovery Network and embedding nature recovery within forestry activities.
There has never been a more inspiring time to be involved in forestry. The government’s commitment to, and society’s interest in, increasing England’s tree cover and improving woodlands for wildlife has never been greater. The Forestry Commission, including its agencies Forest Research and Forestry England, and the forestry sector, have exciting and diverse roles to play in this. Nature Recovery Advisors will be pivotal to finding local solutions to combat biodiversity loss and climate change, to improving silvicultural practice, to encouraging sustainable domestic timber supply and to resolving other key environmental issues.
The role will be based in one of the Area Team or Partner offices (see Office access and opening times – Forestry Commission – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) with flexibility for some optional blended working (see details below). Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. We are advertising one role, however there may be scope to offer an additional role on the basis of funding.
