Hi my name is James Forster - I started a 3-month placement in November 2025 to February 2026 here at Northumberland Wildlife Trust (NWT).

After being on a placement for just over 3 months now, I would like to tell you what I have gotten up to while working with NWT and just how my placement started:-

My placement started with Groundwork/Northern Futures - I began working with them and by applying to their program scheme they helped me secure this 3-month placement with NWT.

My main role here has been as a Community Engagement Assistant, helping NWT deliver their North East Community Forest (NECF) planting projects. I have also taken part in a few tasks with the Estates team and Nature Recovery team where I’ve visited new places such as Kielder Forest, Kielder Water and Hauxley Nature Reserve. I even went to Fontburn, somewhere I hadn't been in a long time and I didn’t even know NWT were involved with! All this has helped me gain new skills and experience, taking part in a whole variety of different jobs with NWT.

Pictured above:- Callum & James Forster (blog writer) on his North East Community Forest placement Nov-Feb (2025-2026)

In the time with NWT, I have been working with Callum Williams and he has taught me a lot over these 3 months while heading out with him and numerous volunteers tree planting, he has taught me a lot about nature as well as how to plant, tube and cane trees.

I participated in a fantastic tree planting project that run by the North East Community Forest (NECF). In this time, we planted on the Town Moors and held events where the public have also helped. The hedgerows contain 7 different species; dogwood, hawthorn, holly, hazel, blackthorn, wild privet, and dog rose. We also added in specific hedging trees - crab apples which will grow into full height trees in the coming years along with the hedgerows. In the 3 months I have been with the trust we've planted 10,000 hedgerow trees!

Across the winter of 2025 to 2026 I contributed many hours and dedication to getting as many trees planted as possible. The different places that we have planted were Hunters Moor, Grandstand Road, and Newcastle United Golf Course. We also planted around North Tyneside as part of the job maintaining many other sites. 

Even though my time at the Northumberland Wildlife Trust is coming to an end I have enjoyed every bit and learned more than I thought! I'm fortunate enough to have this opportunity and hopefully in future would be very interested to gain employment here at the NWT as it was such a great experience, a very welcoming environment and it helped me leave my shell and gained me more confidence.

I would like to thank all the volunteers and everyone that has helped with the events I worked on, as well also a big thank you to the NWT an Callum as they taught me all the new skills I gained here. 

Thank you Groundworks/Northern Futures

Northumberland Wildlife Trust

James Forster