HRH The Countess of Wessex opens Fort Climate Centre in the New Forest - New Forest National Park Authority
Joint press release from the Countryside Education Trust and New Forest National Park Authority
HRH The Countess of Wessex opened a new climate centre at Beaulieu in the New Forest National Park to help people of all ages learn about the climate crisis.
The building was donated to the Countryside Education Trust by the Fort Foundation, inspired by Mr E. S. Fort OBE.
The Countryside Education Trust, based in Beaulieu, has been delivering environmental education programmes since 1975.
Its Chair, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, said: ‘We are enormously grateful for this gift from the Fort Foundation and for Mr Fort’s trust in our organisation to deliver such an exciting project. We were pioneers of environmental education when the Countryside Education Trust was founded in 1975; now we are pioneers of climate education. Understanding that caring for the environment is an integral part of finding solutions to climate change is vital work.’
Jane Cooper, Chief Executive of the Countryside Education Trust (CET) said: ‘We are looking forward to helping people of all ages to learn more about the challenges of climate change and empowering them to act. We believe that this building will provide an inclusive base for climate education in the New Forest and beyond.’
The Fort Climate Centre has also benefited from a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Green and Blue Horizons from City to Forest scheme, led by the New Forest National Park Authority.
For the Countryside Education Trust, this has involved developing new climate-focused courses for young adults and professionals, enlarging its volunteering capacity and engaging seven interns in a variety of climate and environment projects. These projects have ranged from encouraging people to tackle food waste to monitoring trees at risk from a changing climate in the Beaulieu Estate’s ancient woodlands.
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Posted On: 09/03/2023