A visionary conservation plan to restore nearly 30 hectares of rare heathland habitat at Green Farm, Surrey, is set to start this year.

The long-term project will involve the careful felling of commercially planted pine trees to return the land to its historic heathland state, one of the UK’s most threatened habitats.  

The work is part of Heathland Connections—an initiative bringing together multiple organisations to restore, enhance, and connect fragmented heathland areas across the region. 

The CRT’s Head of Conservation, Helena Darragh, who is leading the project, said heathland is now one of the rarest habitats in the country. 

She said: “Prior to the 1900s, Green Farm was largely lowland heathland. Since then, commercial pine plantations have replaced this vital habitat. These pines have now reached maturity for harvesting, and instead of replanting for another timber crop, we will restore the land to heathland, which is much rarer and ecologically important.” 

Heathland supports a unique range of species, including reptiles and ground-nesting birds such as Dartford warblers and nightjars.  

Some areas of mature pine will be retained to maintain habitat diversity, while a small area of young broadleaf trees—planted on a key reptile site locally known as the “adder hotel”—will be removed or relocated to retain the heathland understorey which currently persists on site. This vital habitat would otherwise be lost due to overshading and nutrient enrichment from leaf litter as these trees grow. 

There will be a phased felling over the course of the 10-year plan, with up to 28 hectares of lowland heathland and open habitat mosaic created at the end of this period. Key areas of woodland at Green Farm—including Sweet Chestnut Coppice, mixed deciduous woodland, and ancient woodland—will not be affected. 

“There may be some temporary access restrictions while work is underway, but we are committed to keeping the community informed,” added Helena. “We invite local residents to come along to the information session, speak to our team, and learn more about this exciting vision for Green Farm’s future.” 

The Green Farm Vision drop-in event is at St Albans Community Hall, Beacon Hill, on Wednesday 11 June from 4pm to 6pm. 

Visitors will have the opportunity to speak with conservation experts from the CRT, as well as representatives from partner organisations, including the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, Surrey Wildlife Trust and Haslemere Biodiversity. 

More ways to support us

If you want to help us protect local wildlife and habitats in other ways you can join as a CRT Friend, attend our in-person and online events and volunteer on one of our farms. You can also sign-up to our monthly newsletter 'CRT News' for regular updates from our farms, straight to your inbox. 

Published: May 2025