Nature Recovery Advisor

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 nature recovery networks to improve, extend and connect wildlife-rich habitat, and introduced a range of incentives to recover nature for wildlife, climate and people. Protection, restoration, management and expansion of woodland and trees plays a major role in establishing this network to support the Government’s statutory targets on climate change mitigation, tree cover, biodiversity and water quality, as well as climate change adaptation, access and wellbeing.

Several new initiatives have been introduced to deliver these outcomes. Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are a 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 UK Government is supporting their delivery through the establishment of local delivery partnerships.

New schemes and initiatives have been introduced to restore nature at scale and to accelerate private financing of nature. Reforms to local planning under the devolution programme and new planning legislation will see a greater focus on spatial planning and more strategic approaches to nature protection.

The Forestry Commission has a critical part to play, working with external partners, in delivering these initiatives and securing outcomes for woodland and trees that benefit nature, climate and people. We are seeking a highly motivated and highly collaborative individual with skills and experience in nature conservation and sustainable forest management and who is passionate about nature and nature-based solutions, to work as a Nature Recovery Advisor within our South East and London Area team, focussing on Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and London, but with occasional travel throughout the district.

Nature Recovery Advisors support preparation of Protected Sites Strategies (PSS) and the delivery of Local Nature Recovery Strategies in each 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 our national and Area teams, within Defra, with the Responsible Authorities and with external stakeholders and delivery partnerships.

You will also work with Natural England and the Environment Agency to support other related spatial planning activity for nature, such as the Nature Restoration Fund.

You may also play a role in securing benefits for nature in local plans which by law must now take account of the Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

You will engage with and support wider government or private sector schemes and programmes operating locally, such as Landscape Recovery. You will provide advice, data and evidence to support projects delivering nature-based solutions, champion the role of woodlands, and work to connect projects with local ecosystem service 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. 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 the development of a landscape that is more wooded, richer in wildlife, delivering for people and where forestry plays a role in nature recovery. This role is 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.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

The Nature Recovery

Advisor will be responsible for

Ensuring outcomes for woodland and trees are effectively integrated into the development and coordinated delivery of LNRSs, by:

• Championing the role of trees and woodlands in nature recovery across the region, leading to the expansion, protection, improvement and connection of woodlands.
• Negotiating outcomes for trees and woodland, challenging the views and advice of others, including senior advisors and managers as required, and using latest evidence.
• Supporting Responsible Authorities and statutory partners in the LNRS delivery partnership, responding to their requests by providing knowledge, advice, data and other evidence (including case studies), involving Area Team members as required.
• Providing content for emerging Protected Sites Strategies and reviewing them in order to identify opportunities and pitfalls for woodlands
• Ensuring alignment of the newly published LNRS and engaging with other key local strategies and initiatives with a spatial planning or prioritisation component for woodland, including, Local Plans, Protected Landscape Plans, Tree and Woodland Strategies.
• Working proactively with woodland stakeholders to agree priorities for woodlands and trees. Working with Responsible Authorities, delivery partners, and other FC Area Team members to secure effective local partnerships for delivery of biodiversity and other environmental outcomes by:
• Contributing to the pipeline for large scale delivery projects, including woodland creation, woodland management and species recovery, aligning FC funding with funding from non-FC sources, including assisting in securing greater private finance for delivery
• Shaping and influencing the design and implementation of large-scale projects locally, for example Landscape Recovery or major private initiatives. Secure greater protection for woodland and trees through planning:
• Engage with local plan making, helping to achieve better outcomes for trees and woodlands from development and supporting the achievement of the canopy cover target set out in the Environment Act, for example through provision for nature-based solutions in strategic plans
• Ensure more effective protection of ancient woodlands
• Initiate action to increase urban tree planting

Support the national team in provision of advice, guidance and review of progress for LNRS and nature recovery, by

• Reporting to national teams on progress, critical success factors (against FC outcomes), expenditure, risks and issues.
• Contributing to the development of national guidance to support LNRSs or nature recovery more broadly.

You will be expected to work closely with FC Area Team staff and may also be asked to support other partnership or delivery activities within the teams and to support outcomes for nature and nature-based solutions. The role will focus on supporting the preparation of PSS and the development and delivery of LNRS. There may be opportunities to develop line management responsibilities.

You will be an excellent ambassador for woodlands and forestry, and an active listener. You will work in a highly collaborative manner, within your team, FC, the wider Defra family and with external stakeholders.

You will also be capable of absorbing and understanding a substantial volume of evidence and analysis, in order to engage in policy discussions and give sound advice. You will be able to work from home or an FC main office (see note on blended working below), with frequent travel to face-to-face meetings with LNRS and PSS teams, and occasional overnight stays e.g., for national meetings.

A full driving licence is strongly preferred, although alternative arrangements may be considered in exceptional circumstances.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Disability Confident

About Disability Confident

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.