We're very pleased to announce that we've appointed Pete Jones as Project Manager for Skiddaw Forest, England's highest nature reserve. Pete has just started in the role of overseeing the restoration of 3,000 acres of habitat, including nearly 1,000 acres of peat bogs and creating 620 acres of lost Atlantic rainforest.

We're actually welcoming Pete back to Cumbria Wildlife Trust, as he was previously one of our Reserves Officers. He spent 12 years managing our nature reserves in the south of the county. More recently he was Warden at Wild Haweswater, where he worked in upland management and woodland creation.

He's looking forward to the challenges of his new role: "It’s so exciting to be taking on the Skiddaw Forest Project Manager job. Skiddaw Forest is an amazing opportunity to demonstrate cutting-edge conservation across a massive area, and I’m really looking forward to working with so many people, including partner organisations, volunteers and local communities, to deliver this ambitious project."

Pete’s busy workload this year will include organising surveys of flora and fauna on Skiddaw Forest, such as birds, mammals and invertebrates, and plant life, such as liverworts, hornworts, and mosses.

We purchased Skiddaw Forest last year, thanks to a long-term partnership between The Wildlife Trusts and Aviva, with additional support from charitable funders, and from people who donated to a successful public fundraising appeal which raised a further £1.25m. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to the appeal!

You can also still donate to the Skiddaw Forest restoration appeal. Thank you.

Please keep an eye on our website, if you're interested in volunteering opportunities and public events at Skiddaw Forest. We'll post opportunities as and when they arise.