We are pleased to announce the launch of the Thames Chase Plan, our 4th since Thames Chase Community Forest was established in 1990. Our refreshed plan is a strategic document that sets out the vision and objectives of the Thames Chase Trust over the next 10 years (2025-2035) for the benefit of people, nature, and climate. Thank you to our inspiring speakers, valued partners and supporters that joined us today for the launch at the Forest Centre. If you would like to learn more and read the plan in full please click here: lnkd.in/e_fyTT9U Summary documents are also on display at the Thames Chase Visitor Centre reception area. #thameschase @CommForests @ForestryComm @DefraGovUK

🎄Thames Chase Christmas Craft Fayre ⛄28th-29th November, 10am-3pm 🎅Discover unique gifts, handmade crafts, festive decorations all perfect for your Christmas shopping. ⭐Come and discover the Forestry England accessible paths, explore the trails and play areas then enjoy warming drinks, mince pies, and seasonal treats from our Forest Centre Tearoom. 🎁Wrap up warm and bring the whole family to enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of Christmas at Thames Chase! 🐾Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome. 📌Thames Chase, Pike Lane, Upminster RM14 3NS

🎃It's half term! We have lots of fun activities planned! 👻Click the link for full details and to book: tickettailor.com/events/tham… #thameschase

Back in the Spring of 2025, Essex Wildlife Trust asked if our volunteer team would be up for the challenge of designing and constructing 60 Dormouse boxes.  The boxes were made and EWT installed them all on one reserve with each box location recorded.  The boxes have been checked by licenced surveyors on a monthly basis and Dormice have been recorded on several occasions.  They use the boxes to raise young and to hibernate.  The boxes are supporting a significant population of Dormice allowing them to thrive and increase in numbers and hopefully spread, expanding their range.  We are all very proud to have been part of this success story for one of Britain's rarest mammals.  Thank you to our volunteers for all their great work. #thameschase @EssexWildlife

❄️Winter Opening hours from 25th October 🍂The Thames Chase Forest Centre and Toilets 10am-4pm ☕The Forest Centre Tea Room opens at 10am (3pm last food orders and 3.45pm last drink orders) 🐾Well behaved dogs on leads welcome inside

🎃It's almost half term! We have lots of fun activities planned! 👻Click the link for full details and to book: tickettailor.com/events/tham… #thameschase

🍂 Autumn colours are bursting into life around Thames Chase Forest Centre! Come and experience the beautiful sights for yourself with a peaceful autumn walk 🌳🍁 #thameschase #ForestryEngland @CommForests

🎃It's almost half term! We have lots of fun activities planned! 👻Click the link for full details and to book: tickettailor.com/events/tham… #thameschase

🎄Thames Chase Christmas Craft Fayre ⛄28th-29th November, 10am-3pm 🎅Discover unique gifts, handmade crafts, festive decorations all perfect for your Christmas shopping. ⭐Come and discover the Forestry England accessible paths, explore the trails and play areas then enjoy warming drinks, mince pies, and seasonal treats from our Forest Centre Tearoom. 🎁Wrap up warm and bring the whole family to enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of Christmas at Thames Chase! 🐾Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome. 📌Thames Chase, Pike Lane, Upminster RM14 3NS

❄️Winter Opening hours from 25th October 🍂The Thames Chase Forest Centre and Toilets 10am-4pm ☕The Forest Centre Tea Room opens at 10am (3pm last food orders and 3.45pm last drink orders) 🐾Well behaved dogs on leads welcome inside

Our Conservation Volunteers have really enjoyed working at Havering Country Park recently. It is such a beautiful site and with this perfect autumn weather it has been ideal for working outside. We have been removing and replacing sections of fencing, improving entrance points to the park and protecting young trees from deer damage by installing protection around them. Our work continues on site over the coming months. These improvements have been possible due to funding Havering Council has received from Veolia. If you would like to learn more about volunteering with us please get in touch: 01708 642970 or email: [email protected] #thameschase #volunteering @LBofHavering

🍏It's Apple Day at Thames Chase! 🌿We have stalls featuring plants, preserves, art, health and beauty, cakes, face painting and handmade items and of course lots of lovely apples for sale! 🥁Live music from Romford Drum & Trumpet Corps. 🎪Free children's entertainment including Party Monsters and Circus Skills Workshops. Children's Crafts with our volunteers and apple feeders with our partners Forestry England. We are open until 3pm Thames Chase, Pike Lane, Upminster RM14 3NS #thameschase #upminster

🍏APPLE DAY - Thames Chase Forest Centre, Sunday 18th October, 10am–3pm 😀Come and celebrate our local heritage, traditions, landscape and community. 🎵Enjoy live entertainment, and get involved with activities for all ages. You can also enjoy two wonderful walks bookable here: tickettailor.com/events/tham… 🍎Craft stalls and lots of apples for sale! ⭐️Face painter (fee applies) 🎪Circus Skills Workshop (10am–3pm) 👧Apple crafts (donation) 🍏Meet Pip the Apple Mascot (10am) 👦Party Monsters Children's Entertainment (10,30am-2.30pm) 🌳Wellbeing & Tree Walk (11am-12pm donation requested) 🥁Romford Drum & Trumpet Corps (11am and 12pm) 🌿Orchard Walk (1pm-2pm donation requested) 📍Thames Chase, Pike Lane RM14 3NS 🚘Our site can get extremely busy so we encourage car sharing

🎄✨ Christmas activities at Thames Chase Forest Centre have just been updated! 🔗 Click the link below for full details and to book. 🎅🌲tickettailor.com/events/tham… 📍Thames Chase, Pike Lane Upminster RM14 3NS

🦋 This beautiful female Wall Brown butterfly was recently recorded at Tylers Common within the Thames Chase Community Forest. This was the first sighting of a Wall Brown at this site since the 1990s. There have been other sightings at Harold Wood Park and in a Harold Wood garden so it looks hopeful that with suitable egg laying habitat, these rarely seen butterflies could be on the increase locally. 🌿The Wall Brown is a medium-sized butterfly which is on the wing in two or three broods, between the middle of April and the end of October. The butterfly likes hot, sunny places such as open grassland, sand dunes and rocky foreshores, disused quarries, railway cuttings, and even gardens. Their caterpillars feed on a variety of grasses including false brome and tor-grass. It is named Wall Brown as they are usually found basking on walls and similar warm surfaces to raise their body temperature ready for flight. #thameschase @CommForests @LBofHavering (Photo by Rob Smith)

🍏APPLE DAY - Thames Chase Forest Centre, Sunday 18th October, 10am–3pm 🎉Come and celebrate our local heritage, traditions, landscape and community. 🎶Enjoy live entertainment, and get involved with activities for all ages. You can also enjoy two wonderful walks bookable here: tickettailor.com/events/tham… 🍏Craft stalls and lots of apples for sale! 😃Face painter (fee applies) 🎪Circus Skills Workshop (10am–3pm) 🍎Apple crafts (donation) 🌳Meet Pip the Apple Mascot (10am) 👧 Party Monsters Children's Entertainment (10,30am-2.30pm) 🍁Wellbeing & Tree Walk (11am-12pm donation requested) 🥁Romford Drum & Trumpet Corps (11am and 12pm) 🍎Orchard Walk (1pm-2pm donation requested) 📍Thames Chase, Pike Lane RM14 3NS 🚘Our site can get extremely busy so we encourage car sharing

🍃October plant of the month! Also known as the Maidenhair Tree, for the way its leaves resemble the Maidenhair Fern, this lovely specimen is Ginkgo biloba, or a Ginkgo. No other tree has leaves the same shape, making it easier to identify than most. Enjoying full sun and being native to China, they have been planted across the UK due to their disease and pollution resilience, whilst also having relatively non-invasive root systems. What striking autumn colours though!

❄️Winter Opening hours from 25th October 🍂The Thames Chase Forest Centre and Toilets 10am-4pm ☕The Forest Centre Tea Room opens at 10am (3pm last food orders and 3.45pm last drink orders) 🐾Well behaved dogs on leads welcome inside

It's Wildlife Wednesday! And what a treat we have for our followers this week! Check out this stunning female Kestrel striking a pose, spotted buy our Senior Programmes Officer Becky near the entrance to the Thames Chase Forest Centre. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled on your next visit! #ThamesChase @forestryengland @CommForests #Wildlife #Nature (Photo © B Gibson)

Be sure to join us this Saturday for a free autumn wellbeing day at Thames Chase! No tickets or booking required just turn up! Details and timetable here: forestryengland.uk/thames-ch…