During the latest episode of BBC’s Countryfile on Sunday, 12 April, presenter John Craven delivered a poignant surprise that left his guest visibly moved. Filming in the Midlands’ National Forest to celebrate the planting of its 10-millionth tree, John and co-host Charlotte Smith explored the remarkable transformation of this once-barren landscape.
Among those featured was Susan Bell, the former head of the National Forest, who spoke about how the forest’s growth has profoundly changed the area and the lives connected to it. But the episode’s highlight came when John unexpectedly played archival footage from their first meeting in 1992.
Susan was visibly floored as she and John watched a youthful version of himself planting the very first oak tree in the forest. The footage captured their ambitious plans to create an expansive woodland covering approximately 200 square miles – an area equivalent to the Isle of Wight.
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Reflecting on the goal to plant 30 million trees, Susan chuckled, “30 million was perhaps a bit of an overestimate.” She recounted the hurdles faced along the way, such as convincing politicians and cautious landowners to support the massive project.
Now, three decades on, Susan expressed heartfelt satisfaction with the forest’s success. “I’m loving it. Just coming here today, I got lost, and I thought, ‘that’s exactly what we wanted’,” she said.
This touching reunion between John Craven and Susan Bell highlighted not only the power of vision and perseverance but also the incredible environmental progress made in the National Forest over the past 30 years.