Epping Forest Talks
Does Epping Forest Need Saving Again?
Ticket Information
Does Epping Forest Need Saving Again?
Date: Tuesday 17 May. Time: 18:30 - 20:30
Location: Vestry House Museum, E17 9NH
Tickets: £5, booking essential (donations welcomed)
A presentation by Mark Gorman and Patricia Moxey, hosted by Epping Forest Heritage Trust in collaboration with CPRE London. This will be the first of a series of talks that we will be hosting to celebrate Epping Forest’s heritage, culture, and environmental importance.
Event Information
This will be the first of a series of talks that we will be hosting to celebrate Epping Forest’s heritage, culture, and environmental importance.
In collaboration with CPRE London, we will host this talk during this year's Urban Tree Festival. Keynote speakers include:
Mark Gorman, author of 'Saving the People's Forest: Open spaces, enclosure and popular protest in mid-Victorian London'
Patricia Moxey, B.Sc. Hons. FBNA, naturalist, environmental advocate, and trustee of Epping Forest Heritage Trust
Mark Gorman will talk about the mid-Victorian campaign to preserve Epping Forest and other commons from unchecked housing development across London – one which the renowned ecologist Oliver Rackham has called “the origin of the modern British conservation movement”. Mark’s focus will be on the popular struggle which contributed significantly to a change in the law - the Epping Forest Act of 1878 – the first legal declaration of the public’s right to use an open space for leisure.
Tricia will talk about how Epping Forest, the irreplaceable ancient woodland, is facing its unprecedented challenges: from increased population and footfall to traffic and pollution levels; from adjacent development to fly-tipping; from budget cut to the loss of biodiversity and the climate change. She will also discuss actions we are taking and urgent work that we need do to protect the Forest now and for generations to come.
There will be panel discussions and audience Q&A sessions after the talks.
On the day
6.30 pm: doors open at the Garden Room, Vestry House Museum
7.00 pm: Mark Gorman, on saving Epping Forest
7.15 pm: Patricia Moxey, on current issues in Epping Forest
7.30 pm: Discussion with panel and audience / Q&A session
8.00 pm: Refreshments and informal discussion
8.30 pm: end
Contributors
Mark Gorman
Mark is a local historian who studies the past and present of east London, particularly the ongoing struggle between building development and open space preservation. His recently published book “Saving the People’s Forest – open spaces, enclosure and popular protest in mid-Victorian London” examines the influential role played by public opinion 150 years ago in the campaigns to protect Epping Forest and other green spaces around London from urban development.
Patricia Moxey, B.Sc. Hons. FBNA
With a professional background in environmental education, Tricia’s work has been to encourage others to understand and engage with the natural world. She has been associated with Epping Forest for over 40 years, initially helping to establish the Field Centre at High Beach, where she became enthralled with the complexity of the Forest’s history and ecology.
In 1992, she joined the City of London staff at the Warren as Information Officer for Epping Forest. Although she retired in 2005, she has continued to strengthen her links with the Forest. As a Trustee of the Epping Forest Heritage Trust, she seeks to influence those who are concerned about its future as it faces the threats of massive built development, poor air quality, increased visitor pressure and climate change.
Organisation
Epping Forest Heritage Trust is a charity and a membership organisation with a big mission to educate and inspire people about Epping Forest, to be a vital voice for the Forest and to take action to conserve and protect its irreplaceable biodiversity, culture, and heritage now, and for generations to come. We operate across the whole of Epping Forest, covering 6,000 acres stretching form Manor Park in East London to Epping in Essex.
Please Donate
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