It is now the third decade since the first tree was planted in the English Midlands, marking a symbolic start to revolutionary changes in the industrial landscape once created by coal mining. Over these thirty years, around 9 million tree saplings have been planted as part of this transformation, creating the first forest in the English Midlands in 1,000 years. The forest area across three counties has now reached around 200 square miles, connecting two ancient forest massifs. Former coal mines and quarries have been transformed into parks and nature reserves, creating around 5,000 jobs.