St. George's Trust
Celebrating Mother Nature’s miracles
Formed in 1997 by naturalist Sara Chadd, (whose grandfather taught David Attenborough), the Trust embodies the Founder’s traditional views on non-invasive nature support by allowing species to thrive where they live, undisturbed, in their natural habitat. In a quite unobtrusive 2 hectares at our original Earth Centre on the ancient site of Sherwood Forest, you can find many species living in quiet harmony as they have done from time immemorial. The “experiment” to simply protect the species that live there from unnecessary changes, has led to the survival of this precious miniature biome, from bumble bees to bats, a 20-nest rookery and jackdaw colony, large predators such as buzzards, owls, foxes and badgers. Myriad smaller species of birds, mammals, amphibians and insects all somehow manage to co-exist here in what seems to be a perfect balance.
These 2 hectares are, if viewed from the air, actually part of a narrow, uninterrupted flightpath running through several counties, so in some ways, it’s not surprising that we are fortunate to receive visits from rare and protected species, such as barbastelle bats, egrets and merlins. The site is home to some of the oldest surviving trees in the county, part of an ancient deciduous woodland, a hunting ground of the Plantagenet kings, with its adjoining woodpasture filled with fascinating plants such as parsley piert, lesser stitchwort and the elusive miniature earthstar fungus. There are also younger trees, such as the 50-foot Atlas Cedar brought by Sara as a one-inch seedling from Kew Gardens in 1976, the three 40-foot oak trees which came from a Cheshire roadside as acorns in 1983, newly propagated apple trees rescued as twigs from an ancient variety that had been felled by a local developer in 2019 and even young chestnut saplings she rescued from a Staffordshire wood under threat from HS2 in 2021. The work goes on, as this is a sanctuary for plants and animals alike. A small flock of rare breed sheep help to maintain the sanctuary and these are non-commercial, being kept till they depart naturally; some have lived to be 20 years old and fully functioning by this method, greatly assisted by eating brambles and elm hedges which sheep regularly prune with enthusiasm!
Earth Centre is housed in a modest Gothic lodge which was built as a folly for a friend of Lord Byron in the 1790s. It is this historian’s work on the Plantagenet’s religious houses, and the subject of Sara’s research, which forms the basis of the Earth Centre’s Living Library, spirits of both books and plants spilling out into the original walled garden, fields and woods, where medicinal plants mix with the magic and folklore of country herbalists from bygone ages. But the real magic has always been just Mother Nature herself.
To support us, please join St. George’s Trust when members can enjoy magical news, open days, events and short courses on medicinal plants, recording natural species and local history. ©St. George’s Trust December2023UK Reg 03355374
Work with St. George's Trust
Empowering a Community of Change Makers
Over the years since our founding in 1997, as you might expect, we’ve also developed an arsenal of protocols for defending places from undesirable planning applications. We are all about exploring the magic of the natural environment, saving species, and encouraging biodiversity through the intertwining relationship between nature and heritage. For 35 years we have undertaken our sympathetic re-wilding work on a six acres plot of ancient wood pasture, ancient trees, and heritage buildings.
Our supporters vary in age groups from the very young to senior, from newbie naturalists to experienced enthusiasts. They all have one thing in common, a true love of the land and its fascinating inhabitants of all species, a curiosity about heritage, ancestors and their legends and a desire to get in touch with their dreams through encounters with nature.
Our Conservation Work
Wild cherry plums Earth Centre gates, 2024
1.
Environment
Every day we are here to ensure that wild and rare species have somewhere to live in peace without disturbance from machines, chemicals and pollution.
2.
Sustainability
Every day we feed and tend our rare breed sheep flock that helps to cultivate the land through regenerative grazing.
Earth Centre Rare Breed lambs 2023
200 year old Oak Trees, Earth Centre
3.
Preservation
Every day we help to maintain heritage species of trees and plants so that in the future people and animals will be able to eat the natural foods that grow best in their own traditional locations.
4.
Reconnection
And every day we are finding ways for people like you to live like this too. Because our aim is to spread the word and rescue everyday humans from their schedules, so that they too can live in Nature and do their part to save our planet.
