Fresh woods and pastures new for forester after 35 years

Colin Grayson, 54, who lives in Barton in North Yorkshire, joined the Forestry Commission soon after leaving school, becoming a wildlife ranger in Dalby Forest, near Pickering, before moving on to look after woods near Osmotherley.

Since then he has become one of the Forestry Commission’s senior managers in the North of England, overseeing woodland grants and the protection of trees, woodlands and forests.

Mr Grayson, who grew up in Middleton, near Pickering, said: “The nice thing about working in forestry is that when you retire you leave something tangible behind in the landscape.

“I’m very pleased to have played a part in the creation of many new woodlands.

“Wildlife has benefited and local people have embraced them. That gives me a lot of satisfaction.”

He has helped create 700 acres of new woodland like Coatham Wood and South Burdon, near Darlington, in an area where tree cover was well below the national average.

Mr Grayson plans to spend his retirement enjoying the great outdoors by walking and biking, and also pursuing his passion for wood crafts.