Ian Butterfield

I have worked in environmental land management since graduating with a BSc (Hons) Ecology degree over 35 years ago. Most of my work experience has revolved around my passion – woodland management and woodland creation, working together with local landowners and communities.

Over the last twenty years of working in the Aire catchment (and wider region), I have built an extensive network of farming community contacts and landowners. During those two decades, I have supported the White Rose Forest by helping to identify, design, and deliver planting schemes across the region.

I have a good knowledge of natural history which informs and maximises of the value / effectiveness of our work.

I am one of three directors of YORgreencic (a Community Interest Company, or CIC), which was born out of the Forest of Bradford Community Woodland Project and formally registered with the CIC regulator in 2014.

Having been involved with the White Rose Forest since its inception, YORgreencic quickly became one of its preferred delivery agents, and has been helping to mitigate flooding through NFM and increase woodland cover across the district ever since.

YORgreencic’s surplus revenue is invested in our volunteer pool and to fund further tree planting. Our purpose and objectives align perfectly with the White Rose Forest. Together, we utilise resources and social capital within locally based social enterprises like us. This partnership approach enables, encourages, and creates opportunities for local communities to actively participate in White Rose Forest activities, relevant and important to the people who live and work in the area.

The YORgreencic team has designed and delivered the planting of almost one million trees across West Yorkshire, from community gardens to full farm woodland schemes. We are the main delivery agent of tree planting schemes in Bradford district and have planted in excess of 60,000 trees in the 2020/21 planting season.

YORgreencic is client centric. We work with landowners to deliver successful projects that meet their needs and use our experience to guide them through the design/implementation process.