Having worked in the conservation sector for over 20 years, Darren joined the Woodland Trust in 2017 as its Director of Estates & Woodland Outreach before becoming its Chief Executive in September 2019. Prior to this, Darren gained his PhD from Oxford University.

Darren oversees the wide-ranging work of the Trust – as the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, with over 500,000 members and supporters.

The Trust drives nature recovery across its 34,000-hectare estate and wider landscapes; ensures Tree Equity – the equitable access to the benefits of woods and trees to people; and tackles climate change. All through spearheading the protection of irreplaceable ancient woodlands and the UK’s temperate rainforest, restoring unmanaged woodlands and establishing more than 6 million trees/year with schools, communities and farmers. Working with businesses and wider society to fight for the health of people and the planet with every tree.