Through the Lens: Global climate stories come to Haldon Forest Park

Haldon Forest Park, just a few miles from Exeter, is preparing to host an outdoor exhibition that will bring the world’s environmental challenges and human stories into sharp focus. From Friday 17 October 2025 until Thursday 19 March 2026, the forest will become home to Earth Photo, a powerful visual journey exploring the beauty and fragility of life on Earth.

Launched in 2018 by Forestry England, the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and exhibition organisers Parker Harris, Earth Photo was designed to harness the storytelling power of photography and film to connect people with the planet. Since then, the programme has grown into a world-leading platform, attracting submissions from across the globe and touring to forest sites where art and nature combine.

The 2025 exhibition will showcase shortlisted works from this year’s competition, offering a wide lens on the environmental and social issues shaping lives around the world. Among the stories captured: the melting sea ice of Greenland, the vanishing oases of Morocco, shepherds navigating the Accursed Mountains of the Balkans, communities rebuilding in La Palma after a volcanic eruption, and the preservation of vital mangrove forests in the Gambia.

For visitors, the setting is just as much part of the experience as the images themselves. Haldon Forest Park, managed by Forestry England, offers more than 3,500 acres of woodland and trails and has long been a place where nature, recreation, and conservation meet. Against this backdrop, the photographs are displayed outdoors, encouraging reflection while immersed in the natural environment.

Abi Davis, Haldon Forest Park ranger, said: “The Earth Photo exhibition gives us a unique way of seeing and reflecting on the beauty, fragility, and change happening in our natural environment. It connects us with landscapes, wildlife and communities across the planet, and I can’t think of a better setting than Haldon Forest Park. Find peace among the trees to enjoy the beautiful works and think about some challenging issues that we face as a global community.”

The programme has already reached thousands of visitors across the UK. Previous tours have stopped at forests including Bedgebury in Kent and Grizedale in the Lake District, where visitors praised the opportunity to encounter world-class photography in open-air, accessible settings. Past exhibitions have highlighted everything from rainforest conservation to the aftermath of wildfires, sparking conversation about the human role in climate change.

The 2025–26 Earth Photo tour will again travel nationwide, finally arriving at Haldon, where it will close the season.

The Haldon exhibition is free to attend, though standard parking charges apply. It is suitable for pushchairs, wheelchairs and mobility scooters, making it accessible to a wide audience. Forestry England hopes this year’s tour will encourage more people to engage with both the natural environment and the global stories told through the lens.

For more information on Earth Photo at Haldon Forest Park, visit the Forestry England website.