Working to preserve, sustain and enhance the unique beauty and conservation value of the New Forest  for future generations

Our Trustees

William Ziegler, Chairman

William Ziegler has lived in the New Forest all his life and is committed to its preservation and long term well-being. Apart from being a Trustee, Director and Company Secretary for the Trust he is also the past Chairman of the New Forest Association and sits on various other New Forest committees.

Oliver Crosthwaite Eyre

Oliver Crosthwaite Eyre comes from a family with long history involvement with New Forest. He practised as a barrister before joining the family business based in Bramshaw in the north of the Forest, where he lives and manages the family estate. He served as the Official Verderer and chairman of the Court for nine years until 2011 and served as Chairman of the NFNPA until 2020.

Hilary Harper

Hilary Harper is a practising solicitor, focussing on employment law and debt collections. She also runs her farm at Plaitford near Romsey, producing native breed beef and pork. She is a keen naturalist, and takes a lot of pleasure from the New Forest.

Sarah Houston

Sarah is the Head of HR for Mayflower Theatre in Southampton and has many years of HR  experience in a variety of industries including financial services, retail  and manufacturing.  Sarah has lived in the New Forest for over 30 years and, as a keen rider and horse owner, is particularly interested in the preservation of forest life and its traditional activities.

Donald Thompson

A trained forester, Donald has worked in several different places in Britain and overseas, including a six years in Jamaica . His work for the Forestry Commission included the creation of the UK Forest Standard to aid sustainable forest management. Before retiring he was the Deputy Surveyor of the New Forest and is therefore well aware of the challenges that affect the future of the New Forest.

Tae Ormerod

Tae Ormerod was brought up on a farm in the New Forest and now lives in Brockenhurst.   She runs the finance side of the family polo business. A keen rider all her life with a deep interest in the past, present and future of the New Forest.

Anthony Climpson

Anthony Climpson led NFDC’s tourism & employment team for 30 years before establishing Go New Forest CIC in 2017. He is the author of the VERB destination tourism management model and the Economics of Visitor Happiness and is totally focussed on local resilience, social inclusion, responsible tourism as a force for good and embedding all that into the wider community wherever possible.

Diana Westerhof

Diana Westerhof has worked in the Forest, in nature conservation, since the 1980s. After retirement from Natural England she was Natural England’s appointed Verderer for twelve years. She continues as a volunteer for Natural England keeping an involvement in the Forest, which has become an important part of her life.