Speakers

Sara Noons is a senior Trees and Green Spaces Manager with extensive experience across local government, arboriculture, landscape management and environmental delivery. She leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for the management and development of trees and green spaces, with a strong focus on biodiversity, climate resilience, strategic planting and creating high-quality places for people and nature.

Passionate about nature and the positive impact that trees and green spaces can have on communities, climate and biodiversity, Sara has developed and led an ambitious large-scale tree planting programme from the ground up. Working towards a target of planting one million trees by 2030, more than 750,000 trees have been planted to date, as of the end of the 2025–26 planting season. Sara developed the programme and established the dedicated team responsible for delivering it, which she continues to grow.

With experience spanning strategic leadership, operational delivery and partnership working, Sara brings a practical understanding of how ambitious environmental projects move from vision to delivery. She is passionate about bringing together local authorities, contractors, designers, growers and landowners to find innovative solutions to complex landscape challenges.

Sara has a particular interest in how commercial landscaping and environmental management can work together to transform challenging sites into biodiverse, resilient and sustainable landscapes. She is an advocate for bold thinking, strong leadership and meaningful collaboration across the industry, with a focus on delivering lasting environmental and commercial value.