On the dawn of the first trees being planted at the Woodland Trust’s new site - recently named Yonder Oak Wood thanks to a public vote - the charity has set out its plans to create a haven for wildlife.
Among these include the planting of 13,000 trees this winter, which will form part of a mosaic of woods, wood pasture, scrub, groves and glades.
The first oak tree will be planted at the site this week and will form part of the Queen’s Green Canopy – where people across the UK were inspired to plant a tree to mark the Queen’s Jubilee. Public plantings will follow in December.
Woodland Trust site manager, Paul Allen said: "With 2022 being the Woodland Trust’s 50th anniversary, amidst a backdrop of climate change and the biodiversity crisis, we need space for nature, like at Yonder Oak Wood, now more than ever. At Yonder Oak Wood our primary aim is nature recovery and we hope that new trees, both planted and seeded naturally, will allow nature to bounce back. Woodland birds have declined by 29% since 1970 and we hope to welcome back the likes of willow warblers and spotted flycatchers – as well as butterflies such as the dingy skipper and ringlet. There is so much potential here."
Paul added: "Creating a new wooded landscape that will host wildlife way beyond our lifetimes and be resilient to the changing climate is no mean feat. We have been working to create a comprehensive design that will guide our work over the next five years, and today we’ve planted the first new trees that will kickstart nature’s recovery.
"With an estuary to the west and heaths to the east, more trees will provide much-needed shade for birds and other wildlife – creating a more resilient landscape. This is crucial as our summers become hotter and our winters wetter."
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Posted On: 14/10/2022