The UK has an abundance of spectacular, lush woodland landscapes – but lots of them have come under threat over the years. Climate change, nasty pests and diseases have all contributed to woodland species in the country declining by a third, according to research by the Woodland Trust. However, it’s not all bleak news.
The South Downs National Park is reviving its disease-hit woodlands by planting more than 23,000 trees. The tree-planting scheme will see a total of 20 affected sites within the park flourish with a mixture of disease-resistant elms, oaks and black poplars. The aim is to increase woodland resilience and immunity.
It’s a big leap forward for the initiative – which was launched as the Trees for the Downs campaign in 2020 – as it edges closer to its target of planting 100,000 trees across the region by 2024. Around £230,000 has been raised so far and over 60,000 new trees have been planted across 114 different sites.
Nick Heasman, a manager for the national park, said: ‘Our treescape supports a wealth of wildlife, from rare insects to nesting birds and complex fungi. They also give us air to breathe, with a single mature tree producing enough oxygen in a year to sustain ten people. Increasing the number and diversity of our native trees, and carefully introducing new species into the landscape, is going to be a big help in responding to all these threats and also helping to reverse biodiversity loss.’
Find out more about the Trees for the Downs initiative on its website here.
Going green with Time Out
We at Time Out are not only here to provide you with the best of city life, but we’re also huge fans of everything outside cities too. Check out our very green stories of the 480-year-old tree in Wales that was crowned ‘Tree of the Year’ 2023, these amazing UK treehouses you can actually stay in and the most beautiful national parks in the UK.
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