Plant trees for wildlife

Why plant for wildlife?

By planting native trees, you can help increase the number of places where wildlife can thrive.

Planting a hedgerow, a copse or an area of woodland will all help provide vital shelter, food and homes for wildlife.

With growing urbanisation, intensification of land use and changes in the climate, planting trees now is more urgent than ever.

Native trees sustain more birds, animals, insects and plant life - just one oak can host up to 500 species of wildlife!

 

Next step: see how the Woodland Trust can help you plant trees
 

 

What species can I expect to see?

• Newly created woodland rapidly attracts insects drawn to the vegetation growing between trees, which in turn attract a mix of bird species.
   
  These insects also attract foraging bats and other mammals.
   
  In some cases up to nine species of bat have been found to use very early stage woodland.
   
   
• In as little as 12 years the trees will begin to resemble a young wood and various species of woodland plants will start to establish themselves between the trees.
   
  Woodland plants, such as lords-and–ladies, herb-robert, wood avens and honeysuckle are fast to colonise and butterflies such as the speckled wood, are also quick to exploit new habitat.
   
  
• Long tailed tits, dunnock, warblers and thrushes are amongst the birds which use young woodland, although it may be necessary to erect bird boxes in the early stages if they are to breed in the young woodland.

 

Next step: see how the Woodland Trust can help you plant trees