Help restore our ancient woodland and help us bring the light back
Some of the UK’s ancient woodland is slowly disappearing. Devastatingly, 50% of what little remained of the UK’s ancient woodland in the 1930s has been damaged or destroyed, and today much of our woodland remains smothered and damaged by non-native conifers planted throughout the 20th century, breaking the continuity of biological interactions that had developed over centuries.
The Woodland Trust helps to conserve and enhance these sites by gradually removing the conifers and uncovering the surviving ancient woodland species which have lay buried and often unrecognised beneath the canopy of non-native trees. These are called planted ancient woodland sites (PAWS).
Their restoration is key to safeguarding the remaining area of ancient woodland in the UK
The steady process allows us to initially concentrate on the conservation of remaining ancient woodland features then slowly replace the conifers with native trees – eventually returning the woods back to part of their former glory. By opening up the canopy and returning the light which was once captured by dominating conifers, we will create the exact conditions needed to help these woods recover from their fragile state and reverse the damage caused to ancient woodland.