Ancient woodland can be thousands of years old and is the UK’s richest wildlife habitat. One oak tree alone can support thousands of species of wildlife. During the last century, thousands of Britain’s ancient woods were lost or damaged by commercial forestry.
Our natural woodland has been altered and destroyed and our rich heritage of ancient woods has become fragmented and neglected. Whole fragile ecosystems have been devastated, and the remnants of the unique communities of plants, animals and fungi have clung to life in isolated pockets within dense conifer plantations.
But legacies are playing a vital role in helping the Woodland Trust to rescue and restore our ancient woods, and here are two examples of what can be achieved: