Patron Appeal
Dame Judi Dench has been patron of the Woodland Trust for 12 years. She's written this special and urgent message to raise critically important funds for us.
Credit: David Noton Photography / Alamy Stock Photo
Credit: David Noton Photography / Alamy Stock Photo
From little acorn to mighty oak – discover how we've grown since 1972.
1972
Ken Watkins and friends get together at his Devon home to discuss the plight of ancient woods, and the Woodland Trust is born.
1973
Ancient Avon Valley Woods in Devon becomes our first wood and is saved from clear-felling and replanting with conifers.
1977
We're now the proud owners of 22 woods, covering 189 hectares in six counties.
1978
We introduce memberships and relocate our headquarters to its current home – the market town of Grantham in Lincolnshire.
1980
Coed Lletywalter, 38 hectares (94 acres) of ancient woodland and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Eryri National Park, becomes our first Welsh wood.
1982
We’re 10 years old – and look how we’ve grown! We’re now a UK-wide charity with 20,000 members and 80 woods under our care and protection.
1985
We’ve now inspired 50,000 people to stand up for UK woods, trees and wildlife by becoming members.
1990
Staff numbers reach 50 people as we continue to expand.
1992
Trenant Wood, near Looe in Cornwall, becomes our 500th wood.
1993
It’s our 21st birthday and we celebrate by buying our largest ever site – 711-hectare (1,757-acre) Ledmore and Migdale Woods in the Highlands.
1996
Aged 86, Kenneth Watkins passes away after a short illness. One of his obituaries described him as “a tough, singled-minded decision taker – but full of kindness and compassion”.
That same year, Glen Finglas in the heart of Scotland’s first national park takes the crown of becoming our largest site, at over 4,000 hectares (almost 9,900 acres), purchased thanks to a £1.4 million Heritage Lottery Fund grant. The Woodland Trust Northern Ireland is born, with its office based in Bangor, County Down.
2000
A grand total of 250 celebratory Millennium Woods are created across the UK to celebrate the new millennium.
2001
Our membership swells to 100,000 people across the UK.
2002
By the time our 30th birthday dawns, we’ve planted more than five million trees and own more than 1,100 woods.
2010
Government plans to dispose of Forestry Commission land puts ancient woodland protection in the spotlight. We move swiftly and our campaign helps block the move. Membership reaches 200,000 for the first time.
2011
Our Jubilee Woods project is launched to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
2012
On our 40th anniversary, we celebrate the planting of 16 million trees and ownership of 1,276 woods.
2014
We commemorate 100 years since the First World War with the creation of four Centenary Woods – Langley Vale in England, Brackfield Wood in Northern Ireland, Dreghorn Woods in Scotland and Coed Ffos Las in Wales.
2018
James Dodd becomes our 250,000th member after joining with his family. Andy Burnham plants the first tree for the ambitious Northern Forest project at Smithills Estate.
We're successful in lobbying government to improve English planning policy and better protect our irreplaceable habitats. The National Planning Policy Framework wording now states that any applications for development resulting in loss or damage to ancient woods or ancient and veteran trees should be refused unless ‘wholly exceptional’.
2019
Ben Shieldaig – our first mountain – is acquired, thanks to a hugely successful fundraising appeal.
2021
We launch our groundbreaking State of UK Woods and Trees 2021 report – the first report of its kind laying out the current state of native woods and trees.
2022
On our 50th anniversary, we celebrate the more than 500,000 people who have joined us in standing up for woods and trees by becoming members or supporters. Together, we’ve now planted over 50 million trees across the UK.
2023
Faughan Valley Woodlands opens to the public, marking the next step in our plans to restore and reconnect fragments of precious ancient woodland in this part of Northern Ireland.
2024
Brynau Farm in Wales is extended with the acquisition of Cefn Morfudd. The first 100,000 trees are planted at Snaizeholme in North Yorkshire.
2025
The 10 millionth tree of our Northern Forest project is planted. Harrison Woodlands and the temperate rainforest of Buckland Wood are brought into our care after successful appeals.
2026
We celebrate 30 years of the Woodland Trust Northern Ireland, having planted over seven million trees and created over 50 woods.
Over 50 years and still growing
Today, although the threats to woodland have changed, they are just as significant. And our vision for a UK rich in woods and trees for people and nature is as relevant as ever.
Protecting woods
We've saved 1,186 woods from destruction since 1999 alone and are restoring 38,000 hectares of precious ancient woodland so that it will flourish once again.
Expanding tree cover
We've planted 68.5 million trees since 1972 and we're aiming to get 50 million more in the ground over the next five years.
Standing up for woods and trees
We have 500,000 members and supporters and more than 1,000 woods of our own which are free to visit anytime.
Discover more about our work
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About us
Our strategy
Our vision is optimistic: a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature. Find out how we plan to achieve this over the next decade.
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Video
Celebrating 50 years of the Woodland Trust
00:02:07
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About us
What we do
We are the Woodland Trust. We plant, protect, restore and manage woods and trees.
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About us
Who we are
The Woodland Trust is the UK's largest woodland conservation charity.