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Trees woods and wildlife

Natterer’s bat

Foliage foragers and cave-dwelling contortionists, these ‘red-armed bats’ are expert hunters and can squeeze themselves into the tightest of spaces.

Trees woods and wildlife

Brown long-eared bat

Known as the 'whispering' bat for its almost silent echolocation noises, this little bat's huge ears make it an expert woodland insect hunter.

Research report

State of the UK's Woods and Trees 2025 – a summary for Scotland

A policy summary report for Scotland based on the evidence from the State of UK's Woods and Trees 2025 report.

PDF  (7.04 MB)

Research report

State of the UK's Woods and Trees 2025 – a summary for Northern Ireland

A policy summary report for Northern Ireland based on the evidence from the State of UK's Woods and Trees 2025 report.

PDF  (6.28 MB)

Research report

State of the UK's Woods and Trees 2025 – a summary for England 

A policy summary report for England based on the evidence from the State of UK's Woods and Trees 2025 report.

PDF  (7.02 MB)

Trees woods and wildlife

Long-tailed tit

Flying balls of fluff. These tiny woodland dwellers have a strong claim to be considered the UK’s cutest bird.

Research report

State of the UK's Woods and Trees 2025 – a summary for Wales 

A policy summary report for Wales based on the evidence from the State of UK's Woods and Trees 2025 report.

PDF  (4.15 MB)

Trees woods and wildlife

Long-eared owl

Wise and regal, with an imposing stare and elusive nature. Our most nocturnal owl, with a penchant for recycling other bird’s old nests. It lives in dense woodland and is a skilful hunter.

Research report

Cyflwr Coedwigoedd a Choed y DU 2025 – crynodeb ar gyfer Cymru

Adroddiad cryno ar bolisi ar gyfer Cymru yn seiliedig ar y dystiolaeth o adroddiad Cyflwr Coed a Choedwigoedd y DU 2025.

PDF  (3.99 MB)

Research report

State of the UK's Woods and Trees 2025

Four years after the groundbreaking State of the UK's Woods and Trees report, the Woodland Trust is once again assessing the health of the UK's woods and trees – revealing the latest evidence and analysis to support the urgent action needed to protect and restore woodlands. 

PDF  (12.74 MB)

Press centre

Inspiring ‘cultural trees’ shortlisted for Tree of the Year 2025

From a cedar that The Beatles climbed to an oak from a Virginia Woolf poem, discover the cultural trees shortlisted for Tree of the Year 2025.

Visiting woods

Spring's vital signs report 2025 

Find out about how frogspawn, blackthorn and song thrush are affected by a changing climate. 

Blog

How long do spiders live? And other spider facts

Discover more about spiders like how long they live, how many eyes they have, how big UK species can grow and more.

Rachel Hoskins  •  09 Sep 2019

Event

The Agroforestry Show - 10-11 September 2025

Join farmers, foresters, advisors, funders and more for two days of inspirational workshops, talks, field walks, equipment demonstrations, exhibitions and market stalls.

Wed 10 Sep 2025  •  Woodoaks Farm, Denham Way, Maple Cross, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire WD3 9XQ

Support us

2025's winning projects

Meet the six young finalists whose brilliant projects won our Igniting Innovation conservation challenge.

Blog

8 steps to achieving long-term mindfulness with woods and trees

Explore some woodland activities that you can take part in to gain positive health benefits.

Julia Lock  •  22 Mar 2022

Support us

Summer message to Woodland Trust members

A message from our chief executive

Blog

The oldest tree in the UK: how long do trees live?

Discover the oldest tree in the UK - and the world - and why ancient trees are so important.

Charlie Mellor  •  29 Jan 2024

Trees woods and wildlife

European Tree of The Year

The UK Tree of the Year, the Skipinnish Oak, placed 7th in 2025's European Tree of the Year competition.

Press centre

Five reasons to celebrate World Rainforest Day

World Rainforest Day is celebrated on 22 June and with good reason. Here are five ways rainforests help us.

Trees woods and wildlife

St Mark’s fly

A long-legged fly you can tell the time by – well, the time of year. St Mark’s flies emerge en-masse around 25 April each year.

State of UK woods and trees

State of the UK's Woods and Trees 2025 

Four years after the groundbreaking State of the UK's Woods and Trees report, the Woodland Trust is once again assessing the health of the UK's woods and trees – revealing the latest evidence and analysis to support the urgent action needed to protect and restore woodlands. 

Blog

Tree seed identification: seven common UK tree seeds

If someone showed you a seed from a common UK tree, could you tell which tree it was from? Find out more about seven common UK tree seeds.

Charlotte Varela  •  30 Sep 2023

Trees woods and wildlife

Chestnut, sweet

Introduced by the Romans and a roasted winter treat. These long-lived giants, with their prickly-husks and deeply grooved bark, give us our classic Christmas nut.

About us

Our president

Clive Anderson has been our president for more than 10 years, having taken a long interest in the problems facing the natural world and trees in particular.

Press centre

Eryri leads the way with 100-year vision to protect and restore native trees

The Woodland Trust in Wales is celebrating the launch of Eryri's Tree and Woodland Strategy 2025–2125 as the most ambitious, forward-thinking vision for trees and woodlands anywhere in the UK.

Blog

UK spider identification: 10 common species

Don't wait until spider season to appreciate these misunderstood creatures. Take a look at our guide to some of the most common spiders in the UK and learn how to identify them.

Charlotte Varela  •  30 Oct 2024

Trees woods and wildlife

Silver-washed fritillary

These flashy butterflies are strong fliers with a flair for the dramatic. Spot the silver-washed fritillary charging through the air along woodland rides in search of a mate, or the caterpillars munching on their favourite flowers: violets.

Plant trees

Managing your new woodland

Woodland management requires long term planning. Learn about the observations and actions needed over a wood’s lifetime.

Trees woods and wildlife

Coeden y Flwyddyn 2025

Pleidleisiwch dros eich hoff goeden i'n helpu ni i goroni enillydd Coeden y Flwyddyn eleni. 

Trees woods and wildlife

Tree of the Year 2025

Vote for your favourite tree to help us crown this year's Tree of the Year. 

Press centre

Wildlife declining in UK woods despite more tree cover, major new report reveals 

The State of the UK’s Woods and Trees 2025 report has revealed that the quantity and variety of woodland wildlife is plummeting, despite a marginal rise in tree cover.

Protecting trees and woods

Minutes of the APPG meeting 14 July 2025

Read the official minutes for a full list of attendees and more details of what was discussed on the day.

Trees woods and wildlife

Wild service tree

A true springtime stunner, it’s not so long ago that you could find wild-service fruit at a market. These days it’s rare and hard to find but it’s still a favourite with wildlife like the wood pigeon, whose gut softens its seeds for propagation.

Trees woods and wildlife

Ash-black slug

This massive mollusc is one of the world’s largest land slugs, and it’s found right here, in the UK’s ancient woodlands.

About us

Review of the year

Take a look at the major milestones in our work for woods and trees between June 2023 and May 2024.

Blog

Poisonous mushrooms: 8 most dangerous UK mushrooms

Your guide to 8 of the most poisonous mushrooms in the UK, including the terrifyingly named deathcap, destroying angel and funeral bell. Find out where they grow, how to identify them and why you should steer clear!

Hanako Shimada  •  19 Feb 2025

Blog

True or false? Rainforest facts quiz

Do you know how Britain's rainforest measures up against its tropical cousins? How about the plants, animals and climate? Test your knowledge and learn about these amazing places with our rainforest facts quiz.

Charlie Mellor  •  18 Jun 2025

Trees woods and wildlife

Chiffchaff

A dainty warbler named after its song. Chiffchaffs are increasingly taking advantage of the UK’s warming climate by staying here all year long.

Blog

Broadleaf spring issue: a fresh new dawn

Spring has sprung and the world is waking up. In this issue of Broadleaf, we celebrate the new season, explore natural regeneration, and hear from Pam Ayres and Liz Bonnin.

Elisabeth Crump  •  11 Mar 2025

Support us

Dedications

Be it a single tree or an acre of woodland with a personalised bench, your dedication will provide a long-lasting tribute that can be visited time after time – and support local wildlife too.

Press centre

Have your say on tree protection in Northern Ireland

The Woodland Trust has invited the Northern Irish public to participate in a consultation on a Tree Protection Bill.

Trees woods and wildlife

Devil’s coach horse beetle

Jet-black with an even darker reputation. The devil’s coach horse has long been associated with sinister forces. In reality, it is only other invertebrates that have cause to fear this voracious predator.

Blog

Broadleaf summer issue: here comes the sun

Summer is here and the woodlands are breezy, bright and bursting with colour. In this issue of Broadleaf, we tend veteran trees in the Midlands, hunt for pine martens in Scotland and unfurl the extraordinary tale of the familiar foxglove.

Elisabeth Crump  •  10 Jun 2025

Trees woods and wildlife

Oak bush-cricket

This champion of the woodland long-jump is a lot quieter than its other cricket cousins. The oak bush-cricket lives, feeds and breeds in trees and woodland.

Video

Andrew Evans, farmer, Dol Llys Farm

Andrew introduces Dol Llys Farm and his ethos of balancing agriculture and conservation and the importance of long-term collaboration with others, to create a farm that benefits people and wildlife through tree planting.

00:01:25

Video

Restoring Craggach Wood to a productive and diverse native woodland

David Shepherd and Annie Griffiths own Craggach Wood near Inverness. They share the inspirational story of how they transformed a long-established woodland of plantation origin into a biologically and structurally diverse productive native woodland.

00:03:37

Blog

8 enchanting rainforests to explore in the UK

UK rainforests are even rarer than their tropical counterparts, and just as beautiful. Brimming with wildlife, entwined with local history and overflowing with magic, here are eight of the best to explore.

Charlotte Varela  •  12 Mar 2025

Trees woods and wildlife

Mayfly

Known for its short adult life, the mayfly is here for a good time, not a long time. Emerging between May and August, it dances above freshwater rivers and lakes to find a mate.

Trees woods and wildlife

Atlantic salmon

A fish with a harsh life and epic journey. They’ve long been a favoured seafood, but over-fishing and pollution have seriously impacted populations.

Blog

Ancient yew trees: the UK's oldest yews

Often associated with immortality, a yew tree can live for thousands of years. Here are some of the oldest yews in the UK.

Rory Morrow  •  27 Aug 2025

Blog

Why do spiders make webs, and other spider web facts

Spider webs are incredible feats of engineering, but why do spiders make webs in the first place? And how do they do it?

Charlotte Varela  •  05 Sep 2022

Trees woods and wildlife

Ivy

Clingy, luscious, misunderstood. Ivy has long been accused of strangling trees, but it doesn’t harm the tree at all, and even supports at least 50 species of wildlife.

Blog

Chiffchaff or willow warbler? How to tell the difference

Chiffchaffs and willow warblers migrate to our shores every spring. Can you tell them apart? Discover the differences in appearance, call and habitat.

Alex Marshall  •  03 Feb 2025

Practical guidance

Recognising and categorising ancient and other veteran trees

Ancient and veteran trees provide irreplaceable benefits to people and wildlife, but they can be difficult to recognise and categorise. Read our guide to confidently and reliably identify these living legends.

PDF  (3.35 MB)

Blog

Rare UK animals quiz: how well do you know our endangered wildlife?

We all love wildlife, but did you know we live in one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth? Take our quiz to see if you recognise rare and endangered species, plus find out what we’re doing to change things and how you can help make a difference.

Charlie Mellor  •  07 May 2025