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Blog
10 best trees to attract birds and other wildlife
Native trees offer birds and other animals vital food and shelter all year round. Boost biodiversity with our top 10 trees suited to small gardens and larger spaces.
Charlie Mellor • 02 May 2023
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Support us
Endangered wildlife appeal
Nature needs help. Please make a donation to support our life-changing work to plant trees, restore habitats and protect the UK's woodland. Together, we can give wildlife a future.
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Blog
Wildlife quiz: friend or foe?
Not all wildlife is welcomed into our woods, homes and gardens with open arms. Some species are seen as pests, but is it just a case of a bad reputation? Test your knowledge in our quiz!
Charlotte Varela • 09 Sept 2024
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Research briefing
Trees on hen ranges are a haven for wildlife
This briefing highlights how various wildlife species benefit from trees on hen ranges using findings from surveys across nine sites in Cumbria from 2016-2019.
PDF (702 KB)
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Trees woods and wildlife
Woodland wildlife
The UK's native woods and trees support a great diversity of living organisms. Our species guides explore the wildlife that depends on woodland, from plants and fungi to mammals, birds, bees and beetles.
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Press centre
First trees planted as charity tees up to turn abandoned golf course into wildlife haven
School children are set to plant the first of 30,000 trees at Frodsham, Cheshire in an ambitious project to turn fairways into forest and greens into glades.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Oak trees and wildlife
Our fantastic oaks support more life than any other UK native tree. Discover which species live and feed on oak, from foxes and fungi to bats and beetles.
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Blog
British trees and shrubs to plant: 14 native garden trees
British trees pack a big punch in your garden. Make space for one or two you’ll have year-round interest and be supporting wildlife too. Here's our top 14 native trees to plant in your garden.
Helen Keating • 08 Nov 2021
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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.
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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.
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Blog
10 ways to help wildlife in autumn
We can all take small actions to help wildlife this autumn. From your balcony or workplace to the local woods and beyond, here are our ten top tips.
Charlie Mellor • 19 Oct 2022
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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
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Press centre
New research proves woodland wildlife does wonders for wellbeing
Groundbreaking new research backed by the Woodland Trust proves that woods teeming with wildlife do wonders for your wellbeing.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Why are trees important for biodiversity?
Woodland is home to a wealth of wildlife. If we don't protect what we have left and work to create woodlands of the future, we stand to lose more than just trees.
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Plant trees
Why plant trees?
Whatever your reason for planting, trees have far-reaching benefits for all of us.
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Protecting trees and woods
What urban trees do for us
They green our cities. They clean our air. They fight the effects of climate change. They even increase the value of our houses. Urban woods and trees do so much for people, wildlife and our economy.
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Blog
7 amazing woodland wildlife walks in Scotland
From otters and ospreys to fascinating fungi and flowers, Scotland's wildlife and scenery are spectacular. Check out 7 of our favourite woods for wildlife walks.
Charlie Mellor • 15 Jul 2022
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Trees woods and wildlife
Urban trees and woodland
Underrated heroes, colourful comforts and spaces for people and wildlife. Urban trees and woodland are all the more valuable for their location. They support plants and animals, clean our air and boost wellbeing.
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Blog
10 ways to help wildlife in spring
We can all make a difference for wildlife this season, from a single simple action to an ongoing commitment, at home or further afield. Read our ten top tips.
Charlie Mellor • 01 Mar 2023
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Press centre
Rhododendron is destroying our native wildlife
Popular for its pretty flowers, Rhododendron ponticum is an invasive non-native species and is damaging native woods and wildlife.
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Blog
How to attract wildlife to your garden: 5 top tips
Make your garden a haven for wildlife and you can enjoy the sights and sounds of nature knowing that you’re making a difference.
Charlie Mellor • 26 Jun 2020
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Blog
How and when to plant fruit trees
Find out how to choose the best fruit tree for you and your garden, when and where to plant them and the benefits they bring for wildlife.
Helen Keating • 05 Nov 2020
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Plant trees
Rugby club plants for riverside wildlife
When trees were lost in stormy weather, South Wales' Blackwood RFC applied for a community tree pack to restore the wildlife habitat, soil stability and beauty that had been washed downriver.
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Blog
Autumn trees for your garden: best native trees for seasonal colour
Our guide to the best UK native trees to plant in your garden for a splash of seasonal colour, from fiery foliage to bright, bold berries.
Helen Keating • 19 Oct 2020
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Blog
Wildlife mythbusting: fact or fiction?
Is there any truth to these popular beliefs about UK plants and animals? From stinging bees to talking trees, the answers might surprise you. Test your knowledge with our ten questions.
Charlie Mellor • 06 Sept 2023
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Video
Planting trees for wildlife, environment and future generations
Through our MOREwoods and MOREhedges schemes, Robert Moore has planted trees to attract wildlife, capture carbon, improve visual impact and make better use of underperforming areas of his 356 hectare Lincolnshire farm.
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Support us
Charter for Trees, Woods and People
Discover the ten principles that set out the modern day relationship between people and trees and a vision for a future where we can be stronger together.
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Support us
Plant trees with your school
Tree planting is a hands-on way for children to make a real impact on the environment. We’ve already helped schools plant five million trees across the UK; discover how we can help you.
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Blog
Common tree identification: top 10 beginner's trees
Our top ten trees to give you a crash course in common tree identification.
Helen Keating • 26 May 2021
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Press centre
11 weird and wonderful wildlife of our rainforests
From a stinky fish-smelling lichen to one which looks like a dragon’s skin, to the world’s largest slug with the strangest mating ritual – the weird and wonderful wildlife of our rainforests.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Fir, Douglas
A fragrant home for wildlife, the Douglas fir isn’t just for Christmas. First introduced in the 1800s, it’s been a valuable timber source and provided homes for the likes of red squirrels and pine martens.
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Press centre
Climate action: water your street trees
Rising temperatures and dry spells are leading to an increasing loss of new street trees, but the nation can do its bit, urge tree groups.
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Support us
The power of trees - KS3 assembly
Inspire secondary students with this presentation about the incredible way trees benefit people and the planet. This assembly can also support your school's tree-planting activities.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Tackling air pollution with trees
Air pollution can have a serious impact on our health, global climate and biodiversity, but there are ways to reduce it. Discover the role trees have to play.
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Blog
Protected trees: how to know which trees are protected
Our guide explains the different methods of protection, how to check what’s already in place and what you can do to protect trees that are important to you.
Nicole Hillier • 17 Jul 2020
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Press centre
More than 10 million trees planted across the Northern Forest
More than 10 million trees have now been established across the North of England as part of the Northern Forest scheme, which launched in 2018.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Trees and woods: at the heart of nature recovery
Healthy woods and trees are the beating heart of abundant, nature-rich habitats. Our new reports show the central role they must play in nature's recovery.
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Video
How trees capture and store carbon
Photosynthesis is made simple as you take a journey into the leaf of a tree with our animation and discover how trees capture and store carbon.
00:02:29
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Blog
Four examples of how UK wildlife camouflages
Find out how animals in the UK use camouflage to hide in plain sight. In this blog, we explore four types of camouflage and why it is important for animals.
Julia Lock • 23 May 2022
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Trees woods and wildlife
A-Z of British trees
Explore our simple A-Z identification guide to the trees of Britain, from natives to naturalised and widely planted non-native species. You'll find images, tree descriptions and information on where you're likely to find them.
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Blog
How do heatwaves affect wildlife?
As the UK experiences extreme heat and drought, we take a look at the potentially catastrophic effects of heatwaves on wildlife from early fruit ripening to a false autumn.
Fritha West • 10 Aug 2022
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Blog
Why do we need trees?
Trees are invaluable to us and the environment. Find out why and how you can help protect them.
Jack Taylor • 08 Dec 2017
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Trees woods and wildlife
Why we need trees
We desperately need trees to help fight climate change, save wildlife, improve our health, and more.
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Blog
UK winter wildlife quiz: true or false?
How much do you know about what wildlife gets up to in winter? Test your knowledge with our fun quiz.
Charlie Mellor • 20 Nov 2023
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Blog
Winter wildlife watching: what, where and when to spot
The winter weather might be frightful, but nature is always delightful. Here are our top tips on what wildlife to look out for, where and when on your winter walks.
Rory Morrow • 13 Jan 2025
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Trees woods and wildlife
Why bats need woods and trees
The UK is home to 18 species of bats, all of which are protected by law. This protection extends to their breeding and resting places. Hedgerows, tree lines and watercourses are important to the roosting, foraging and navigation needs of bats.
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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.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Yorkshire fog grass
Beautiful but unpalatable, Yorkshire fog grass glows a gentle purple in meadows and wasteland alike. It’s not a favourite with livestock, but is eaten by the caterpillars of the small skipper.
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Press centre
New report reveals serious threat to Welsh woods and trees
A Woodland Trust report provides evidence of multiple threats that pose catastrophic consequences for woods and trees across the UK.
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Protecting trees and woods
Street tree heroes: standing up for street trees
People across the UK are fighting for their street trees. They're planting the street trees of the future, rallying the support of their communities and influencing local planning policies.