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Plant trees

Tree planting advice

Thinking of planting trees, but need some help? Explore advice on choosing the right tree species, location, how to plant and aftercare.

Visiting woods

Responsible foraging guidelines

Follow our responsible foraging guidelines and you can collect wild food without harming woods or wildlife.

Visiting woods

Foraging: what to look out for each month

Foraging for wild food connects us with nature and gives us a reason to get adventurous in the kitchen! See our year-round guide to sustainable foraging: what's in season and how to prepare and eat it.

Blog

Foraging in November and December: edible wild plants

Don't be put off by short days and cold, damp weather as winter arrives. There are still wild foraging treats to brighten your days. Here are some favourites.

Rory Morrow  •  26 Nov 2024

Blog

Foraging in October: berries and nuts to find this autumn

Discover our top foraging finds for October with tips on where to find the best wild foods, when and how to use them.

Rory Morrow  •  06 Oct 2025

Blog

Foraging in October: which wild mushrooms can you eat?

Explore the world of foraging with these top wild fungi picking and cooking tips. Here are five edible fungi that are easy to identify.

Helen Keating  •  29 Oct 2018

Blog

Foraging in June: edible flowers, plants and herbs

From fresh flowers to tender leaves, here are some edible plants to forage in June. These are my top tips on where to find them, and how to turn them into something tasty.

Helen Keating  •  24 Jun 2021

Blog

Foraging in July: nature's best summer food for foraging

Here are our top six edible wild plants to look out for in July, with tips on what to look for and how to harvest, cook and eat them.

Helen Keating  •  08 Jul 2021

Blog

Foraging in January: winter fruits and nuts

You can still forage for tasty treats when it’s cold outside and the leaves have fallen. Here's our list of fruits and nuts to look out for in winter.

Helen Keating  •  16 Jan 2018

Blog

Foraging in August: find food this summer

Blackberries, rowan berries and crab apples are all ripening this month. Here are six wild edible plants to collect with top tips and recipes on how to use them.

Helen Keating  •  15 Aug 2017

Blog

Foraging in March: spring's edible plants

Spring has arrived and the woods and hedgerows are about to burst with edible spring greens, shoots and flowers. Find out which ones you can eat and what to do with them.

Helen Keating  •  28 Mar 2018

Blog

Foraging in April: edible wild plants to harvest

April is the time to look out for fresh new greens and herbs to give your food a seasonal springtime boost. Here are seven easy-to-identify edible herbs and plants to look out for.

Helen Keating  •  27 Apr 2023

Visiting woods

Foraging recipes

From flowers and fruits to leaves, nuts and seeds. Here are our favourite foraging recipes using plants from the UK countryside. 

Blog

Foraging in February: mushrooms, nettles and early flowers

Even in February, green shoots and early spring flowers are starting to appear. And they’re growing quickly. Here are some spring plants and winter fungi to look out for.

Helen Keating  •  22 Feb 2018

Blog

Foraging in September: edible wild plants and berries to look out for

Ten edible wild plants and mushrooms to forage for in September, with tips on what to look for and how to gather and eat them.

Rory Morrow  •  25 Sept 2024

Blog

Foraging in May: a guide to wild herbs and other edible plants

Find out which wild plants you can forage in May. Learn about edible plants with our quick identification guide and tips on how to find, eat and prepare them.

Helen Keating  •  08 May 2019

Blog

How to forage wild garlic and make wild garlic pesto

What's that smell? It's wild garlic season! Find out how to make the best of it with our foraging guide and recipes.

Laura Cottam  •  26 Apr 2019

Protecting trees and woods

Advice and support

If you own or manage an ancient wood, we can guide you through the restoration process.

Plant trees

MOREhedges

Our MOREhedges scheme includes saplings, advice and funding for new hedging projects of 100 metres or more.

Trees woods and wildlife

Pine marten

Shy, curious and playful. The pine marten is a stealthy, acrobatic hunter that relies on the cover of woods and trees for its foraging missions. It’s critically endangered in England and Wales as much of its woodland habitat has been lost.

Plant trees

Community woods

Want to set up your own community wood? Our advice and guidance will get you started, from funding to planning for the future.

Plant trees

MOREwoods

Want to plant 500+ trees on at least half a hectare? Apply for saplings, advice and funding with our MOREwoods scheme.

Plant trees

Managing trees and woods

Explore expert advice on how to manage your woodland from planting to maturity and care for valuable ancient and veteran trees on your land.

Blog

Badgers: what do they eat? And other facts

Get advice on their feeding habits, from nuts to mealworms, and other top facts.

Helen Keating  •  27 Aug 2019

Blog

Foraging for natural Christmas decorations

Transform your home into a woodland wonderland this Christmas with our easy ideas for festive, foraged home decor. 

Helen Keating  •  05 Dec 2022

Practical guidance

Benefits of woods and trees for local authorities

This document provides guidance and advice for local government to better achieve its environmental ambitions.

PDF  (549 KB)

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.   

Plant trees

Funding a community wood

Our advice on how to seek funding for your community wood, from buying the site and trees to on-going maintenance. 

Practical guidance

Tree planting for free range poultry farms

Incorporating trees into free range poultry farms can improve the welfare of birds and their performance. We give advice on planting design and maintenance.

PDF  (650 KB)

Blog

Farm diversification: ideas, grants and examples

The UK farming sector faces many challenges, but with them come opportunities. With careful planning and expert advice, trees and woods can build resilience into your farming system and earn extra income too.

Helen Chesshire  •  24 Apr 2026

Blog

Foraging at Easter: make a wreath and other home decorations

Brighten up your home and bring spring indoors with these easy ideas for Easter decorations using wild foraged plants.

Helen Keating  •  07 Apr 2022

Protecting trees and woods

Take action in your community

You can get involved in lots of ways, indoors and out. Check out our ideas and advice for plenty of ways to make a difference for woods and trees, now and for the future.

Trees woods and wildlife

Wild garlic

A delicious sign of the old, wild garlic is also known as ramsons. Look for them in shady woods where they coat the woodland floor in spring.

Practical guidance

Assessing ammonia impacts on ancient woodland

A technical advice note on assessing the impact of new developments on nearby ancient woodland in terms of ammonia air pollution and nitrogen deposition.

PDF  (2.08 MB)

Support us

Fundraising FAQs

Advice on fundraising for the Woodland Trust, getting your money to us, and on how we spend your money.

Blog

Rowan jelly: how to find and make it

Rowan, with its fiery red berries, is a tree that's difficult to miss at the moment. If you want to try foraging this is a great way to start. Get top identification tips and a step-by-step recipe on how to make rowan jelly.

Helen Keating  •  13 Aug 2018

Visiting woods

Discover woods in autumn

A visit to the woods during this spectacular season is always a treat. Grab your woolly scarf, pull on your wellies and venture out into the crisp autumn air. Listen to the crunch of leaves beneath your feet and get swept away in all that this season has to offer.

Blog

Why does sap rise in spring?

Pruning deciduous trees should be avoided during spring because the sap is rising – but what does this actually mean?

Charlotte Varela  •  20 May 2024

Blog

10 camping activities for kids who love wildlife

Discover 10 wildlife-themed activities for kids and families to enjoy on a camping trip.

Danielle Wesley  •  02 Aug 2023

Blog

Outdoor Christmas activities for families

Get out into nature this Christmas and enjoy some festive activities with your family on a woodland walk.

Danielle Wesley  •  13 Dec 2021

Plant trees

Trees for landowners and farmers

If you’re looking to plant lots of trees, we have the trees, grants and funding schemes to help.

Plant trees

Creating a woodland: planning and design

Growing a wood from scratch is an ambitious undertaking, but thorough planning will put you on the path to success.

Plant trees

How to care for your trees

Once your trees are in the ground it’s important to care for them, especially in the first few years.

Protecting trees and woods

Subsidence and trees

How do you know whether your home has subsidence? And how do you know if a tree is causing it? Find out more about subsidence and trees.

Blog

How to make bramble whisky: recipe for blackberry liqueur

Read our simple and easy recipe for this delicious foraged blackberry liqueur, or bramble whisky. You'll love this homemade tipple, it's sure to impress!

George Anderson  •  12 Aug 2019

Plant trees

UK sourced and grown trees: why is it important to buy them?

Buying UK sourced and grown trees is the best way to prevent the spread of imported pests and diseases.

Blog

Easy blackberry recipes

Forage for blackberries to make blackberry crumble, bramble flapjack, summer fruits pudding, and a sweet blackberry sauce.

Danielle Wesley  •  27 Aug 2019

Practical guidance

Site Assessment Handbook

This handbook will help you gather information on your site to help you create your own woodland. It guides you through four assessment stages and offers advice on growing the right trees in the right place.

PDF  (4.65 MB)

Press centre

Fair and flexible approach could meet tree cover requirement for Welsh farms

Fair funding and a flexible approach can make the 10% minimum tree cover requirement achievable for most farms, says the Woodland Trust in Wales.

Blog

When to prune apple and other fruit trees

Whether you're reviving an old fruit tree, shaping a new one, or encouraging a jumper crop, here's our top advice on what to do and when to do it. From apples and pears to peaches and plums.

Helen Keating  •  02 Feb 2018

Trees woods and wildlife

Chicken of the woods

Bright, bold and soft to the touch, chicken of the woods is easy to spot.

Blog

Where does mistletoe grow?

Mistletoe is a familiar Christmas staple, associated with folklore and midwinter tradition. But where does it grow and how can you find it in the wild?

Hanako Shimada  •  23 Dec 2024

Blog

Wildflowers for bees: how to attract bees to your garden

Wild bees and other pollinators are in decline. But there are things you can do in your garden to help reverse this trend including increasing food and habitat. Includes our top nine bee-friendly wildflowers to plant in your garden.

Helen Keating  •  18 Mar 2019

Trees woods and wildlife

Rook

Raucous relative of the crow. After a day foraging in the fields, rooks head to the trees en masse; a noisy congregation settling down for a good night’s sleep among the branches.

Trees woods and wildlife

Heathland and moorland

Shaped by our ancestors for life’s essentials. Open heathlands provided grazing, foraging, and vital materials. Find out how they support specialist wildlife and form mosaics with other open and wooded habitats.

Video

How to plant a hedge

Watch our simple guide to creating a new hedge, from marking out to planting and protecting your young saplings. 

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Video

Woodland carbon: eligibility and getting started

Interested in our woodland carbon scheme? Find out if you qualify and learn how to get started.

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Video

Unboxing your trees

Watch our unboxing video to see what will arrive when you order trees from our shop. All saplings are delivered for free, carefully packed and ready to plant.

00:00:47

Press centre

More farmers seeking benefits of trees - thousand attend Agroforestry Show 

A 'growing movement' is recognising that trees can offer farm resilience and business opportunities in the face of extreme weather with more than a thousand people joining the Agroforestry Show.

Press centre

1.7+ million trees planted on crofts 

A scheme to help crofters create native woods has planted over 1.7 million trees in the last decade and established forestry as part of the crofting landscape. 

Video

Creating a wood for conservation, community and coppicing

Mark and Liz Lea planted a woodland on their organic Shropshire farm in 2023 with MOREwoods. They hope it will boost biodiversity, benefit their local community and provide wood chip for their biomass boiler.

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Video

Will Evans, lowland beef and arable farmer, near Wrexham

Discover why Will planted more hedgerows on his mixed farm and how hedges and edges can make a big difference in tackling the biodiversity and climate crises.

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Video

Combatting flooding and soil erosion with trees

Leicestershire-based farmer Rachael Spence talks about how planting trees with the MOREwoods scheme has improved drainage and soil quality on her smallholding.

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Video

Improve livestock health and wellbeing

David Brass, CEO of The Lakes Free Range Egg Company, has seen improvements in animal health as well as commercial benefits for his farm after planting trees. 

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Blog

When to pick sloes and how to make sloe gin

Sloe gin is a traditional tipple at Christmas and throughout winter. If you've been wondering how to make sloe gin, our easy recipe will help you whip up a batch of this sweet and warming liqueur.

Charlotte Varela  •  24 Oct 2025

Video

First steps to restoring an ancient woodland in Yorkshire

David Ward, a retired telecommunications engineer, bought a four acre ancient woodland in 2014. With limited knowledge and experience, he turned to Woodland Trust’s adviser Robin Ridley.

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Video

Restoring Coed y Galchog: a 25 year plan

Ray Turner, owner of Coed y Galchog near Ruthin, explains how the Woodland Trust is helping with his 25 year plan to restore the wood for future generations to enjoy.

00:05:09

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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