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Blog
Broadleaf spring issue: a burst of new life
After a soggy start to spring, the world is at last alive with birdsong, bright yellow daffodils and the first flurry of puff-white blossom. Bring on the bluebells!
Elisabeth Crump • 11 Mar 2024
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Blog
What is a seed bank, how does it work and why is it important?
Discover the vital work of seed banks, including facts and figures on why we store so many seeds, how long for and how they might be used in the future.
Rebecca Gosling • 02 Dec 2020
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Blog
Witches' brooms: what they look like and why they form
Witches' brooms look like a dense tangled bird nest. But what are they and what causes them?
Annabel Kemp • 12 Nov 2024
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Protecting trees and woods
Creating a neighbourhood plan
Our tips and resources for sourcing and compiling evidence to support your neighbourhood plan.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Wild boar
Big, bulky and back. Wild boar have made a controversial return to the UK’s woods after centuries away.
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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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Press centre
DAERA's Forests for our Future programme fails to meet planting targets for Northern Ireland
At the programme’s halfway point, less than a quarter of new woodland have been created – well below the level required to meet the target.
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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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Blog
Why do leaves change colour and fall off in autumn?
Autumn is the most spectacular season thanks to our deciduous trees. But why is autumn colour better some years than others? Find out why.
Helen Keating • 02 Oct 2020
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Trees woods and wildlife
Bank vole
Stout but speedy, the bank vole skitters around woodland and dense vegetation looking for blackberries, nuts and fungi. It uses its large ears to listen out for its many predators, such as the fox and kestrel.