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Trees woods and wildlife

Buckthorn, purging

Prickly and with the ability to purge. This plant’s common name harks back its use as a laxative. It’s a fierce, invasive species in North America.

Trees woods and wildlife

Brandt's bat

Small and shaggy, this pink-faced bat is often found in wet woodland. Keep your eyes peeled for them at dusk when they come out to hunt.

Trees woods and wildlife

Lynx

These solitary, stealthy hunters are currently extinct in the UK, but some advocates of rewilding would like to see them return.

Trees woods and wildlife

How to identify trees

All trees have clues and features that can help with identification. You just need to know what to look out for with our quick guide.

Trees woods and wildlife

Grey squirrel

Tree-climbing nut buriers. Scampering grey squirrels are a familiar sight, but sadly these American imports have had a disastrous impact on the native red squirrel.

Trees woods and wildlife

Pear, Plymouth

Rare, charming, foul-smelling. Plymouth pear was named after where it was found in the 1800s. Its fruit feeds wildlife, and its blossom, though beautiful, has quite a smell.

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

Video

Phillipa Batchelor - volunteer administrator

Find out more about Phillipa's volunteering role and why she was nominated for an award.

00:02:05

Press centre

Tree planting progress ‘near glacial' as Government releases new figures

Government tree planting figures published today show that targets to create new woodland in England have been missed again.