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Trees woods and wildlife
British native trees
Native UK trees colonised the land when the glaciers melted after the last Ice Age and before the UK was disconnected from mainland Europe.
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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.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Rose chafer
With striking, iridescent bodies that shimmer like oil slicks in the sunshine, rose chafers are easy to spot as they crawl among the flowers on summer days.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Buzzing spider
Keep a keen ear out for this leaf-lover with real rhythm. Look for the buzzing spider on leaves and stems of deciduous trees and shrubs in woods and parks.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Harvestman
Spindly, gangly, with small, rounded bodies. These oddly proportioned spider relatives escape predators by losing their limbs. Look for them in damp woodland environments.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Lemon slug
Slimy, secretive and quite the picky eater. The fungus-loving lemon slug relies on ancient woodland to survive.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Greater butterfly-orchid
Tall and glowing, the greater butterfly-orchid sways over unimproved grasslands and open woods. Though not so sweet-smelling as its lesser relative, keep a nose out for it in the early evening when it is at its most pungent.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Herb-robert
Pretty, pink and healing, herb-robert flourishes in woodland from spring to late summer. Spot its bright flowers in shady spots in woods and grasslands.
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Protecting trees and woods
Campaign win: new planning rules protect Scotland’s ancient woods and trees
Scotland's planning policy has been updated to protect irreplaceable ancient woods and trees from inappropriate development.
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Visiting woods
Spring's vital signs report 2025
Find out about how frogspawn, blackthorn and song thrush are affected by a changing climate.