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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.

Visiting woods

Woods through the seasons

Our woods are a wonderful place to visit all year round. Visit in spring for swathes of bluebells, summer for sunlit picnics, autumn for bright bold colours and winter for snow-topped trees.

Visiting woods

Spring's vital signs report 2025 

Find out about how frogspawn, blackthorn and song thrush are affected by a changing climate. 

Blog

Why do nettles sting? And do dock leaves really help?

Stinging nettles can be a hazard on summer walks. Learn why these plants inflict their itchy stings and whether dock leaves really do help.

Laura Cottam  •  15 May 2019

Protecting trees and woods

Threats to woods and trees

Threats to woodland, wildlife and the wider environment are growing. Our trees and woods face a challenging combination of pressures, from humans, pests and diseases.

Support us

Rainforest appeal

Help support our vital conservation work to protect our vanishingly rare woodland habitats before we lose them forever.

Blog

Life cycle of a plant: seeds, shoots and roots

Plant lives have a beginning and end just like ours. Here's a roundup of the different stages plants go through, from a new seed to eventual death.

Sally Bavin  •  02 Mar 2021

Blog

SSSI definition: what is it and what does it mean for conservation and development?

A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a formal conservation designation. Learn how they are determined, why we have them and where to see them in the UK.

Laura Cottam  •  01 Mar 2019