In 2026, we’re celebrating our 30th anniversary. Over the course of three decades, we’ve planted millions of trees and increased native woodland cover in Northern Ireland. But we still need your support to help people and nature here thrive.
We opened our Northern Ireland office in Bangor in 1996, embarking on a journey to plant new native woodlands while campaigning to protect our oldest and most important woods and trees.
Kilcooley Wood near Bangor was our very first wood in Northern Ireland. Planted with the help of the local community, it was followed by our first acquisition of ancient woodland – the stunning Drumnaph Wood near Maghera.
We have grown immensely since those early days, planting millions of trees, protecting irreplaceable ancient woodland and creating over 50 publicly accessible woods across the region, which remain completely free to visit and yours to explore.
Despite these achievements, Northern Ireland remains the least-wooded region in the UK and Ireland. As we reflect on our 30-year milestone, there is still so much we can do. With your help, we can protect more ancient woodland, create new havens for wildlife and ensure that Northern Ireland’s woods and trees keep on delivering benefits for people and nature.
For our 30th birthday, we want to raise £30,000 to protect native woodland and plant more trees – all for the benefit of people and wildlife in Northern Ireland.
per year
can help plant 6,000 trees, remove invasive species from our estate and care for and maintain three of our woodlands.
By donating for our 30th birthday, you’ll help us protect, restore and create native woodland across Northern Ireland.
Credit: Michael Cooper / WTML
Woodland cover in Northern Ireland is just 8.6% – well below the European average of 38%. We’ll work with landowners to plant more trees, creating healthy, resilient environments for people and vital corridors for wildlife.
Credit: John Bridges / WTML
With your help we can preserve increasingly rare ancient woodlands like those found at Mourne Park, benefiting threatened wildlife such as red squirrels and pine martens.
Credit: Michael Cooper / WTML
Your contribution will help us inspire young people, providing the knowledge and training to equip the next generation in becoming champions of our native woodland.
Credit: Jill Jennings / WTML
With your support, we’ll be able to keep our more than 50 native woods across Northern Ireland free and accessible for everyone. Not only that, we’ll keep providing inspirational sculptures such as those at Faughan Valley, as well as amazing visitor experiences across our estate.
Our supporters have allowed us to expand our work across Northern Ireland. From the Faughan Valley in the northwest to Mourne Park in the southeast, your continued support allows us to achieve our vision of a country where woods and trees thrive for people and nature. Your help is vital to make this vision reality.
Will you join us in our 30th birthday year and support our vision? Together we can protect more ancient woodland, create healthy habitats for wildlife and plant more trees.
Call us on 0330 333 3300 between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, and our friendly team will be there to assist.
Send a cheque to our head office at Northern Ireland 30th Appeal, Woodland Trust, Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL. Please make cheques payable to the Woodland Trust.
