Westonbirt’s green warriors plants 3,300 trees in a season

PLANTING : Westonbirt Arboretum-Silk Wood Community Planting Project-with Wild Westonbirt participants- Credit Mandy Leivers

The National Arboretum has branched out in their efforts to combat deforestation. Westonbirt has been busy working with groups from their community, planting as many trees as possible in the first year of the Silk Wood Community Planting Project.

Thanks to funding and support from The Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and others, over 600 people have taken part in the project, planting an amazing total of 3,300 trees on 32 planting days between November 2023 and March 2024.

The community group involvement has included individuals from eight schools, two colleges, one university, six youth groups and 107 volunteers from groups based in and around Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol.

The tree planting and natural regeneration project is creating a new community woodland at Westonbirt, overcoming the impact of tree felling in 2021 due to Chalara ash dieback – a fungal disease that kills ash trees - and helping restore an area of ancient semi-natural woodland within the arboretum.

Commenting on the project’s progress so far, Oscar Adams, project manager at Westonbirt, whose role has been funded by the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum, said: “We’re delighted that so many trees have been planted in our first planting season of this big three-year project! Visitors are also telling us that they’re excited to see the new community woodland taking place. We thank everybody who helped us with the planting so far.

“The work doesn’t stop here. We’re inviting community groups back again throughout the year to help us care for the young trees they helped us plant. We’re also looking forward to the next planting season that will begin this November.

“Involving so many young people in the project is giving us the chance to inspire and excite them about trees, woodland management, and heritage conservation - securing the future for Westonbirt Arboretum. We hope they’ll frequently return to see how their trees grow.”

Instead of working with contractors on the replanting, Westonbirt decided to use this project as way to engage hundreds of local people. The project is targeting young people, people from disadvantaged backgrounds, those with neurodiverse conditions and people of a broad range of ethnicities to be part of this journey. The local groups have been participating alongside Westonbirt’s team in the woodland design, selection of trees, ground clearing and preparation, tree planting and future care of this beautiful woodland.

The tree species that are being planted have been carefully selected from Forestry England’s Delamere Nursery with climate and disease resilience in mind. Native species such as field maple, small-leaved lime, pedunculate oak, hawthorn, alder and holly are being planted.

The project’s aim is to plant at least 9,000 trees in total within the Silk Wood area of the arboretum, and local community groups will be involved in every step of the woodland regeneration. Over the summer months, caring for the newly planted trees is the next focus for everyone involved.

The team look forward to sharing more news about this project as it evolves, explaining how you can support this regeneration project that is empowering local communities at Westonbirt Arboretum. Visit the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum blog for updates fowa.org.uk/blog

For more details about the Silk Wood Community Planting Project, see also https://www.forestryengland.uk/westonbirt/community-planting-project

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