Woodland revival
Picture the size of 12 football pitches and you’ll begin to understand the incredible scale of our latest project, one of the largest tree planting efforts Cheshire has seen in recent years. Restoring the UK’s lost woodlands is a cause close to our hearts and the nearly 19,000 trees planted as part of this woodland creation will become a haven for wildlife and play a part in our journey towards net zero.
Woodlands currently cover 13% of the UK’s land area and are estimated to soak up around 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. Cheshire’s woodland cover is less than 5%, something that we are working hard to grow, along with our funding partners on this project – the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Mersey Forest. With the increasing amount of housing developments, railways and roads, and agricultural expansion among other issues, it’s vital that we continue to cherish and champion the restoration and creation of native woodlands.
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Common oak (Quercus robur)
Potentially growing up to 40m in height, the common oak is known for its strong branches and signature brown acorns. Oak trees are in decline across the UK, impacting wildlife that use the trees for food and shelter.
Silver birch (Betula pendula)
A pale barked tree, often seen as a symbol of purity, the silver birch is a striking addition to the woodland. With delicate drooping branches and a signature white bark which sheds layers like tissue paper, it is a popular tree with both gardeners and the 300 woodland insects that visit it.
Wild cherry (Prunus avium)
One of the prettiest trees to be found in the woodland, the wild cherry is a popular pit stop for birds who eat the cherries and play their role as propagators by dispersing the wild cherry seeds.
Hazel (Corylus avellane)
The hazel is famed for its long, yellow clusters of tiny flowers that appear during spring and the abundance of hazelnuts that appear in late summer. These tasty nuts are a favourite of woodpeckers, nuthatches and wood mice, with some animals storing their collection in burrows or old birds' nests.
Native treasures
From ancient oaks to wild cherry trees, the woodlands of Cheshire’s past would’ve been filled with a rich mix of native tree and shrub species. Planting the right species in the right areas of land was a big part of the planning process for the project and saw over 20 new species introduced to the previously low-biodiversity field as part of its transformation.
Common oak (Quercus robur)
Potentially growing up to 40m in height, the common oak is known for its strong branches and signature brown acorns. Oak trees are in decline across the UK, impacting wildlife that use the trees for food and shelter.
Silver birch (Betula pendula)
A pale barked tree, often seen as a symbol of purity, the silver birch is a striking addition to the woodland. With delicate drooping branches and a signature white bark which sheds layers like tissue paper, it is a popular tree with both gardeners and the 300 woodland insects that visit it.
Wild cherry (Prunus avium)
One of the prettiest trees to be found in the woodland, the wild cherry is a popular pit stop for birds who eat the cherries and play their role as propagators by dispersing the wild cherry seeds.
Hazel (Corylus avellane)
The hazel is famed for its long, yellow clusters of tiny flowers that appear during spring and the abundance of hazelnuts that appear in late summer. These tasty nuts are a favourite of woodpeckers, nuthatches and wood mice, with some animals storing their collection in burrows or old birds' nests.
A safe haven
The woodland consists of 100% native tree species to maximise the benefits for biodiversity on our doorstep, with native wildlife at the heart of its vision. Glades and clearings will become a perfect space for speckled wood butterflies, and hopes are that woodpeckers, bats and small mammals, such as mice and voles, will begin to thrive as the woodland comes into its own over the decades to come.
Like a missing piece in the local woodland jigsaw, the 19,000 trees planted connect two existing small woods in the area. This is helping to improve safe passage for wildlife and make the woodland more resilient.
A safe haven
The woodland consists of 100% native tree species to maximise the benefits for biodiversity on our doorstep, with native wildlife at the heart of its vision. Glades and clearings will become a perfect space for speckled wood butterflies, and hopes are that woodpeckers, bats and small mammals, such as mice and voles, will begin to thrive as the woodland comes into its own over the decades to come.
Like a missing piece in the local woodland jigsaw, the 19,000 trees planted connect two existing small woods in the area. This is helping to improve safe passage for wildlife and make the woodland more resilient.
Sustainability goals
The wider benefits of creating woodlands are much greater, including improving water and air quality, and addressing climate change.
Trees are key to taking action on the climate crisis, as they are able to store carbon as they grow, taking carbon dioxide from the air and converting it to carbon in the form of the tree’s wood, leaves, and roots.
Our new woodland forms part of Chester Zoo’s commitment to sustainability across our operations, with ambitious targets to be carbon net zero in our direct and indirect emissions by 2030. We also hope to boost UK biodiversity (the variety of plant and animal life) with 30% of our zoo land dedicated to UK biodiversity by 2030.
Ways to work with the woodland…
We’ll be sure to keep all of you, our valued members, posted on the development of the woodland as it matures over the coming years. You can also find out more about how we work with volunteers in our community.
Alongside the flourishing nature reserve here at the zoo, as the woodland project grows and develops, we are keen to create a volunteer group to help us with the management of this amazing habitat. The group will form a vital part of monitoring the woodland’s growth and discovering more about the vast array of wildlife that will begin to make this new habitat their home.
Scott Wilson, Head of Field Programmes, Chester Zoo
Ways to work with the woodland…
We’ll be sure to keep all of you, our valued members, posted on the development of the woodland as it matures over the coming years. You can also find out more about how we work with volunteers in our community.
Alongside the flourishing nature reserve here at the zoo, as the woodland project grows and develops, we are keen to create a volunteer group to help us with the management of this amazing habitat. The group will form a vital part of monitoring the woodland’s growth and discovering more about the vast array of wildlife that will begin to make this new habitat their home.
Scott Wilson, Head of Field Programmes, Chester Zoo
