Woodlands for the future
A critical race against time
We are facing the slow collapse of our most beloved wild spaces. Research suggests that our woodlands are on the brink of ecological collapse, and in as little as 50 years, these diverse and magical spaces could fall silent.
Will you help us this autumn to restore our woodlands for the future?
We are living through the quiet unravelling of our wildest places. But we can still choose a different future: a future where woods glitter with birdsong, rustle with mammals, and teem with life.
Autumnul Grass Wood (c) Sara
Give Yorkshire's woodlands a future
Seeing the wood for its trees
Caring for our woodlands is no mean feat, and we make sure to manage and look after each woodland based on its own unique needs.
From planting saplings, coppicing, pollarding, removing invasive species, and creating woodland glades, there is a huge amount of work required to sustain these precious ecosystems.
Discover more on woodland management
With your help we can nurture our existing woodlands and create new wilder woodlands for the future.
Tree planting, Wild Ingleborough Volunteer Task Day - Telling our Story Volunteer Sara
From tiny acorns…
Many of the tree species in our woodlands support a huge array of life, with oak trees alone supporting over 300 species of birds, mammals and invertebrates.
Your support could help us to create a stock of native saplings to plant out in our woodlands to bolster biodiversity and to create woodlands for the future.
£25 could buy 20 tree saplings grow on in a woodland nursery for future planting
Volunteers mark the nest boxes with a chalk tick to keep track of the ones they have cleaned - Photo Credit, Sara Spillett
A room with a view
As suitable habitats become increasingly scarce, specialist species like pied flycatchers and redstarts struggle to make nests.
Your support could help us to ensure that these birds have ample opportunity and space to create a home and to increase their chances of survival year-round.
£50 could help us to install three nestboxes for birds such as pied flycatchers and redstarts.
(C) Jim Horsfall
Hedging our bets
Core hedgerow trees such as hawthorn, field maple and blackthorn provide not just food and shelter, but also create corridors for wildlife to move through.
It is estimated, however, that around 120,000 miles of hedgerows have been lost in the UK since the 1950s.
Your support to help us repair and reinstate hedgerows around our reserves means we can better connect woodlands together and give our wildlife a larger safe haven.
£150 could help to plant 5 metres of new hedgerow to better connect our woodlands together.
Tawny owl ©Margaret Holland
Ancient veterans
Around 40% of woodland wildlife is at least partially dependent on deadwood habitat. Old and rotting wood is essential for woodland life to thrive.
Sometimes our woodlands don't have enough deadwood, and veteranising practices are needed to replicate habitats created by deadwood.
Without undertaking this work, biodiversity in our woodlands would collapse quickly. Your support could help us to create more specialised habitat types for hundreds of essential woodland species.
Pine marten © Mark Hamblin / 2020VISION
Could pine martens thrive again in Yorkshire?
The decline of woodland habitats has put increased pressure on pine martens, leading to their virtual disappearance in their ancestral homes in the North of England.
Building evidence to inform our work is the gift that keeps on giving for a wilder future. Research takes time and money but has shown that specialist species, such as pine martens, could play a starring role in the restoration of our woodland habitats.
Coppicing hazel - Paul Harris/2020VISION
From the ground up
From tackling the spread of invasive species, to traditional woodland management techniques, our reserve teams work tirelessly to promote biodiversity across our woodland reserves.
The specialised nature of woodland management means that our activities take a huge amount of resources and time. Your support will invest in these vital skillsets and ensure that Yorkshire's woodlands receive the care and attention they need to thrive.
Time is running out for our most beloved spaces and species
Take pride in your Yorkshire roots
With your help, we can reinvigorate our existing woodlands and create new and flourishing woodlands for the future.
Discover the wealth our woodlands have to offer through events, volunteering and more!
