We’ve created a huge new woodland in Cheshire!
In our biggest habitat creation project to date, we’ve planted almost 19,000 trees on our estate in Chester, transforming a low-biodiversity field into a major new sanctuary for UK wildlife.
In fact, this new project is one of the largest ever tree planting efforts to take place in Cheshire in recent years, spanning over nine hectares (or 12 football pitches!).
The initiative forms part of a wider wildlife corridor across the region, linking two smaller woods to form one continuous woodland, which will help to improve habitat connectivity for local wildlife and increase the woodland’s resistance to pests and diseases.
The new woodland will provide homes for a variety of native plants and animals, as well as improving soil health and carbon storage to help fight climate change. We selected a mix of UK native broadleaf trees species, including oak, beech and hazel, to provide high biodiversity benefits and resilience to climate change, while the layout has been designed to include meadow rides and glades which will help species such as butterflies, small mammals and birds.
Woodland once covered large areas of Cheshire. However, this important type of habitat has reduced considerably from much of the county due to development projects – namely from the building of houses, growth of infrastructure such as railways and roads, agricultural expansion, pollution, invasive species and disease. Nationwide it is also limited to small patches dotted across the country, making it one of the most endangered habitat-types in the UK.
Dr Simon Dowell, Director of Science and Policy at Chester Zoo, said:
“Woodland cover in Cheshire is significantly lower than the national average. That’s why it’s so important, and so exciting, to have created such a valuable new habitat here at the zoo.”
“Once established, this woodland will provide a richer and more diverse habitat for a range of species, drawing in the likes of green woodpeckers, badgers, harvest mice and butterflies such as the speckled wood.”
“Its location was carefully chosen to link two existing but much smaller woods, forming a continuous woodland which spans almost 13 hectares in total. With hedgerows adjacent to the woodland edge, it’ll enable wildlife to move through the landscape much more safely.”
“Chester Zoo is widely known for its work to protect species in places right across the world but it’s important that we look after nature on our doorstep too. Having already established a nature reserve at the zoo, the creation of this latest large-scale habitat will deliver benefits for wildlife for decades to come, making a vital contribution to reversing the decline in biodiversity we’re facing here in the UK. This really is an amazing woodland for the future.”
The Mersey Forest Partnership has planted close to 10 million trees over the past 30 years, but we still lag well behind the national average for woodland coverage. We continue to work with landowners, such as Chester Zoo, to plant more trees and create a rich mosaic of habitats for people and nature, that is helping to boost biodiversity and capture carbon. The planting at Chester Zoo is a great example of how we can support local landowners, and we’re excited to see how successful the scheme has been.
Paul Nolan, Director of The Mersey Forest
Our tree planting project contributes to Cheshire West and Chester’s Nature Recovery Strategy.
This plan aims to help wildlife thrive by improving the connectivity of this important ecosystem and targeting investment in nature in the region.
Tree planting is a key part of the UK government’s plan to combat climate change and reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with a target to plant 30,000 hectares of new woodland every year by 2025.
The woodland project is also key to our ambitious sustainability programme, helping to deliver against our targets to be net zero in scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2030 and to achieve net gain for UK biodiversity, with 30% of zoo land managed for UK biodiversity by 2030.
The woodland planted at the zoo has been funded by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) through the Nature for Climate Fund, and delivered in partnership with the Mersey Forest.
The Mersey Forest – one of England’s Community Forests – is a growing network of woodlands and green spaces across Cheshire, and Merseyside and one of the leading environmental initiatives in the North West. It forms part of the wider Northern Forest, where every tree planted is helping to create a network of woodland that stretches from Liverpool to the Yorkshire Coast.