NEWS SECTION
Section Title
Autumn 2025
UK Tree Health Monitoring Programme
We are pleased to be a participant in a UK-wide tree health program run by Forest Research, specifically to monitor the spread of a significant beetle pest that targets spruce trees - eight-toothed spruce bark beetle [Ips typographus].
In November 2025 we were quoted in a section of the Forest Research web site discussing the national monitoring project and also recorded a short video discussing our woodland and experience of being a monitoring site.
Section Title
October 2025
Natural Hedgelaying Stakes
We received some great feedback from Mike Dudding Hedgelaying who purchased some natural hedge laying stakes from us for a project at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
The stakes were made from last season’s timber harvested from our woodlands by Forestry & Arboricultural students at Askham Bryan College (York)
Section Title
March 2026
Tree Planting
In the first week of march we marked a milestone in our Sitka spruce woodland when a recently clear-felled area was replanted with a more diverse and balanced tree stock of UK native broad leaf species.
By replacing stands of Sitka with, predominantly, Oak; Beech; and Silver Birch together with a selection of shrubs & small trees - Field Maple; Hazel; Hawthorn, Wild Cherry; Small-leaved Lime; and Holly – our objectives are as follows:
· Create new broadleaf tree cover and improve woodland health by increasing structural diversity and resilience, with the aim of reducing the threat to tree pests that can decimate monocultural plantations
· Support the recovery and stabilisation of populations of small birds and mammals by restoring habitats to supplement existing attempts to introduce habitat enhancements such as deadwood retention, understory regeneration, and creation of wildlife corridors
· Contribute to carbon sequestration and enhance climate resilience
The brash and snedding 'waste' has been retained on-site and used to build a physical barrier to discourage foraging deer, with the added benefit of providing a wildlife habitat for small birds and mammals.
Key contributors to the success of this project were:
Askham Bryan College - specifically the team of staff and first year & second year students who undertook the planting as part of their T Level Technical Qualification in Agriculture, Land Management and Production qualification
Nidderdale National Landscape who facilitated grant funding
Johnsons Nurseries Ltd who supplied us with UK sourced and grown saplings
green-tech who supplied tree guards, stakes and canes