The Silk Wood Community Planting Project at Westonbirt Arboretum will overcome the impact of an ash dieback outbreak through an exemplary regeneration and replanting of approx. 9,000 trees within Silk Wood.
Continuing a story that began in 2021 when trees infected by Chalara ash dieback needed to be felled and removed from Silk Wood, this three-year project will create Westonbirt’s first Community Woodland through the involvement of local groups and schools.
Involving the community
We are involving hundreds of people in each step of the woodland regeneration. Young people, individuals from under-served communities, those with neurodiverse conditions and people of a broad range of ethnicities will be part of this journey. They will work alongside Westonbirt’s team in the design, ground clearance and preparation, tree planting, monitoring and future care of this beautiful woodland.
Find out how you or your group can get involved in the project and what to expect.
Replanting Silk Wood
The planting is underway! We began with planting lime trees in November 2023.
By building resilience into the design, we can help ensure the woodland can be enjoyed for generations to come. Over 20 suitable tree species will be planted, a diverse mix that will help mitigate threats from a changing climate. This will also strengthen the structure of the woodland, increasing biological diversity and helping create resistance to other impacts such as storms.
Mostly native trees will be planted, including English and sessile oak, field maple and hawthorn. As we expect our climate to warm, we may also look to plant species that have a more southerly provenance, for example, beech trees originating from Italy!
Progress so far
We’ve completed the second season of planting, with an additional 3,400 trees in the ground - reaching a total of 6,700 out of our 9,000 trees target by April 2026. This winter saw over 900 people from 40 groups spend 140 hours digging, planting and protecting the mix of mostly native trees, helping to restore 3 hectares of ancient woodland so far. This brings our total participants to almost 2,500, and nearly 50 groups worked with in the two years to date.
The work doesn’t stop here. During the summer, we’re inviting groups back again to help us care for the young trees they helped us plant, and to engage in several workshops including green careers, carbon and tree measuring, wildlife surveys, and eDNA soil sampling.
Projects like this highlight the work Westonbirt is doing to deliver a 10-year vision by connecting more people with trees to improve the quality of life, through education, conservation, and participation.
Special thanks to the funders of this ongoing project for their invaluable support which has nurtured new life in Silk Wood, from thriving native trees to a vibrant community invested in its future. Their generosity has helped secure a flourishing legacy for generations to come.
Explore the community woodland
Follow the link to view our interactive map and discover more about the project.
It features photos, links, stats, information about the groups and more!
Keep checking back - as the project develops, so will the map, with more features added all the time…
