Protecting trees for the future
Westonbirt, The National Arboretum plays a vital part on the world stage with its work in global tree conservation.
We are committed to developing Westonbirt’s tree collection and landscape to increase its value to conservation and learning, along with growing resilience for generations to come.
We work with partners nationally and internationally to tackle the difficult challenges our changing world poses to trees and the ecosystems they underpin.
Globally, one in three tree species are threatened with extinction in the wild. At Westonbirt we hold more than 100 species that are assessed as threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Our work also includes conservation of threatened UK natives, specifically our whitebeams, rowans and service trees. There are around 40 species belonging to this group that are native to these isles, nearly all of which are threatened in the wild.
“Growing threatened species in collections like Westonbirt is an essential ‘insurance policy’ for these trees. By caring for threatened trees in the arboretum collection, we can learn more about them, as well as make material available for research and, where applicable, for plant re-introductions.”
Dan Crowley, Curator, Westonbirt
Alongside other Forestry England arboreta, including Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest, we are studying the trees in our collections and sharing our knowledge and experience with botanic collections around the world.
The world’s botanic gardens and arboreta play a vital role in tree conservation, protecting biodiversity for the future.
Our part in global conservation
Dan Crowley, Westonbirt’s Curator, has been developing Westonbirt’s global tree conservation objectives in alignment with the arboretum’s 10-Year Vision ‘To Be A World Leader In Trees’.
“Here at Westonbirt, we are well-placed to further develop our role in global tree conservation, working with other organisations both in the UK and internationally to help save tree species from extinction.”
Dan Crowley, Curator, Westonbirt
Discover how over 100 of the world's most threatened trees are being conserved at Westonbirt.
Westonbirt is home to five National Plant Collections, as designated by Plant Heritage. These are groups of trees that Westonbirt has undertaken to document, develop and preserve for the future.
Every little bit of support helps Westonbirt Arboretum to connect people with trees and safeguard these plants for future generations. Find out how you can support our conservation work. Together, we can all create a world where trees thrive for people and nature.
