'Over the last two years we have planted over 34,000 trees in woodland creation schemes, helping re-build Britain's forests.'

WOODLAND CREATION – HOW WE CAN HELP YOU?

Planning, Layout and design

From the initial stages of interest WWM can carry your application right through all of the stages of design, planning and approval, consulting with all interested stakeholders along the way to produce a successful Woodland Creation application, based on your objectives and the government’s priorities.

Species Suitability and Soil testing

Based on a wealth of species knowledge, site suitability and the changing climate, we will make recommendations of what species to plant in order to achieve your objectives. In fact we can undertake soil testing to analyse the level of available nutrients and based on this analysis, make recommendations on which particular species is likely to grow on the site and therefore what is best to plant.

Mapping

All new woodlands should be mapped. Using ArcGIS, WWM can produce a series of professionally drawn maps which will help to achieve a visual representation of the layout of the new woodland.

Protection of new stock / Fencing

Rabbits and deer pose a significant risk to planted trees, whether it’s through browsing or fraying damage. WWM offers services to help protect the trees, by means of fencing and shelter guards, until they are well established and are no longer be vulnerable to damage.

Aftercare and Maintenance

Trees need to be cared for once planted. Weed competition should be removed, and shelters and fences maintained. Through our qualified and experienced contractors we can ensure maximum survival of the crop. More about woodland maintenance.

Legislation

The right tree needs to be planted in the right place. Our woodland planting services ensure all legislation is followed to ensure no damage to sites of historical or biological importance.

WHY CREATE NEW WOODLAND

The world is facing a climate crisis and one way to tackle that crisis is through the creation of new woodlands. The government has recognised the urgency to create new woodlands to lock up Carbon from the atmosphere, and has therefore produced a 25 year environment plan. Part of our woodland planting service is applying for government grants which help encourage the planting of new woodlands.

There are also many other reasons for creating woodland, some of which are listed below:

  • Investment
  • Environment & Biological
  • Farming
  • Recreation
  • Legacy
  • Contribution to global climate change
  • After timber harvesting

CARBON CAPTURE & FUNDING

The government is keen for us to plant more trees  – and not surprisingly. The benefits of woodland creation are well known but the coverage of Forest in the UK is well behind most of our European neighbours. 

As well as critical issues such as flood prevention and enhancing biodiversity is a woodlands ability to store carbon and the opportunity for us to use that carbon to compensate for equivalent emissions from sources such as cars or homes.

In Nov 2020 the Government launched a £50 million scheme to help boost tree-planting rates in the fight against climate change. The new Woodland Carbon Code exists to make what would have been financially unattractive woodland creation projects, financially attractive. In doing this, it enables trees to be planted that otherwise wouldn’t be, and therefore creates additional carbon sinks in the UK.

If you create a new woodland that conforms to the Woodland Carbon Code then you could benefit either through the Government auction scheme that pays you for your Carbon Credits over time,  or, you can sell your future carbon credits to a company that trades in Carbon Credits and pays you sooner.. 

There are strengths and weakness in both approaches. This link will take you to the Government’s web site https://www.gov.uk/guidance/woodland-carbon-guarantee and the video opposite will tell you a bit more about our partner company ‘Forest Carbon’  – specialists in the purchase and trading of carbon credits. 

Forest Carbon leads the way in UK woodland creation for carbon capture. With their partners, they have  planted over 9.5 million new trees since 2006 and in so doing, are removing nearly 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere.

Whether you choose to go the Government route or work with a Carbon trading company there are real financial incentives to  create new woodland.

Contact us at the address below to see how we can help you realise this benefit.

GRANTS FOR PLANTING

There are currently two main grants designed to help with the creation of new woodland. These are: 

English Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) – Funding to create new woodland through the supply of trees and protection materials.

HS2 Fund – Any land within 25miles of the HS2 line from London to Birmingham is eligible for grant funding for either woodland creation or PAWS (Planting on Ancient Woodland Site) restoration.

For more details on all of these, click the link below:

WWM WOODLAND CREATION PROJECTS

West Oxfordshire

A grant funded Woodland Management Plan highlighted the opportunity for new woodland planting to provide environmental and amenity benefits to the existing woodland portfolio,