Rewilding Britain says natural regeneration is key to doubling woodlands and saving Britain’s crippled forests

Natural regeneration of trees is the way forward for expanding Britain's woodland, according to research by Rewilding Britain.

In West Norfolk, Wild Ken Hill at Snettisham, is already undertaking its own measures to allow woodland on the 1,500 acre site to return to its natural wild state.

Rewilding Britain has criticised the Government's draft England Tree Strategy open for public consultation until September 11, as being "woefully inadequate" for tackling the climate and nature crises.

Allowing trees to naturally establish over huge areas could massively expand Britain’s woodlands more effectively and at a fraction of the cost of tree planting, says Rewilding Britain.

At Wild Ken Hill action is being taken to allow the wood to become totally wild and see the return of woodland pasture. It says in its blog: "Woodland pasture is an important type of habitat. It is typically characterised by veteran trees, the 'woodland', dispersed among grasses and other ground-level vegetation, the 'pasture'. Pockets of scrub tend to emerge, acting almost as nurseries to saplings by protecting them from grazing and browsing."

It is also introducing cattle to keep grass and scrub down and pigs to dig up the ground . Its overall aim is to step back, let natural processes can take over, so the wood is capable of becoming wild on its own.

Rewilding Britain says the Government’s draft strategy for reforestation in England fails to set any tree targets, and at best would raise English woodland cover from 10 per cent today to just 12 per cent by 2050.

It describes the Government’s plans to focus on manual tree planting as a quick fix. A Rewilding Britain study to be published later this year shows that allowing and enhancing natural regeneration – supported by native tree planting in suitable sites – would be the most effective long-term approach for landscape-scale reforestation.

“We urgently need an expansion of nature’s recovery across Britain that matches the scale of the threats from accelerating climate heating and species extinction – with clear and bold targets from the Government,” said Rebecca Wrigley, Rewilding Britain’s chief executive.

“We can’t replace our lost woodlands by planting alone. Protecting ancient woodland fragments, and allowing and assisting trees to naturally regenerate on a big scale, is the most effective way of reversing the sorry fortunes of our crippled forests and woodlands, and so benefiting people, nature and the climate.”

Letting trees and shrubs naturally regrow over much of their former landscapes – with a helping hand where needed, such as preparing the ground when necessary or sowing tree seeds when naturally available seed sources are too far away – would create woodlands better able than plantations to soak up carbon dioxide, support wildlife, and adapt to a changing climate, according too Rewilding Britain.