At the end of a busy week of planning and planting, Charlene and Kelsey are joined by two members of the Urban Forest Team - Georgie, Senior Urban Forest Manager, and Catherine, Urban Forest Coordinator, and talk through the process of creating a woodland.

Trees where they're needed most

Most projects start when councils reach out to Trees for Cities. They might have a site in mind or are looking for a suitable area to add greenery to the neighbourhood. The team will go down to survey the area in search for the perfect spot.

"We try to prioritise areas that have low tree canopy cover and a low tree equity score. This will bring the most impact to the local area, helping boost local people's access to urban nature," Georgie explains. “And the thing that we protect at all costs is engaging with the local community.” 

Residents have different needs and wants - it’s a balancing act to make sure their priorities are included in decisions about their neighbourhood. 

Right tree for the right place

Looking at the UK's native species and mirroring existing woodland is a great way to begin the creation of new ones. 

“The list of species native to the UK isn’t crazy long in terms of trees,” Catherine laughs. “But there’s still a lot of spreadsheets involved. Sometimes we go and visit the suppliers and see the different species that they stock.” 

These trees could live for over a hundred years, making it incredibly important that we consider the future climate when creating these woodlands. 

Similar to how us humans all work different jobs, these trees are suited to different habitats and provide different services. For example, species such as the field maple, the UK’s only true native maple, can grow on any soil type and is resilient to the higher temperatures of cities, serving as an important urban species for wildlife and people alike.

Getting trees in the ground

If you’ve been to one of the Trees for Cities planting days, you may have noticed that species are laid out in a specific pattern. 

This mixing of dense canopy areas and open land can attract more biodiversity, making a landscape more dynamic.

Catherine shares that trees are planted and managed to mimic past woodland conditions. "Historically, coppicing was an important means of extracting wood for fuel and for creating products such for fences. Coppice trees would be cut approximately every 5-10 years, depending on the species." A lot of wildlife has adapted to this regular opening of the canopy. Hopefully, recreating these conditions would help native wildlife thrive.

Planting days occur anywhere between October to March. These days are exciting for the team; “it starts when the sun hasn't come up, and it's cold in the middle of the winter. You're all wrapped up, with your Thermos mug of tea or coffee, cozy in the van as you put music on. The roads are mostly empty, it's peaceful and quiet, and the sun starts to come up as you drive across London. Reaching the site and seeing everyone, it's really lively.”

Planting the trees might seem like the end of the journey, but it’s only the beginning of the next chapter.

Time to grow

For the next year after planting, the team checks back on the forest at regular intervals. They might replant some trees and add more mulch, and in several years, come back to do some thinning. It might seem counterintuitive to “destroy”, but this can improve woodland health in the long run. 

“When the canopy is starting to close, it can get quite shaded…trees might start to die and not much is able to grow in the understory.” 

The rewards aren’t limited to seeing trees flourish, it's also the wonderful feedback from the local people who get to enjoy their newly transformed space.

Be part of something green

We want you to be part of our urban tree ambitions, whether that's by attending one of our planting days or staying informed via our Tree Times newsletter.

Let's grow more woodlands together!