Urban woods are the green lungs at the heart of communities, essential for the health of people and the wildlife we love. Please help give them a future.
Caring for urban woods is an essential part of what we do, and when it comes to benefits for people and wildlife, they pack an enormous punch.
Urban woods are vital for the health and wellbeing of people and wildlife in towns and cities.
Woods and trees are a lifeline for urban wildlife, helping birds, insects and animals move through the landscape safely, and find food and shelter. They also lock away carbon, cool towns and cities, absorb excess water and filter pollution. And that’s not even scratching the surface of what they do for our mental and physical health.
In a world where green spaces are more important than ever, urban woods and trees are constantly under pressure: street trees face the chop, parkland is mown short, gardens are often paved or replaced with artificial lawns, and access to healthy woodland is declining.
Just 16.2% of the UK population has access to a wood of at least two hectares within 500m of their home.
We care for more than 1,000 woods across the UK, and the hundreds of urban woods we own are particularly important. See how these precious urban sites are changing lives for the better.
Credit: Abi Thomas / WTML
A short walk from the nearby industrial heartland of Neath in South Wales, we have recently transformed and revived Brynau Farm from bare fields and neglected ancient woodland into a thriving urban sanctuary that brims with wildlife and blooms with wildflowers.
Credit: Jane Begg / WTML
Our urban havens for wildlife and people face their challenges – and rubbish and litter can be one of the most destructive. We worked with the local community at Ladywell Wood in Livingston, West Lothian with local school pupils stepping forward to help clean up and to raise awareness of the impact of litter on the health of the environment and wildlife.
Credit: Mike Lane / Alamy Stock Photo
The benefits that Masons Wood brings to the people and wildlife of Lancashire are incalculable. This rare fragment of woodland is slap-bang in the middle of Preston and offers a refuge for special plants and animals as well as for people. Local residents care for this ecological haven where wildflowers and animals including roe deer, great spotted woodpeckers and woodland butterflies can thrive.
Credit: WTML
In 2000, our ground-breaking Woods On Your Doorstep project created fantastic new woods within walking distance of people's homes across Northern Ireland. Now, over 20 years later, these woods have flourished into amazing natural spaces: community hubs that bring people together to support both mental and physical well-being. With stunning views across Belfast and to the coast, there’s a wealth of nature to explore at Carnmoney Hill – one of our original Woods On Your Doorstep sites.
Our urban woods work hard for us – we need to work hard for them too.
We promise your donation, whatever its size, will have a huge impact on what we do for woods, trees and wildlife.
Call us on 0330 333 3300 between 8.30am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday and our friendly team will be there to assist.
By post
Send a cheque to our head office at Woodland Trust, Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL. Please make cheques payable to The Woodland Trust.
