Act now to enhance London’s woodlands

Part of a community group looking after a wooded area in the capital? Boost your woodland management today with a new toolkit by London Tree Ring partner TCV

We know trees are important. They help mitigate the effects of climate change, support wildlife and improve our wellbeing among many other things.

The numbers speak for themselves:

• UK woodlands store 213 million tonnes of carbon.
• More than 500 invertebrates feed on UK birches, oak trees support 31 different mammals and 300 different insects rely on common hawthorn. Not mentioning the countless birds that eat a tree’s fruit, nuts and berries.
• A 2021 Forest Research study showed that woodland visits boost mental health and save an estimated £185 million in treatment costs annually.

But younger trees are significantly less beneficial than mature ones in terms of carbon capture and biodiversity. So it’s really important to protect existing trees in the ground.

A multitude of threats

According to a Woodland Trust report, UK woods face a multitude of threats, from imported pests and diseases to the impacts of the climate crisis and pollution. If they are not looked after and fall into poor condition, habitats are destroyed, wildlife is decimated and wooded areas can become more vulnerable to destruction by development.

Unfortunately, an estimated 75% of London’s woodlands are not well-managed. But good management is vital to control mammal populations to limit damage to trees, remove invasive plants to avoid the suffocation of young trees and ensure enough light reaches the forest floor to encourage greater biodiversity. Thinning and coppicing can also generate a good supply of quality timber, which has economic benefits – the UK is currently the third largest net importer of timber and wood products in the world.

Calling all volunteers

Better protecting and improving the care of London’s existing wooded areas is a big part of the London Tree Ring work. Volunteer groups have expressed a desire to do more and London Tree Ring Steering Group member The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) wants to encourage them to help look after our Urban Forest.

So, as part of their work with the London Urban Forest Partnership, TCV have created the Woodland Volunteer Toolkit. It offers volunteers and community groups practical advice and guidance around assessing their woodland.

The toolkit will guide groups through all the areas that need to be assessed and how they can improve their scores. These include trees, native shrubs, ground layer, wildlife and problem species. May is the best time to complete a WCS so download the toolkit today.

Download the toolkit, here

Find out more about the London Tree Ring, here