Climate
The trees will help capture carbon, reduce wind and water run-off, improve the local environment and provide a lasting green asset for the community.
Reforestation
Creating a woodland around an outdoor classroom in Cambridgeshire, UK
Overview
Site
Benefits
Verification
Why support this project?
The project will create a new woodland that provides a valuable, accessible natural environment for the local community. The woodland will enhance biodiversity, provide habitat for birds, insects and other wildlife, improve the landscape and contribute to carbon capture and climate resilience.
Why plant trees?
Reforestation replants trees on land hit by natural or human disturbance. It restores forest structure and canopy, protects biodiversity and watersheds, and promotes carbon sequestration.
Project summary
This project will see the planting and maintenance of 5,000 trees creating a new outdoor classroom and learning space for the local community. The project will create a new native woodland at Horseheath Lodge, providing a valuable habitat and enhancing the existing rural landscape. The woodland will be established around a new outdoor community/classroom, creating a natural setting for weekly Forest School sessions, guiding and scouting meetings and wider community activities. Volunteers will be involved in planting the trees, with the landowners committed to their long-term maintenance and establishment.
The main objectives are to increase native tree cover, improve biodiversity and habitat connectivity, capture carbon and strengthen the resilience of the local environment. The project will help address degradation by converting part of the existing landscape into a diverse, actively managed woodland habitat, increasing structural and species diversity and providing additional habitat for birds, insects and other wildlife. Ongoing mulching, monitoring and maintenance will support high tree survival rates and ensure the woodland develops into a healthy, long-term community and environmental asset.
Locations
United Kingdom
Benefits
Nature
This project plants a diverse mix of 14 tree and shrub species, building a layered woodland that supports wildlife throughout the year. Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) supports hundreds of insect species, which in turn feed birds and bats, while willow (Salix spp.), hazel (Corylus avellana) and field maple (Acer campestre) provide early catkins and blossom for pollinators emerging in spring. Berries and fruit from elder (Sambucus nigra), crab apple (Malus sylvestris), holly (Ilex aquifolium), dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) and bird cherry (Prunus padus) feed birds and small mammals through autumn and winter. Nuts and seeds from beech (Fagus sylvatica), sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) and silver birch (Betula pendula) add further food sources, and small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata) is a particularly good nectar source for bees in summer.
People
The woodland will provide long-term opportunities for children and young people through weekly Forest School sessions, guiding and scouting activities, as well as volunteering and community tree planting. These activities will support outdoor learning, practical skills, wellbeing and a stronger connection with nature. The involvement of volunteers and the landowners in planting and ongoing maintenance will also help build community ownership and ensure the woodland remains a valued resource for years to come.
SDGs supported
Planting 5,000 native trees captures carbon, reduces wind and water run-off, and strengthens the resilience of the local environment.
The project converts part of the existing landscape into a new native woodland at Horseheath Lodge, increasing tree cover and habitat connectivity. A diverse mix of 14 tree and shrub species builds a layered woodland that supports birds, bats, insects, pollinators and small mammals through the year, with oak, willow, hazel, crab apple and lime among the species providing food and shelter across the seasons.
Verification
These partners help deliver the project and verify its impact.
Suppliers
International Tree Foundation
International Tree Foundation is a charity working with local communities to plant trees and restore forests in places where, together, we can make the fastest, most lasting impact for communities and the future of our planet.