Trees outside woodland are the trees we encounter most often – the trees in our parks and on our streets, on farms and in hedgerows. These often-overlooked trees offer benefits to our air quality, to our food systems, our wellbeing, and represent an important buffer against a changing climate…
We have lost 50% of these trees with some declining by 84%
Trees outside woodland are 94% native broadleaved species, playing a key role in biodiversity 20% since the 1950s Britain’s hedgerows have decreased by more than
They cover 3.2% of Britain, making up 20% of total canopy cover
“We hope to inspire a new focus on these neglected and declining tree communities ”
Trees in Britain form the backdrop of our landscape and heritage. For much of the 35 years I have had the pleasure of working for The Tree Council, the national focus of most agencies has been on the woodland component of the treescape, while our other tree habitats were largely overlooked. However, The Tree Council has always believed that our hedges, orchards, street trees and magnificent ancient trees in parks, gardens and churchyards are vital to Britain’s heritage and biodiversity.
Recent data from Forest Research has also shown just how enormous the contribution of these trees outside woodland is. Covering an amazing 3.2% of Britain –and nearly 4.3% of England – they make up almost 20% of our total tree canopy cover[1], providing vital ecological benefits in towns, cities and rural areas throughout the country[2]. Tragically, this ignored part of the nation’s treescape has been degraded and damaged, with statistics showing that in some areas, 50% of our trees outside
woodland have disappeared since 1850 with some categories of trees – like in-field and other scattered individual trees declining by 84%[3]
To begin rebalancing the equation, this project was set up to research experimental and cost-effective methods of establishing new trees outside woodland. What has been revealed is a remarkable appetite for planting these trees across a huge range of sites and sectors, with more than 265,000 trees being planted as part of the project – greatly exceeding initial expectations. The team has also revealed the ability to plant at scale in cost-effective and environmentally beneficial ways.
The future for these trees has the potential to look a lot brighter. By taking lessons from this project and applying them to future funding for tree planting, we could vastly increase the numbers of our native nonwoodland trees, and we hope that the ideas set out in these pages inspire a new focus on these neglected and declining tree communities – securing this vital part of our treescape for future generations.
4-5 Establishing urban trees
6-7 Tree giveaway schemes
8-9 Trees on farms
10-11 Community tree nurseries
Scan this QR code to find out more about the project
The Shared Outcomes Fund Trees Outside Woodland project is a £4.8m, five-year programme of action research into effective and economical ways of establishing new non-woodland trees. It is funded by HM Government and delivered in partnership by The Tree Council, Natural England, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Chichester District Council, Cornwall Council, Kent County Council, Norfolk County Council and Shropshire Council.
References: [1] Tree cover outside woodland in Great Britain 2017. Report by Forest Research for Forestry Commission; [2] The benefits to people of trees outside woods (TOWs) 2017. Report for the Woodland Trust. Rouquette, J.R. and Holt, A.R.; [3] State of the UK’s Woods and Trees 2021, Woodland Trust. Reid, C., Hornigold, K., McHenry, E., Nichols, C., Townsend, M., Lewthwaite, K., Elliot, M., Pullinger, R., Hotchkiss, A., Gilmartin, E., White, I., Chesshire, H., Whittle, L., Garforth, J., Gosling, R., Reed, T. and Hugi, M. (2021)
Jon Stokes, director of science and research at The Tree Council
Miyawaki method shows promise for urban trees
Research shows planting approach can boost survival rates, lower establishment costs, and rapidly produce micro forests
Being close to people, urban trees bring outsized social value and benefits to their environment: cooling our cities, purifying our air, supporting biodiversity and nurturing our wellbeing [1], though they have historically proven costly and challenging to establish.
However, research carried out through Trees Outside Woodland has shown that it is possible to cost-effectively establish fastgrowing thickets of trees, even in areas of degraded soil quality.
In recent years, urban mini forests have captured the public imagination and one approach growing in popularity worldwide was initially developed in the 1970s by renowned Japanese botanist Dr Akira Miyawaki. With the objective of restoring native trees on deforested or degraded land, the method involves densely planting a wide selection of native tree and shrub species suited to the site into aerated, enriched soil, mulching and then maintaining
the plot for two to three years, from which point minimal support should be required.
Seeking to understand whether an adapted Miyawaki method suitable for tree establishment in UK settings could prove successful, the Trees Outside Woodland project
Traditional
£79.38 Miyawaki £16.97
has uncovered the technique’s potential.
Jon Stokes, director of science and research at the Tree Council says: “Using the project’s adapted Miyawaki method, we’ve seen these tree-planting projects turn into fast-growing, dense thickets that are tough enough to handle the challenges young trees face in urban areas and quickly start delivering ecosystem services benefits.
“So far, the trial has shown this approach to be a costeffective and reliable way to get trees established on experimental plots compared to the control plots.”
In the pilot, 16 experimental Miyawaki plots were planted alongside comparison plots of typical local authority planting methods in four English council areas. Sites were chosen for their record of past planting failure and the poor quality of their soils. The paired plots used the same species mix of tree whips from the same nurseries and were equally maintained through the first three years following planting.
Louise Butfoy, Trees Outside Woodland project officer at Kent County Council, who led
the pilot, says: “While the initial cost of planting a Miyawaki plot was higher than the control as it requires around three times the number of trees to be planted, our findings show that both growth and survival rates are significantly higher in the Miyawaki plots.”
The research recorded an average survival rate of 79% in the Miyawaki plots compared to 47% in the comparison plots, which led to a much lower cost per survived tree: £10 compared to £50 respectively. The trees also grew taller across the Miyawaki plots with the trees generally resembling a dense thicket of early successional woodland after three and a half years, with some reaching 15 feet tall.
“This is all the more astounding considering much of the planting was followed by the drought in summer 2022,” says Butfoy.
The long-term potential of the trees is not yet known, but in Japan some plots planted in this way are more than 50 years old and have become healthy, mature woodlands, providing numerous benefits.
“All species are thriving,” Butfoy says, “some are faster growing than the others, many
are flowering and producing seed already, and wildlife is making a home within the plot. Most of the surviving trees in the comparison areas are also doing well, but they tend to be significantly smaller than those in the Miyawaki plots.”
Monitoring of trial plots and further research into the effects of the different components of the planting style continues, and it is hoped that the work will inspire further research into this evolving planting approach, which so far looks to provide a novel way to quickly build habitats for nature and, in turn, benefits the lives and wellbeing of communities nearby.
For additional information about this pilot and to read the full report scan this QR code
Miyawaki plot at Park Wood in Kent, left, and traditional planting, right
Louise Butfoy
Rooted in value
Tree
giveaways
are nothing new, but now research reveals that asking for a small contribution may lead to better survival rates – and value for money
For decades, councils, charities and other organisations have given away bundles of young trees for free to residents, community groups, schools and businesses. This distributed trees at scale, but the effectiveness of these schemes at establishing trees was unknown as survival rates were not monitored.
To understand the effectiveness of these schemes, the Trees Outside Woodland project carried out a trial that was designed to also investigate whether asking applicants to pay a portion of the cost of the trees would influence their survival.
Two types of schemes were run: a free tree giveaway, and a subsidised tree scheme, in which
One scheme saw all trees claimed in two days and was oversubscribed
400%
people were asked to pay half the cost of their trees, canes and guards.
Through the pilot, across the four participating local authorities, 144,000 trees were planted on 1,200 sites, and with an overall survival rate of 60%, nearly 90,000 trees have been established.
Sophie Hamnett, Trees
Outside Woodland project officer at Chichester District Council who led the pilot, says: “There was good uptake of both schemes. The number of trees we were able to distribute was very similar, but applications for the subsidised tree scheme were
Cost per planted tree
Subsidised £1.23
Free £2.20
slower to come through, which was expected because of the cost.
“However, those trees distributed through the subsidised scheme ended up with a better survival rate.”
Confirmed by statistical testing, a significantly higher survival rate was observed among subsidised trees compared to free trees, with averages of 88% and 83% respectively after one year. This difference may stem from recipients having made a financial investment, covering 50% of the cost of the trees, which likely encouraged greater care and commitment.
Hamnett says: “Perhaps because people who received trees through the subsidised scheme are invested financially, they take better care of the trees. Whether this is by watering them more or adding mulch or compost, I’m
not sure yet, but it’s something we could investigate in the future.”
The costeffectiveness of subsidised trees also stands out. The trial reported a lower capital cost per surviving tree (£1.58) after one year in the subsidised scheme compared to free tree schemes (£3.59).
This difference is driven by the recipient bearing half of the initial cost and the survival rates being higher.
60% survival rate across all schemes after two years – around 90,000 trees established.
144,000 trees planted across 1,200 sites in four local authority areas
It is important to note that in the initial few years after planting, trees are most susceptible to mortality. This study has reported an average survival rate after two years of approximately 60%, although most of these are from free trees, not subsidised. Future monitoring will uncover the longer-term survival rates, and whether the increased survival rates of subsidised trees are sustained, and an update to this report is planned in 2025.
Hamnett added: “It’s great that
organisations can lean on this knowledge when designing tree schemes. We’re not suggesting only subsidised schemes should be run as this could exclude some groups and comes with added in-house labour costs, but it is an important finding which could help local authorities establish trees at scale more costeffectively.
“We have already seen this research affect the way tree schemes are being run in some of our partner local authorities.”
For additional information about this pilot and to read the full report scan this QR code
Sophie Hamnett
Flexible grants enable farmers to integrate trees
Trial funding approach is empowering farmers to plant their way – boosting wildlife, soil health, and productivity
“These schemes have been brilliant. Unlike many other grants, they allow you to do what works best for the land – that flexibility gets more trees in the ground, and most importantly, the right trees,” says Colin Corkhill, regenerative forestry consultant.
Stood on one of the sites he manages just south of Chichester, Colin is obviously proud of the planting he has facilitated using Trees Outside Woodland’s Trees on Farms pilot scheme.
77% agreed this scheme was easier to apply for than others
The harbour-side has been planted with a line of trees to help shore up against erosion from the ever-encroaching sea, replacing the turkey oaks that will soon be lost to the tide, and small patches of woodland have been connected through the restoration of historic hedgerows, creating new wildlife corridors.
Trees bring a variety of benefits to farms: they enrich soil quality, provide habitat for wildlife, shade for livestock, and
85% said the scheme allowed them to plant the systems they wanted
Trees Outside Woodland project officer at Cornwall Council, Ben Norwood says “Many of these ‘incidental trees’ might not end up adding to the balance sheet of the farm but they don’t get in the way of business and they do put back some of those historic landscape character features we are losing year on year.”
“The uptake has been fantastic,” added Rowles. “In the four local authority areas we’ve been experimenting in, we’ve had more than 130 applicants and have planted more than 78,000 trees.
“And it’s been interesting to see how, as the word has spread among farmers that these are interventions that can improve their farm, there has been more and more interest in the grants.”
mitigate effects of climate change, and the Trees on Farms pilot has been exploring how to best support farmers and landowners to establish trees on their land.
“Farmland accounts for 67% of land in England so if we want more trees we need farmers on board,” says Trees Outside Woodland project officer at Shropshire Council, Nick Rowles.
The project has tested different ways of establishing trees on farms, looking at both agroforestry systems – alley cropping, wood pasture and orchards – and other methods such as hedge expansion, in-field trees, and field corners.
with how it’s gone,” says Kynaston. “You’re not trading off between growing food and having trees, you’re able to integrate both systems to improve food production and land carrying capacity.”
And it’s the flexibility that allows farmers to work with tree officers to create systems that work for all that is the key to the success of the pilot.
Unlike typical funding, says Corkhill, this scheme enables those with local knowledge to have a say in the process, which creates results that are more beneficial for the environment and for the people involved.
towards costs, as shown by the continued uptake of the pilot grant scheme when recipients were required to contribute 50% of the costs of planting.
Oliver Kynaston, farmer at Berllan Deg Farm, Shropshire, developed a diverse agroforestry system blending fruit and timber trees with arable and grazing land, and introduced a shortrotation coppice.
‘After a year, we’re delighted
94% of applicants said project officers helped them achieve the best outcome for their land
“Being able to talk to the project officer at Chichester District Council was invaluable. We were able to walk around the site and discuss what will and won’t work, then came up with a collaborative, bespoke plan suitable to the site-specific conditions. We also knew whether we were going to get the funding almost straight away, rather than filling in an online form and waiting months to hear anything.” says Colin.
“We have been able to get more trees planted through this scheme which probably would not have been possible through the one-size-fits-all grants, which have so many requirements and specifications they rarely end up suiting anyone.”
And crucially, the Trees on Farms pilot has found that when farmers and landowners are able to make decisions about how, where and why they plant on their land, they also seem to be happy to contribute
Rowles added: “The ease of application and flexibility present in the Trees on Farms scheme are vital if land managers are going to maximise the benefits of tree planting for their local wildlife. In a survey, the most popular reason why farmers chose this scheme over others was its flexibility, the second most popular was because it included advice from a project officer.
“Having the freedom to break the mould and design planting projects that benefit each individual site using local knowledge without a heavy emphasis on paperwork is the way forward.”
For additional information about this pilot and to access free resources for farmers scan this QR code
Colin Corkhill
Budding connections
Volunteer tree-growing groups have so much to offer
Previously, little was known about the nation’s network of community tree nurseries – often volunteer-led groups collecting seed and growing tree saplings on a small scale.
However, through the Trees Outside Woodland project, the scale of this effort is being tracked via two UK-wide surveys of community tree nurseries (CTNs).
The project identified a diverse network of 80 of these nurseries, collectively growing
More than 80 community tree nurseries in the UK
around 250,000 mostly broadleaf trees a year to be planted in their local communities, often free of charge.
Jackie Shallcross, Trees Outside Woodland project lead at The Tree Council, says: “It’s inspirational that there is this army of people out there willing to give up their time to grow locally sourced saplings simply for the love of trees.
“They are doing important work, maintaining local tree stock and supplying community projects with free or low-cost trees, and also providing a huge social benefit in their areas.”
Volunteers cited a wide range of benefits to their wellbeing –community tree nurseries offer a way for people to connect with
nurseries across the country are helping to preserve this diversity, often by growing seed collected locally. Shorelands here in Norfolk is even conserving the rare native black poplar from cuttings.
“If tree officers engage with and encourage these initiatives, there is a real opportunity for them to play a part in tree supply for a local authority. We have already been using trees produced at Gressenhall community tree nursery in our tree schemes in Norfolk.”
One area which the Trees Outside Woodland project is focusing on is investigating how to support community tree nurseries to improve their biosecurity practices.
Growing more than 250,000 trees a year
to grow healthy trees, and while we found that knowledge of biosecurity was often not high, the desire to learn and do the right thing was. With limited budgets and time, we realised we needed to make it as easy as possible for these groups to adopt new practices and learn.”
As part of the project, a range of resources including easy-to-print posters and case studies has been developed to
Most seed collected within
nurseries value the availability of this combination of different options for learning.
nature, socialise, and learn new skills, while also giving them an opportunity to be of service in their community.
Emma Cross, Trees Outside Woodland project officer at Norfolk County Council, the authority which led the project’s pilot community tree nursery support schemes, says: “As we see the climate continue to change and new pests and diseases arrive in Britain, genetic diversity in tree populations will be increasingly important, and community tree
16
new CTNs have been set up by the project
The project trialled a Plant Healthy group scheme to help community tree nurseries gain access to markets that require this certification. There have been difficulties with delivery of the group scheme, which highlights that more investigation is needed to understand how these groups can best demonstrate compliance with the Plant Health Management Standard.
Shallcross says: “Groups were aware of plant health, wanted
20
miles of the nursery
raise awareness of biosecurity best practice, as well as distributing knowledge through the Community Tree Nursery Collaborative, a peer-to-peer initiative to help connect nurseries and share knowledge, which the Trees Outside Woodland project helped set up. The project has also provided £20,000 in small grants across 12 nurseries to support improvements to biosecurity.
To assist anyone wanting to set up a nursery, the project also produced The Tree Grower’s Guide, which covers everything from seed identification, collection and germination to advice from those that have already set up nurseries.
Evaluation by Forest Research has found that community tree
Cross says: “We’ve helped several community tree nurseries get established who are now growing a lot of trees and providing other wider benefits to the community, whether that’s education or working with prisoners or just getting people out and active. There’s a huge range of other benefits from community tree nurseries, other than just the growing of the trees. “The other thing that’s often missed with community tree nurseries is that they’re not just growing the trees, often they’re going out and looking for planting opportunities in the wider community too. They’re going out and suggesting to landowners that they start planting and then providing the trees for them. So, it’s not just growing the trees, it’s also increasing tree planting in that area too.”
For additional information about this pilot and to discover scan this QR code
