What makes Yorkshire forest’s so special?
We care for more than 21,000 hectares of unique landscape in North Yorkshire, Darlington, Stockton-On-Tees and the City of York as part of the nation's forests.
Our forests provide habitat for many species of regionally and nationally important wildlife including nightjar, turtle dove, adder, the Duke of Burgundy butterfly, northern hairy wood ant and water vole. Many European protected species such as bats, great crested newt and otter also make their homes in our woodlands.
It is important to maintain the diverse mosaic of habitats within our forests to support viable populations for these species into the future.
Within our forests we manage part or all of 26 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI’s). These vary from sites of geological importance, upland dwarf shrub heath, upland broadleaved woodland, and fen meadow/ grassland sites. Management includes conservation grazing with hardy breeds of sheep, cattle or Exmoor ponies, scrub control and conifer clearance to work towards favourable condition.
Yorkshire forest district is involved in many species focussed projects. One such project is the nationally significant Cropton Forest beaver project; a five-year trial to measure the beaver’s impact on flood management in association with the Slowing the Flow project and their impact on the biodiversity in the river corridor. The transformation of the site during the trial period due to the beaver’s work has been amazing.
We care for 241 scheduled ancient monuments and over 3000 unscheduled sites of archaeological interest from prehistoric times to more modern, including the White Horse at Kilburn and the Rabbit warrens in North Riding. In many places it is the forest which has protected these features and it is vital, through careful management that we protect and enhance these features in the future. Here in North Yorkshire, we have a unique landscape and mixture of habitats that are simply not found anywhere else on this scale. Our team within Yorkshire manages trees from a young age, to mitigate damage from pests and disease and ensuring they flourish in this landscape. The Yorkshire Forest District local teams tend to the young, planted trees, stopping them from becoming overgrown, ensuring they get the right amount of light, and guarding them against damage from deer, rabbits, and other animals. As our climate changes, the trees in our forests must be fit for the future and we are actively taking part in research to learn how to best help them our forests to adapt.
Some of the most striking landscapes features form the canvas of the Yorkshire Forest District, the Riggs and Dales system shaping Dalby Forest, Falling Foss waterfall nestled in Sneaton forest in the heart of the North York Moors and Boltby Forest rippling through the Hambleton Hills. Our hard working teams to support and shape Yorkshires landscape and habitats, as part of our Growing the Future plan we’ll continue to build our exceptional reputation for sustainable land management, for wildlife, people and the climate.
Why should I donate to Yorkshire forest’s – Forestry England?
We look after more land and more trees than any other organisation. We are a public body, but we receive limited public funding and generate most of our revenue ourselves. The money we get from our valued supporters is vital and goes back into enhancing our beautiful forests such as Sneaton, Kilburn and its iconic white horse, and Boltby with its amazing views.
Any money donated, will help to support our operational teams in safeguarding tree health, protecting the many species which call our forests home or maintaining and improving infrastructure to enable people to access our woodlands. We use every penny raised wisely, to provide vital homes for wildlife and places for people to enjoy nature, beauty and local history.
Without your support we wouldn’t be able to achieve all of this. Thank you for your valuable contribution.
Please visit the Forestry England website to find out more.