“The change was so dramatic, one minute you're looking at woods and the next minute it's all gone. And now here we are, and it's all just been reborn again.”
These are the words of Bill Carr, a volunteer at Forestry England’s Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, who has been part of a large community planting project in Silk Wood, that began as a replanting discussion after felling ash trees that succumbed to Chalara ash dieback but then evolved into so much more in just three years.
Westonbirt Arboretum is home to over 2,500 different types of trees, a globally important tree collection, with many trees at risk of extinction. Silk Wood is a 150 hectare area of the arboretum, mostly ancient semi-natural woodland, that has been continuously wooded since around the 1600s. In the 1990s, Chalara ash dieback came to Europe, and it was first found at Westonbirt Arboretum in 2015. The diseased ash trees were monitored for a while, until in 2020 the tough decision was taken to fell most of the ash trees in a 5-hectare area for public safety reasons, which left the area looking somewhat devastated.
Two years after felling, it was time to replant. It was decided, rather than simply plant with the help of forestry contractors, that this was a great opportunity to create Westonbirt's very first community woodland. So, in 2023 the Silk Wood Community Planting Project began, with the aim to get people of all walks of life involved in every step of the woodland’s regeneration.
The communities taking part have included a diverse range of 50 groups, from mental health charities, groups working with adults with learning disabilities, schools and youth groups, to name just a few.
Overall, over 4,000 people have participated. The project has fostered a lasting connection between local people and the woodland's trees. Together, participants have helped establish over 9,000 young trees, with many taking part in tree planting for the very first time. Many have since returned to support their ongoing care. A diverse mix of native tree species is now thriving on the site, including English and sessile oak, small-leaved lime, field maple, wild cherry and others.
As the project evolved, many of these groups have had the chance to visit multiple times, which gave people a real chance to get comfortable, and learn more while they have worked with the project. For example, Westonbirt’s team also ran wellbeing in nature sessions, taking people out to do lots of different activities to connect with nature and explore the woodland in a different way.
Louise Hunt Skelley, from charity Phoenix Enterprises comments about the time their group spent with the project:
“It's been so wonderful to see the impact it's had on everyone that we support.
Being out in the fresh air, getting exercise, most importantly having fun together.
But what's super cool is, I feel like we've left a legacy on a local area that is clearly very special.”
Silk Wood Community Planting, Westonbirt ©Mike Walker
The Silk Wood Community Planting Project approached ten schools in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Bristol and worked with around 200 of their students, listening to their ideas to work out how to lay out the footpaths and the planting areas for the trees.
Aurelie Brunet-Lua, from Cam Everlands Primary School, Dursley said;
“The project leader came to our school. Our pupils all had a go at designing something for [the project] and our pupil Emily designed the roundabout section. Then we were invited to come back. We love the project. We've enjoyed just seeing the design come to life.”
The project has also generated valuable scientific insights through biodiversity surveys, tree growth monitoring, environmental DNA studies, and wildlife recording. Early results are encouraging, more than 80 wildflower species recorded and over 50 bird species identified across the site and a 94% sapling survival rate. The average for a community woodland is about 65% sapling survival, so Westonbirt is extremely proud of all the work that community groups have done to help look after the trees.
As the project drew to a close in June 2026, the project team reflected on how it feels to celebrate the last three years of the planting.
Oscar Adams, Project Manager for the Silk Wood Community Planting Project said:
“You look around the plantation, and there are now 9,000 trees here, so that's a lot of connections that many people who planted them now have with the arboretum. A lot of them say they want to come back and see their trees grow, which is very, very special. It proves that when somebody's planted a tree, they feel a connection with that tree. In a way everyone involved in the project has a sort of ‘ownership’ to this area of the arboretum.”
Silk Wood has seen various changes over the last decade, but Westonbirt views this chapter in the arboretum’s history as a period of dramatic and positive change, and that's a testament to all the people from the community groups, and all the hard work they have contributed to the planting project in the last three years. Not forgetting that every tree planted will tell this story for years to come.
The woodland will continue to be monitored and carefully managed collaboratively with community groups, ensuring that the thousands of trees planted can thrive. As the woodland matures into a healthy ecosystem it will continue to be a space to learn about conservation and enjoy the wellbeing benefits of trees.
This project was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum, alongside funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Julia Rausing Trust, The John Horseman Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation, Summerfield Charitable Trust, Swire Charitable Trust, MillerKnoll Foundation, The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust and Gloucestershire County Council.
Learn about the project in both pictures and words: forestryengland.uk/westonbirt/community-planting-project