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Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Blog - Projects

Planting 6,700 trees with the help of community groups

Local community groups, schools and colleges joined forces to help plant 3,400 trees at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum this November to April to reach a total of 6,700 since last year.

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Installing a Tree Growth Monitoring Station

The Silk Wood Community Planting Project team were recently joined by Climate Scientists from Forest Research, the research agency of the Forestry Commission, to install a Tree Growth Monitoring Station at the Silk Wood Community Planting Project site.

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Tree of the month: Alder

Each month we’re going to bring you a profile of one of the tree species being planted in the Silk Wood Community Planting Project. This month it's the Common alder...

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Woodland Obscura

Lights, camera, Westonbirt! Students and artist Justin Quinnell explored the magic of pinhole photography, from giant eyeball cameras to self-made turmeric paper. They even used cream crackers and cans to capture stunning images of the trees they helped plant. See their incredible results!...

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Tree of the month: Dogwood

Each month we’re going to bring you a profile of one of the tree species being planted in the Silk Wood Community Planting Project. This month it's Dogwood...

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Community Collage

Want to learn more about how we connected creativity and ecology at Westonbirt? Read this full blog post to discover how we transformed a community planting project into a vibrant art experience with the Bristol Hospital Education Service!...

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Tree of the month: Walnut

Each month we’re going to bring you a profile of one of the tree species being planted in the Silk Wood Community Planting Project. For the new year it’s the common walnut.

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Storms & Sorbus

Winter storms took their toll, but our volunteers stepped up! Discover how we rallied together to repair the damage and ensure the survival of young trees at our planting site in our latest update.

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The Sound of the Underground

Eco-acoustics, or acoustic ecology, is the study of sound in the environment – including human generated noise (anthrophony), sounds generated by nature (biophony), or even sounds of the earth such as wind, waves, and geological movements (geophony).

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Tree of the month: Holly

Each month we’re going to bring you a profile of one of the UK native tree species being planted in the Silk Wood Community Planting Project. It wouldn’t be December without mentioning our most festive tree – the holly.

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A Summer of Success – in numbers

With the crisp autumn air and shorter days upon us, let’s revisit the warmer, albeit wetter, months of the Silk Wood Community Planting Project.

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Tree of the Month: Pedunculate Oak

Supporting over 2,300 species, the oak is a true wildlife haven, hosting a diverse range of creatures from insects and birds to mammals and fungi. Its acorns provide a valuable food source for wildlife, and its timber has been used for centuries...

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Westonbirt's Brand New Play Areas! Where Families and Nature Connect...

We’re excited to announce a thrilling revamp of Westonbirt’s play areas designed to ignite a love of nature in children of all ages!...

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