Into the woods: 30,000

In this episode, Alice and Sue take you on an exploration of the past, present and future of the UK’s woodlands.  Sue visits the enchanting Heartwood Forest in Hertfordshire, where she meets Chris Nichols from the Woodland Trust to uncover the latest insights from the Bunce Woodland Survey. The survey reveals how our woodlands have changed over the past 50 years, and highlights the pressing challenges they face today, from climate change to shifts in land use.  

Looking to the future, Alice and Sue then speak with UKCEH scientist Stephen Cavers to discuss whether the UK is on track to meet the Government’s ambitious goal to plant 30,000 hectares of trees by the end of 2024 and investigate the role of genetics in building forest resilience. Tune in to discover how past lessons inform future strategies, and why every tree counts in the journey towards a more sustainable landscape.

Read the full report 
https://www.ceh.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2024-08/Final-Bunce-report-50-years-of-change-in-British-broadleaved-woodlands_08082024.pdf 

The Bunce Woodland Survey
https://www.ceh.ac.uk/our-science/projects/bunce-woodland-survey 

Woodland Trust 
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/ 

Future of UK Treescapes programme
https://www.uktreescapes.org/ 

Hosts: Sue Nelson and Alice Hope 

Producer: Rachael Buchanan

Counting the Earth is a Boffin Media Production for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.