England’s forests are more than just pleasant places for a walk. They breathe life into our countryside, support communities, and hold stories that connect us to the past.
As housing and industry stretch further into wild spaces, we face a clear choice: protect our woodlands or risk losing unique treasures forever. Here’s why saving our forests matters, not just for today but for generations ahead.
If walking in the woods with dogs, learn of toxic plants like bulbs and mushrooms to avoid near dogs. Also know trees to avoid near horses (including yew & oak).
Keep away from grey/white caterpillars (oak processionary moths that cause allergies and breathing difficulties – contact a doctor/vet if in contact).
Also cordon off affected trees from livestock and horses. Mostly found in London in warm weather, report to your council and Treealert.
Protecting Wildlife Habitats
Forests shelter an incredible range of animals, birds, insects, and plants. Woodland in England is home to over 250 species of birds and many rare mammals like the hazel dormouse and red squirrel.
Ancient woods are especially important as they provide stable homes for creatures that can’t live anywhere else. When forests disappear, these species struggle or vanish.
Cleaning Our Air
Trees capture pollutants and pump out oxygen—something we all rely on. A single mature tree can absorb up to 22 kilograms of carbon dioxide each year.
Forests help clear smog and lower air pollution in towns and cities close by. Cleaner air means fewer breathing problems and a healthier population.
Slowing Climate Change
Forests store huge amounts of carbon, locking it safely in roots, trunks, and soil. Cutting down woods lets this carbon escape, fuelling climate change. By saving our forests, we keep this carbon where it belongs and help balance the world’s climate.
Preventing Floods and Soil Erosion
Tree roots bind soil together and slow rainwater as it runs off hills. In many parts of England, woods help stop rivers from bursting their banks after heavy rain.
Without forests, mudslides and floods happen more often, damaging homes and farmland.
Boosting Physical and Mental Health
Spending time among trees reduces stress and helps people feel better. Walks in the woods lower blood pressure, improve mood, and cut the risk of depression.
Many doctors now recommend ‘green prescriptions’—regular outdoor time—to help people manage anxiety and chronic illness.
Preserving History and Culture
English forests hold ancient monuments, hidden paths, and traces of past lives. From Saxon earthworks to Roman roads, our history runs deep among the trees.
Protecting these places means we keep our stories alive and give future generations the chance to explore the land’s heritage.
Safeguarding Water Quality
Forests act as natural filters, trapping soil and dirt before they reach rivers and reservoirs. This helps keep our drinking water clean and clear. Wooded areas along streams and lakes are especially important—they stop farm chemicals and waste from polluting the water.
What We Can Learn from German Forests
90% of Germany’s forests are heavily protected by law, and the 72 tree species are home to up to 10,000 animals and plants. Tree are so protected that there is even a word for it: Bannwald.
In England, the government a few years back was only stopped from selling off our public forests to private industry, due to a petition at 38 Degrees. The government later admitted it had made a mistake.
Can You Hear the Trees Talking? (by a German forester) is an interactive illustrated book for young readers, teaching how trees feel, communicate and take care of their families.
Learn about the ‘wood wide web’, aphids (who keep ants as pets!) and nature’s water filters. Also learn how trees get sick, and how we can help them to get better.
Trees sometimes nourish the stump of a felled tree for centuries after it was cut down, by feeding it sugars and other nutrients, so keeping it alive. If a tree falls in the forest, there are other trees listening.
When thick beeches support and nourish other trees, they remind me of a herd of elephants. They too look after their own, and help their sick and weak back up on their feet. They are even reluctant to abandon their dead. Peter Wohlleben
How Pine Trees Helps Native Wildlife
The Scots pine is the only native pine in England, often seen in old forests and heathland. Its reddish bark and long, blue-green needles make it easy to spot. This tree grows tall and straight, reaching up to 35 metres.
Pine trees can be toxic to pets and livestock, and the needles should be kept away from pets. Read our posts on pet-friendly gardens and sustainable Christmas trees.
The Scots pine grows well in poor, sandy soil, and often planted for sand dune stabilisation and shelter along the coast, thanks to its ability to handle salty winds and sandy soils. Its resin was once used to make turpentine, a traditional woodland product.
Although it’s true that the Squirrelpox virus (carried by grey squirrels) can harm red squirrels, the main reason for them being endangered is lack of native woodland.
Red squirrels adore pine trees, that’s why you find more in Northumberland and Scotland. Culling grey squirrels is not the answer, a vaccination combined with better woodlands is. Read our post on saving all squirrels.
Birds like crossbills, siskins, and woodpeckers rely on pine seeds and insects living in the bark. The thick carpet of pine needles helps fungi and specialised plants grow.
Some butterflies and moths depend on pine trees for part of their lifecycle, showing how connected pines are to local biodiversity.
