Campaigns news

An incredible first: town-wide tree rights

17 September 2026

Last week, Lewes in East Sussex became the first English town to grant rights to all its trees. It's a groundbreaking move that proves what’s possible when campaigning, a council and tackling climate change really come together,

Passed by a unanimous council vote, the newly adopted municipal Tree Charter formally acknowledges the intrinsic value of all local trees, woods and hedgerows. It grants them rights to flourish, to water and healthy soil, to complete their natural life cycles and more.

The Tree Charter should provide decision makers and residents with stronger leverage to oppose nature-damaging development and felling licences. It's already inspiring campaigns for similar legislation in neighbouring areas.

Feeling motivated? Ask your council to put nature at the heart of local decision making by declaring and acting on a nature emergency. You could even personalise the template email to reference Lewes’ tree charter motion.

Voting open! Help crown the Tree of the Year 2026

9 September 2026

Trees often spend centuries enriching our landscapes, supporting wildlife and uniting communities. No wonder, then, that they’re frequently symbols of strength, security and steadfastness.

This year’s competition celebrates those which take that steadfastness to the point of stubbornness. With the help of public nominations, our experts have chosen 10 of the UK’s most determined trees, defying impossible odds to keep going, growing and greening their surroundings.

From weathering lightning strikes and a plane crash, to clinging on to cliffs and surviving cannon fire, the UK's most resilient trees have incredible stories to tell. Voting closes at 5pm on 29 September – so read their stories and vote for your favourite today!

Help save Oaken Wood: a vital consultation

28 August 2026

Oaken Wood is a beloved ancient woodland and Local Wildlife Site in Kent which is threatened by a proposed quarry expansion. If the expansion goes ahead, it would be the largest loss of English ancient woodland this century.

The proposals form part of Kent County Council’s Draft Mineral Sites Plan. A public consultation is open until 5 October which is our best chance to prevent this horrifying and completely unnecessary destruction.

To save the wood, we need your help to respond to the consultation and object to the inclusion of Oaken Wood. Don't worry, you don’t need any prior knowledge and it doesn't matter where you live in the UK. Check out our full guidance on how to respond effectively and send your objection today.

Let’s fill Westminster Hall for vital debate

20 August 2026

On 3 September, MPs will debate global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security in Westminster Hall. Please help ensure your MP attends this important event.

This is parliament’s first chance to discuss climate change following a summer of wildfire and drought. The timing couldn’t be more urgent. This summer also brought together 1.6 million people for Great Big Green Week, demonstrating the tangible, widespread want for more action on the climate and nature crisis.

The more MPs that attend a debate, the more weight it holds and the more pressure the Government feels to act. Great Big Green Week proved that the public wants action. Let’s keep the pressure on and make sure Westminster Hall is full. Take two minutes to tell your MP to attend the debate.

Last chance to apply for 2026 free tree packs

12 August 2026

Everyone should have the chance to plant a tree. That's why each year, we deliver thousands of free trees to schools and community groups, creating greener, safer, wildlife-rich spaces for everyone to enjoy.

Our free trees scheme is open to all forms of educational establishment and community groups based in England, Scotland and Wales, including resident associations, sports clubs, faith groups, scouts, guides and more. Local authorities are also welcome to apply.

Tree packs come in a range of sizes and have been tailored to fit a range of planting spaces and goals. Apply before 28 August and get your trees delivered this November. Don't miss out!

How great was Great Big Green Week?

5 August 2026

Back in June, Great Big Green Week brought 1.6 million people together for the annual celebration of climate and nature action. The headline results have now been shared in this brilliant three page summary of Great Big Green Week 2026. What was the week’s total media reach? What did decision makers think? Did the events actually change people’s minds? Why were there cows in Leicestershire city centre? And what’s this about an 8-foot-tall dandelion puppet? Find all these answers and more in the inspiring round up of the week and why it mattered.

Help us green the tree deserts! 

28 July 2026

Over 11 million people in the UK live in chronically tree-deprived areas, or 'tree deserts'. This exposes underserved communities to a range of serious challenges and exacerbates those they already face.

This isn't a random issue. Per person, the most underserviced neighbourhoods have less than half of the tree cover present in the most affluent neighbourhoods. This is a silent injustice, but we have a chance to fix it.

Currently being written, the England Tree Action Plan will set out how Government plans to spend the £1 billion it has allocated to trees. It could drive real change - but our research shows 20% must be spent in the areas that need trees most if it's to make a big difference.

Wherever you live in the UK, ask your MP to spend 20% of the budget on greening the tree deserts and helping more people access the benefits of trees. It's easy with our two-minute form.

New life for our RHS Chelsea garden

21 July 2026

After months of hard work, our Forgotten Forests garden appeared at the one and only RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May. Garden designer Ashleigh Aylett expertly encapsulated the restoration journey, mapping out in miniature the transition from timber plantation to a flourishing ancient woodland ecosystem. Winning both a gold medal and Best in Category, the garden was a huge success, helping broadcast the need for urgent restoration to an audience of millions.

But the story doesn’t end there. After the show closed, the garden was transported to Hawthorn Primary School in Newcastle and redesigned for its new setting. This school was chosen because of its great efforts to connect children with trees and the natural world, and the surrounding areas have a low tree equity score, so pupils are unlikely to have fair access to the benefits of trees. The children are already looking after and learning from their new garden and will be able to enjoy it for years to come. 

Choosing ancient woodland over coal 

10 July 2026 

An application to expand the UK’s last opencast coal mine has been rejected, saving ancient woodland and preventing hundreds of thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.  

Glan Lash opencast coal mine, near Swansea, is currently dormant. After rejecting the initial application for expansion in 2023, Carmarthenshire County Council has now rejected the mining company’s second application. The decision follows hundreds of objections. They included our own, since the plans proposed felling 2.5 hectares of ancient woodland to make way for the expansion - that's equivalent to about 3.5 football fields, or 50 average family homes.  

This is a major win that demonstrates commitment to tackling the climate crisis by safeguarding both community wellbeing and Wales’ remaining fragments of irreplaceable ancient woodland. Our thanks to the groups steadfastly opposing the expansion. As local campaigner Philip Hughes says: “Agreeing (to) this application would have been disastrous on so many levels. Coal is our heritage, but it is not our future.”  

Another great Great Big Green Week!   

6 July 2026

This year’s annual Great Big Green Week from 8-14 June was the UK’s largest celebration of climate and community action. People across the country came together to celebrate the good work already happening and call for more to be done.   

This year was the biggest and most diverse Great Big Green Week yet. 1.6 million people attended 10,000 events, from litter picks and live lessons to repair cafés and river blessings, seed swaps and snorkel safaris. Over half of those taking part said they rarely attend climate or nature events. Designed to emphasise that climate action is mainstream and inclusive, and to connect new audiences with nature, this is perhaps Great Big Green Week’s single best marker of success.   

The impact doesn’t end when the week is over, but goes onto inspire action throughout the year. Watch people share why they took part and their messages for those joining London Climate Action Week.

Thank you to everyone who attended, hosted, or shared an event. You are the heart and soul of Great Big Green Week.

Veteran oak saved by locals stands strong ten years on

23 June 2026

What does long-term success look like for a single tree? Almost a decade ago, a developer submitted a controversial application to build 62 new homes in Dereham, Norfolk. A local campaign group, ‘Save The Neatherd Moor’, was set up in response, concerned about the plans which included felling a beloved veteran oak tree to make way for an access road.

Local campaigner Neil Starling contacted our team, who explained how to secure a Tree Preservation Order (TPO), as well as tips and tricks for tree campaigns. The TPO application began the very next day and, with the support of a tree-loving local councillor, was quickly in place. Combined with continued local campaigning, the developer consequently had to reroute the access road, despite initially claiming this was not viable. 

That oak tree still stands. In a recent message, Neil explained what this success means to him: ‘I now live in a different area, but I love the fact that this tree will almost certainly now outlive me.’ 

Do you know a special tree that needs protection? Check out our resources to start your own campaign.

Tree equity: what’s your score? 

16 June 2026 

Millions of people are missing out on the vital health benefits of trees, just because of where they live. Are you one of them?

Our interactive tool shows the areas where more trees are needed most. Using the Tree Equity Score UK Map, it gives a score to every urban neighbourhood in the country. A score of 97, for example, indicates high tree equity, with high levels of tree canopy cover. A result of 67 represents low tree equity, with low levels of tree canopy cover. 

We know everyone deserves equal access to the benefits of trees. And we know this message resonates - within a week of launching the tool, over 10,000 people looked up their postcode to find their own tree equity score. What’s your score? And what can you do about it? Check your postcode and take action. 

It’s Great Big Green Week! 

8 June 2026

This year’s Great Big Green Week is 6-14 June, when more than a million people will come together to take action for their communities, for nature and for the climate. 

This collective moment is the perfect time to showcase your love of our woods, trees and their wildlife. By acting together for good, we make our neighbourhoods better places to live, protect the natural world we love, and show decision makers that people across the UK want positive change, including meaningful action on the climate and nature crisis.  

From nature walks and wildlife webinars, to vegetarian cooking classes, lunchtime litterpicks and a film screening at our own Hainault Forest, there really is a Great Big Green Week event to suit everyone’s interests and schedule. Check the map today to see what’s happening near you.

The return of Lomond Banks

3 June 2026

We recently celebrated a major victory when the Lomond Banks case seemingly reached an amazing conclusion. The development proposal, nicknamed ‘Flamingo Land’ after the developer’s Yorkshire theme park, would bulldoze significant areas of irreplaceable woodland in a national park to make way for a controversial holiday resort. After more than eight years of campaigning and many stages of application, refusal, appeal and dismissal, the case appeared closed when Scottish Government rejected the developer’s recent appeal, keeping Loch Lomond's woodlands safe. 

But now the case is back, with the developer challenging Scottish Government's decision. We will not abandon Loch Lomond’s long-established woodland now. We'll keep standing with the local community, national park authority, local businesses, environmental organisations, Scotland's environmental regulator and many others who say no to this nonsense development. We’re in this fight until the end. 

Calling all tree champions: volunteers needed!

26 May 2026

Across the UK, urban tree cover is decidedly unequal, leaving millions missing out on the vital health benefits of trees. Could you help us change that? 

For more people to access those benefits, we must plant more trees where they’re needed most. We have millions of trees to give away but we need help finding homes for them. That’s where our new network of trees for all champions comes in. Through desk-based research and on the ground networking, these volunteers help identify key groups and organisations that could benefit from our free trees for schools and communities scheme.  

We know this approach works – in our 2024 pilot, trees for all champions supported over 200 extra community groups to apply for free tree packs, getting 26,000 more trees in the ground. As we expand the network across the country, it’s the perfect time to get involved and make a meaningful difference for people and nature where you live. Find out more and apply to become a volunteer trees for all champion.

Vote for the RHS Chelsea Forgotten Forests garden

19 May 2026

After months of hard work, our Forgotten Forests garden is finally open at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 and it's just been awarded a gold medal and Best ‘All About Plants’ Garden! The garden showcases the urgent need to restore the UK’s most damaged ancient woodlands.

The Forgotten Forests garden is now contending for the BBC / RHS People’s Choice Award which asks the public to vote for their favourite inspirational garden. Our garden is in the ‘All About Plants Garden’ category with four other contenders.  
 
Winning the People’s Choice Award is often considered the crowning achievement of the event and would give an even greater platform to the garden and our vital call for urgent restoration efforts. But we haven’t got long – voting closes at 8pm on 21 May. Read more about all the gardens and cast your vote today. 

Our Forgotten Forests campaign goes on the road

8 May 2026 

Forgotten Forests is our bold campaign calling on government ministers to turbocharge restoration efforts for ancient woodland damaged by plantation forestry - that's almost half of ancient woods in the UK. Since launching last year, the campaign has gone from strength to strength and now it’s going on tour!  

From 19-23 May, Forgotten Forests will appear at the one and only RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Award-winning designer Ashleigh Aylett has expertly encapsulated our campaign in garden form. Showcasing the transition from damaged plantation to thriving ancient woodland, visitors will walk through the restoration journey mapped out in miniature. Explore the garden in Ashleigh's blog.

On 28 May, Forgotten Forests will feature at the prestigious Hay Literary Festival, one of the world’s leading literary events. A panel discussion will cover all things oaks, books, tree folklore and Forgotten Forests, as well as reviewing the history of our woods and trees to learn how to save their future. Get tickets to the talk. 

The final countdown – contact your candidates 

1 May 2026 

On 7 May, there will be elections for the Welsh Senedd, Scottish Parliament and 106 local authorities in England. We’re now in the final week before voting day, so it’s all hands on deck!

These elections will fundamentally impact what we’re able to achieve for nature in the next five years. Contacting your candidates today is a low-effort, high-impact way to make sure decision makers remember that woods, trees and wildlife are essential too.  

If you live in Scotland or Wales, you can contact all the candidates in your constituency at once with our simple form. Do you have one friend you could share this with too? 

If you live in England and have local elections in your area, find out who your candidates are. Ask your candidates what they’ll do to prioritise local nature recovery, and how they’ll make sure the benefits of woods and trees are available to all their constituents.  

Gear up for Great Big Green Week 

20 April 2026  

From 6–14 June 2026, communities across the UK will come together for Great Big Green Week, the UK’s biggest celebration of community action for climate and nature. By highlighting the good work already happening, we inspire people to do even more. 

Thousands of events, from community gatherings and nature walks to creative workshops, local campaigns and shared moments of action, will reach millions of people. Together, we’ll help them connect with the great progress already happening on their doorsteps. 

When people come together in their communities, it shows how much we care about the places we live, the people around us, and the future we’re building. Whether you’re hosting an event, joining in locally, or simply starting conversations, this is your chance to be part of a growing movement for change. Check out Great Big Green Week's resources and start planning your activities today!  

Four trees saved from subsidence claims

9 April 2026

Subsidence - the gradual sinking of land - is a complicated issue, often tied up in legalities and insurance claims. Tree felling is often incorrectly presented as a necessary, easy and cheap solution and saving these trees can be deemed a lost cause. But that doesn't stop our dedicated campaigning team!

Last year, we responded to four applications wanting to fell trees that were causing subsidence. They were all mature trees in areas with low tree canopy cover, so felling even a single tree would have a disproportionate impact. None of the evidence clearly showed the tree was the cause. We submitted objections highlighting the lack of tree canopy cover and wider health, environmental and social benefits of these trees, and questioning the strength of the evidence. All four applications were refused or withdrawn, with decision makers explicitly referencing our concerns.

We'll keep responding to cases like these and contributing to discussions about subsidence risk, development pressure and protecting trees in disadvantaged communities.

Exciting updates for ancient woodland mapping 

31 March 2026

How do you protect something if you’re not exactly sure where it is? While all four UK countries have mapped their ancient woodlands, only Wales' Ancient Woodland Inventory is up to date and fit for purpose. But excitingly, things are improving elsewhere.  

• Scotland: Government committed to updating the Ancient Woodland Register in its manifesto, which our Forgotten Forests campaign reminds them of! We’re supporting and advising the early stages of this project. 
• Northern Ireland: we’re providing similar support and advice for the Ancient Woodland Ireland project. Started last year, this undertaking will re-map all Irish ancient woodlands, alongside other important historical, cultural and ecological features.  
• England: updates to the Ancient Woodland Inventory began in 2019, after we provided initial funding. It's being expanded to include wood pasture, parkland, smaller woodland fragments initially excluded, and woods previously missed, with 20,000 hectares already added. The update is due to complete in 2028.  

Accurate records help us recognise and protect these irreplaceable habitats. They also help our team identify where planning applications threaten ancient woodland and strengthen their corresponding objections. We couldn’t undertake these long-term, large scale projects without our supporters – thank you! 

Lomond Banks: a final victory

26 March 2026 

Last month, we were elated that plans for a controversial holiday park in the middle of ancient woodland around Loch Lomond was finally rejected - for good. This is thanks to an outstanding campaign lead by the local community and MSPs since 2018.  

The Lomond Banks proposal - nicknamed ‘Flamingo Land’ after the developer’s Yorkshire theme park - would have bulldozed significant areas of irreplaceable woodland in a national park to make way for a holiday resort.  

The local authority unanimously rejected the original proposal. But in 2025, the developer appealed, with a government reporter advising that the rejection should be overturned. We coordinated a determined response from environmental NGOs and our supporters to successfully demand that the appeal was called in for review.  

Now, the Scottish Government has rejected the developer’s appeal. Among its main reasons was ‘permanent loss of ancient woodland and uncertainty over further woodland impacts’. This huge victory belongs to the local community. We're proud to have played our part in ensuring Loch Lomond’s woods remain a haven for people and wildlife.  

National Day of Action on 18 April: send a picture to the Prime Minister

20 March 2026

Across the country, communities are alarmed about the persistent loss of nature. Places we once thought sacrosanct are being opened to developers. The protections we fought for to safeguard our most precious green spaces are now at risk through Government reform and deregulation. 

That's why it’s so important to show Government that our woods and green spaces matter to you. On Saturday 18 April, communities across the UK will take part in the Community Planning Alliance’s Day of Action. Get involved by organising an event, of any shape or size, in a local green space. Then take a picture of your event and send it to the Prime Minister.

The collection of photos will serve as a powerful reminder that voters love nature and our natural spaces and want them to be protected. Together we’ll demonstrate, visibly and collectively, that people everywhere care deeply about the natural world and want it protected and restored. 

Find out more and sign up on Community Planning Alliance's website. 

Stop Nuclear Regulatory Review recommendations harming nature

11 March 2026

Woods, trees and natural landscapes need more protection, not less. But a new report proposes weakening current regulations. 

The Nuclear Regulatory Review (also known as the Fingleton Review) is a government-commissioned report that suggests nature protections create unnecessary costs for developers. It proposes:

• amending the Habitats Regulations so nuclear plant developers no longer need to avoid damage to designated nature sites
• removing the duty on public bodies to improve conservation and public access in our National Parks and National Landscapes.

Alarmingly, the Prime Minister has indicated he’d like these proposals implemented beyond just nuclear power. If adopted, we could face one of the biggest setbacks in environmental protections for decades.

The UK is already one of the most nature-deprived places on the planet. We’ve lost more biodiversity in recent years than any other country. But it’s not too late. Ed Miliband and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero are currently reviewing the proposals. Please urge them to reject the recommendations that put nature and people at risk. It only takes two minutes with the Wildlife Trusts' simple form.

Essential elections – contact your candidates!

3 March 2026

On 7 May there will be elections for the Welsh Senedd and Scottish Parliament, as well as 4,348 council seats across 106 local authorities in England.

The environment is a devolved topic, meaning the Senedd and Scottish Parliament can independently decide on their own environmental policies, strategies and targets, while local authorities can tailor English policies to suit their local area. This makes local elections essentially important to woods, trees and wildlife!

If you live in Scotland or Wales, you can use our simple form to contact all the candidates in your constituency in one go, or if you live in England and have local elections in your area, find out who your candidates are. Ask your candidates what they’ll do to prioritise local nature recovery, and how they’ll make sure the benefits of woods and trees are available to all their constituents. 

Brilliant environment bill becomes law in Scotland

25 February 2026

After years in the making and months of debate, the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill was passed into law last month. This governmental legislation requires ministers to set legally binding nature restoration targets and modernises how national parks are governed and deer are managed.

This is a moment to celebrate. It’s a major win for environmentalists in Scotland and for everyone who cares about UK wildlife. More work is needed to see the law translate into action on the ground, but the introduction of binding nature recovery targets, together with reforms to deer management legislation bode well for the future.

We still have some concerns about the inflexibility of the rules and the guidance governing protected sites. We'll work hard to make sure nature recovery is always put first as related guidance is created.

Last chance to vote for European Tree of the Year! 

18 February 2026 

Every year, the European Tree of the Year competition pits some of the continent’s best trees against one another, before crowning Europe’s best tree. Vote for your favourite by 3pm on 22 February. 

After winning the UK Tree of the Year competition, our entrant to the European contest this year is the Argyle Street Ash, a beloved street tree in Glasgow. Also known as The Only Tree on Argyle Street, it has survived the rise and fall of industry, the Clydeside Blitz, and ash dieback disease to remain a part of the city's social history and emotional architecture.  

Competitors include Lithuania’s Oak of Laukiai, treasured by six generations of local people, and Slovakia’s Old Wild Apple Tree, which has provided for a village 860 meters above sea level for 150 years.  

To take part, read the fascinating stories then vote for your two favourites. Remember to check your email to confirm your vote! 

Planning and Infrastructure Bill now law but our work continues

13 February 2026

Since spring last year, we’ve campaigned to improve the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. This major piece of Governmental legislation intended to reform England’s planning process and has now passed into law, but our work isn’t stopping yet.

The bill (now an act) threatened to roll back vital nature protections, with potentially disastrous consequences for our irreplaceable habitats and our already dangerously depleted wildlife populations.

With your support, we worked tirelessly to persuade Government to improve the bill for nature and properly safeguard woods, trees, and the wildlife they support.

Thanks to your efforts, some meaningful amendments were made. But we're seriously concerned that the act won't deliver the promised win-win for development and nature. We’ll focus on the secondary legislation being produced alongside the act and maintain pressure on Government to keep its word.

Objections protect two Dewsbury woodlands 

12 January 2026 

Developing land near ancient woodland will always risk negative effects on such a complex ecosystem. What happens when there’s no plan to address these impacts? 

In 2020, an application was made to build nearly 200 houses between two ancient woodlands near Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. Concerningly, it  didn't consider the large housing development's potential impact on the woodlands, or strategies to mitigate the impact. Instead, the plan was to address any issues further down the line.  

It's essential to consider potential damage before a planning decision is made - afterwards is often too late. The consequences for ancient woods are hard to address if they aren't highlighted from the start.

We submitted two strong objections to the application and are delighted that it was recently refused. Much public opposition to the plans remains, but we expect the applicant will appeal the decision. We’ll keep an eye on the case. 

Legal challenge saves ancient woods

6 January 2026

Coombe Valley Woods is a beautiful ancient woodland and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Monmouthshire, Wales. But along with several ancient woods nearby, it was threatened by a 2023 application for two intensive poultry units on a nearby farm which would cause a dangerous increase in nitrogen pollution.

The council approved the application but didn’t conduct appropriate assessments or consider the nitrogen pollution impact. We submitted a successful legal challenge against the approval and in January 2025, the approval was overturned.

This effectively meant the original decision hadn't happened and the application was set to go through the approvals process again late last year. But the decision makers were largely uninformed about the previous legal challenge. We swiftly emailed the planning committee with further context, stating our preparedness to undertake another legal challenge if the unchanged application was approved. Thankfully, it was refused, but a second application has since been made. We'll be keeping a close eye on developments and fighting to keep these ancient woods safe.