Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

Blog - Conservation

Top 5 things you didn’t know about Wills

Leave a lasting mark aligned with what is most important to you and use our free Wills offer so making your Will won’t cost you a penny.

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Getting our Hands Dirty: A Tree-mendous Day at Westonbirt!

Armed with spades, smiles, and enthusiasm, we joined forces with the amazing Westonbirt staff, united by a shared passion for the environment to plant trees as part of the Silk Wood Community Planting Project.

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Planting Hope, Building Futures: 200 Trees Begin Their Journey

The Silk Wood Community Planting Project is off to a good start in 2024 with local community groups planting the first 200 trees to regenerate a section of Silk Wood at the arboretum.

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Saying Goodbye to a Beloved Beech at Westonbirt Arboretum

Westonbirt Arboretum's enchanting landscape faces a bittersweet change this year as a cherished beech will depart the arboretum this March, but hope blossoms anew.

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Top 4 birds to see at Westonbirt this winter

Winter is a great time to start birdwatching at Westonbirt Arboretum, many trees are without leaves, making it easier to spot them and get a closer look. And, during the winter months some birds are pretty vocal, making their presence known!...

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Clearing the way

Silk Wood is stirring. Two years after the loss of its ash trees, this community woodland is poised for a comeback as we embark on the first phase of a three-year regeneration project.

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Helping to save a species from extinction

King Charles III joined staff at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum to plant a critically endangered tree this week.

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Tree of the month: Oriental spruce

Native to the Caucasus and the Pontic Mountains of northeastern Turkey, this month's tree of the month is among the most attractive spruces, with a dense form with short branches.

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Tree of the month: Shagbark hickory

This October we're highlighting the shagbark hickory tree which is a golden highlight of this season, find out more...

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Silk Wood Community Planting Project: Baseline monitoring

Over the summer, a team of volunteers conducted a baseline survey in Silk Wood to discover which flora and fauna are present after a period of fallow following on from ash tree felling due to Chalara.

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Silk Wood Community Planting Project: Phase One funded

We’re thrilled to announce that Westonbirt Arboretum has raised over £350,000 towards Phase One of the ‘Silk Wood Community Planting Project’.

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Woodland Design Workshops Inspires Young People

The Silk Wood Community Planting Project is a great example of how schoolchildren can be involved in the design and management of their local environment. Find out more about the recent forest design workshops...

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Tree of the month: Sorbus commixta

As autumn arrives and the leaves begin to turn, this time of year is also a wonderful time to explore the diversity of fruits found around the arboretum. Take a closer look at the Japanese rowan in this month's blog...

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Tree of the month: Bottlebrush buckeye

The bottlebrush buckeye is a beautiful shrub that gets its name from its bottlebrush-like inflorescences. The white flowers with red anthers bloom in August, making the bottlebrush buckeye a truly spectacular sight. Find out more...

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