Blog

As summer arrives, June brings longer days and fully leafed woodland canopies. One tree particularly associated with this time of year is the oak, a symbol of strength and longevity.

After three years of planting, learning, caring and growing together, the Silk Wood Community Planting Project at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, has reached an important milestone.

We’re pleased to share news of the publication of the first conservation gap analysis for threatened whitebeams, rowans and service trees (Sorbus) across the UK and Ireland.

The Kitchen Restaurant officially reopened this May, following a major roof refurbishment project carried out between late November 2025 and May 2026.

The Silk Wood Community Planting Project has always been about more than simply planting trees. At its heart, the project is about people, partnership, and creating opportunities for everyone to connect with nature in meaningful ways.

As spring moves towards early summer, May brings a noticeable shift across the landscape. Hedgerows thicken, and woodland canopies begin to close. Hawthorn becomes one of the most recognisable trees at this time of year, covering roadsides and field boundaries with dense white blossom.

Find out how Westonbirt is working with NatureMetrics to uncover the invisible life within the soil using eDNA?...

This is your one stop to discover everything you won’t want to miss at Westonbirt this April…...

Spring is gathering pace as Westonbirt shifts into a vibrant phase with longer days and warmer temperatures.

As winter begins to give way to spring, staff and volunteers recently took part in a Winter Broadleaf Tree Identification course with the Field Studies Council.

After three years of community effort, the Silk Wood Community Planting Project has reached an important milestone with the planting of its final trees.

So you’ve signed up to fundraise for a cause you care about, the running event seemed a long way away at the time, and now you’re panicking because you’ve only got a few weeks left to hit your target?...

March officially signifies the start of Spring, and the much-anticipated awakening of many of the species here at Westonbirt.

February sits on the threshold between winter and spring, a time when nature begins to show signs of subtle change.

As part of the Silk Wood Community Planting Project, we are using sound as a tool to better understand how wildlife is responding to the evolving landscape.