29,000 trees planted in Masham to create new woodlands

Last updated Mar 28, 2024

29,000 trees planted at Swinton Park, Masham

Almost 30,000 trees are being planted on Swinton Estate in Masham as part of a new woodlands initiative.

Plant nursery, Johnsons Nurseries Ltd, has supplied the trees and whips – the young seedlings, to the 20,000-acre estate.

Funding for this project has come from the White Rose Forest through its Trees for Climate programme, part of the government’s Nature for Climate Fund.

The White Rose Forest is the Community Forest for North and West Yorkshire and works with landowners, businesses and communities across the region to provide support and funding for woodland creation projects that will benefit communities and the environment.

Over 30 varieties of trees were supplied for the woodlands via The DTMS Group, contracted to deliver the landscaping for the project. The varieties included Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Sorbus aucuparia, Quercus robur, Salix caprea, and Acer campestre.

Trees were specifically selected and sited for water and biodiversity improvements and for their many climate benefits from providing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide to providing resources and habitat to wildlife.

Almost 30,000 trees at the Masham Estate

Johnsons Nurseries’ marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson, said:

“We were excited to work on this project in collaboration with the Swinton Estate, The DTMS Group, and the White Rose Forest. The trees that we supplied included a range of native species, from pines to oaks, enhancing the natural beauty of the estate and contributing to improving biodiversity and water quality.”

Will Richardson, forestry advisor to the Swinton Estate, added:

“The Swinton Estate have a long-term ambition to increase tree cover by 50% over the next 20 years, creating around 350ha of new mixed woodland and wood pasture. This is driven by a desire to improve sustainability and nature conservation across the estate, sequester carbon and to produce sustainable crops of timber in years to come.

“This has been the first phase of this programme, and we are delighted with the contributions made by the White Rose Forest, DTMS as contractors and Johnsons as tree suppliers in helping us to deliver this. We very much look forward to seeing the new woodland thrive and mature over the years.”