Main image: Black Grouse. Credit: Andy Hay
Did you see the amazing ancient woodlands in the first episode of Wild Isles? Ancient woodlands and trees are brilliant for biodiversity but it’s a real balancing act to plant the right tree in the right place. Trees are just one of the ways we can capture carbon and help combat the Nature and Climate emergency and at RSPB Geltsdale we’re planting native trees to benefit wildlife, and removing conifers which don’t belong here so we can restore rare heathland for rare species like Black Grouse and Nightjar.
All our tree planting at RSPB Geltsdale is done to promote biodiversity and is non-commercial. At Geltsdale we try to provide a mosaic of upland habitats where wildlife can flourish. We avoid planting on deep peat soils which often have their own communities of specialist plants and in themselves act as a huge carbon store.
The North Pennines is renowned for its population of Curlews, which, on the whole, enjoy wide open spaces so planting trees in these areas can sometimes be detrimental to breeding success. This is because trees and woodlands will hide predators such as foxes and badgers which eat the eggs of ground nesting birds such as Curlew, so they will generally avoid making a nest where trees are nearby. Curlews nest on flat ground so this is why we often plant trees on steeper sided valleys which the birds don’t use.
Our trees are also planted at a low density per hectare and link up with older woodlands providing connectivity and corridors for wildlife to move through. The mix of species we plant is often very good for wildlife; fruit bearing trees such as Hawthorn and Rowan provide a source of food for many species, whilst Alder and Willows are fantastic for insects and in older woodlands, leaving deadwood is hugely beneficial for fungi and wood-boring insects.
We also plant trees in a non-uniform way, avoiding rows and hard-edge plantations. Instead, trees are scattered across the landscape following the contours of the land and becoming much more spaced out where they spread higher up the hill. We like to leave open ground too within the wood, as well as provide glades for butterflies.
Many thousands of new native trees have been planted at RSPB Geltsdale over the last thirty years and the RSPB expert conservationists are always looking at new opportunities and areas where new scrub woodland can be established, changing the landscape from a former industrial valley of coal mines and stone quarries into wild and rugged hills that can sometimes teem with wildlife. Areas set aside for tree planting have been fenced off from livestock, allowing plants to recover and biodiversity to flourish. We have seen these places become a sanctuary for many rare birds such as Willow Warblers, Whinchats, Cuckoos and Black Grouse.
Our volunteer work parties are a tremendous help in maintaining trees that are newly planted. Once a young tree is in the ground it will often need to be cared for to give it the best chance of survival. Tree guards need weeding free of competing grasses and bracken will sometimes need to be kept in check to prevent the sapling from becoming over-shadowed. Tree shelters will need straightening up when they have been blown by the wind, and once they have done their job they will have to be removed and recycled. Our Geltsdale volunteers are all experts in the maintenance of young trees.
“For over 100 years Geltsdale was a major industrial site- Stephenson's Rocket ended its days pulling coal trucks here. So, it is wonderful to see how the RSPB is changing the land to be beautiful to look at and walk in. But more importantly it now supports many birds and fauna, some quite rare. As a volunteer, it gives me a big kick every spring to see the trees and bushes coming into leaf, knowing I have played a small part in this special regeneration”.
David Rawsthorn, volunteer at RSPB Geltsdale
Planting the right tree in the right place for wildlife can help in gardens too! Native trees provide the right food and shelter for our native species, and we’ve pulled together some expert advice to help you decide what tree is right for your space here.
Live in Cumbria? You can also help rare upland birds like Curlew too, by volunteering with our Curlew Life Project this Spring.