Discussions around UK woodland design, research, and development are being led by the team at UBoC, following the creation of Gair Wood earlier this year.
Between January and March of 2023 the UBoC team led the creation of Gair Wood for the University of Leeds. Over sixty thousand trees were planted, creating a new broadleaf dominated native woodland in the north of the city, which aims to increase biodiversity, provide an asset for the local community, sequester carbon, and support research & teaching.
But what does it take to plan and develop a woodland of this size and scope? The project team were invited by the Forestry Commission to discuss the process, from the initial idea through to getting trees in the ground and the ongoing management required to create a healthy woodland. This session is now available online as a free hour-long webinar. In the webinar you’ll hear from Iwan Downey of the White Rose Forest (the community forest to which Gair Wood contributes), talking about the efforts to create new woodlands in the region; Anna Gugan, who will outline the process of designing the site; and Cat Scott & Tom Sloan, who describe the planned research program.
The team has also been busy working with colleagues to embed research and teaching on the site. In May they were joined by scientists from across the University of Leeds to discuss the completion of the baseline monitoring campaign, and to plan the upcoming program of research.
The team hope to bring in experts from multiple disciplines to explore many aspects of woodland creation, including how animals use the site, changes in soil composition and microbial communities, tree survival rates, and aquatic ecology with the proposed creation of a series of ponds.
Look out for further updates through the year on the exciting research planned for the site!
Have a question about Gair Wood? Try our project FAQ pages or contact the team at info@uboc.co.uk
