AZ Forest in England pushes for 1 million trees planted going into 2024/2025 planting season

22 November 2024  

We are celebrating that nearly 750,000 new trees are contributing to better outcomes for nature and climate as part of the AZ Forest project that kicked off in 2021. Our ultimate goal is to have 1 million trees established by 2030 in England so we are well on track.

Biodiversity loss is a key issue in the UK, which is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Statistics such as a 19% average decline in species studied since 1970 and that 16% species are threatened with extinction¹ mean we must act now. AZ Forest aims to address climate change and restore nature, while building ecological and community resilience.

With our partner Forestry England, planting has taken place at six sites:²

At Goyt Valley in Peak District National Park, AstraZeneca’s funding has supported restocking efforts after large numbers of trees had to be felled due to Phytopthora ramorum damage. 65,000 trees have been planted to aid in the restoration of this popular site.

A new 40 hectare woodland is being planted at Hondslough in Cheshire to extend Delamere Forest. Some trees will provide renewable building material with the mix of species being chosen due to their resilience and excellent carbon sequestration rate, while others provide a seed orchard to supply seed for future Forestry England planting. More than 134,000 trees have been funded by AstraZeneca, including more than 27,000 sessile oaks, 13,000 hornbeam and 165 black poplar. AstraZeneca volunteers learned about the seed orchard and enjoyed joining the planting effort in the spring.

In Lancashire at Brooms Cross, an 18 hectare mixed habitat site is being developed for mitigation of climate change and biodiversity improvement, including providing good red squirrel habitat and planting species that are flood resistant and good food sources for pollinators. Conifer blocks within the woodland will also provide a renewable timber supply.

At Thetford Forest in East Anglia work began in 2021 to tackle the devastation caused by Dothistroma needle blight, planting over 400,000 trees across the almost 147 hectare area specially selected for their resilience to climate change, disease and browsing animals. Unfortunately high summer temperatures for two years resulted in some young trees not surviving despite best efforts and replacements being needed but progress is being made, including with the help of AstraZeneca colleagues who continued by torch light to get the job done last winter!

Finally at Pleasant Forest in Kent, as well as planting nearly 100,000 trees, an eDNA exercise has measured baseline biodiversity so that future changes can be understood as this previously degraded arable land is restored. An incredible 663 fungi species and 518 invertebrate species were recorded though numbers varied hugely across the site with more than triple the number of fungi and seven times as many invertebrates being found at the most biodiverse location versus the least.

A newly acquired 220 hectare farmland site at Clipsham on the Lincolnshire/Rutland border will be planted with mixed broadleaf and conifer species to create a new woodland that connects two existing Forestry England sites. AstraZeneca is funding 287,500 trees here where the range of habitats will be open to the public to explore using existing and new trails. Biodiversity will be boosted through connecting existing woodlands, hedgerow networks and grassland areas as well as some areas providing a source of low carbon timber in line with UKFS to make UK building processes greener and less reliant on imports.

Thanks to our partners at Forestry England for managing this fantastic project and hosting many of our team on planting days in the last year. We’re looking forward to seeing the trees flourish and bring huge, multifaceted benefits over the coming years.

AZ Forest UK is part of our global reforestation programme to plant and maintain 200 million trees across six continents by 2030.

Happy National Tree Week everyone!

References 

1. State of Nature report 2023 https://stateofnature.org.uk/ Accessed March 2025
2. Data on file – Forestry England report