The National Trust and Future Trees Trust, the only UK charity dedicated to improving broadleaved trees, have launched a partnership to plant a new research woodland to secure a future for some of the UK’s most important broadleaved tree species.  

Through the partnership, oak, sycamore, silver birch, hornbeam, beech and blackthorn will be planted in research trials and seed orchards on the National Trust’s 21-hectare site near Uffington, South Oxfordshire. Healthy individuals with better form and growth rates will be selected across the country.  These superior trees are used to establish grafted seed orchards which produce improved seed, also known as Qualified Forest Reproductive Material (FRM). Trees grown from improved seed have faster growth and therefore have the ability to sequester more carbon. Their improved form means they can be used in home-grown wood products that act as long-term carbon stores, an essential part of a multi-faceted approach to climate change. 

Field trials will also be planted (as above) to test the performance and adaptability of the selected parent trees.  These will be assessed for many years. Seed arising from these trials is Tested FRM – the best seed available for productive forestry.  

The tree breeding research programmes will give The National Trust direct access to broadleaved trees fit for the future to use across their estates and as part of their ambitions to establish 20 million trees by 2030. This will ensure the trees planted will likely be adapted to a changing climate. 

The partnership also offers the relocation of Future Trees Trust Head Office to the Buscot and Coleshill Estate, committing both organisations to a long-term partnership which will supply seed of many broadleaved species for woodland resilience in the future.  

      

John Deakin, Head of Trees and Woodlands at National Trust said: “The National Trust cares for tens of thousands of hectares of trees and woodlands as well as having an ambition to establish 20M trees by 2030. This exciting partnership will not only help to directly contribute to the achievement of that target but will also allow us to contribute more widely by supporting the Future Trees Trust to make available the highest quality trees to the wider tree and woodland sector. We are delighted to welcome them to our Buscot and Coleshill Estate.” 

John McLaughlin CEO Future Trees Trust said: “This is an exciting opportunity for Future Trees Trust, for the first time in our history we will be taking direct control of land, which will really help deliver our 10-year strategy. Working with such a renowned organisation as the National Trust will increase awareness of our work to ensure improved trees will be the natural choice for anyone planting trees. We also look forward to helping the National Trust to deliver on their ambitious tree planting targets and welcome the opportunity to co-locate our headquarters with the team at the Buscot and Coleshill Estate.”