Chester Zoo plants 19,000 new trees to help combat climate change

  • The new area is Chester Zoo's biggest ever habitat creation, as ITV Granada Report correspondent Paul Crone found out.

A new woodland filled with 19,000 trees is helping in the fight against climate change as well as encourage different species into the area.

It will provide a haven for some of the UK’s most precious species, including the green woodpecker, badgers, harvest mice and speckled wood butterflies

The area, which spans almost 10 hectares, is Chester Zoo ’s biggest ever habitat creation project.

The trees have been planted on the zoo’s land in Upton in Chester, transforming a low-biodiversity silage field into a major new sanctuary for UK wildlife.Conservationists hope it will provide a home for a variety of plants and animals, as well as improving soil health and carbon storage to help fight climate change.

They say the location has been specially selected to link two smaller woods, forming one continuous woodland, which will help to improve habitat connectivity for local wildlife and increase the woodland’s resistance to pests and diseases.A diverse mix of UK native broadleaf trees species, including oak, beech and hazel, have been planted to provide high biodiversity benefits and resilience to climate change, while the layout has been designed to include meadow rides and glades which will help species such as butterflies, small mammals and birds.Woodland habitat has decreased across Cheshire in recent years due to the building of houses and growth of infrastructure like roads and railways.Dr Simon Dowell, Director of Science and Policy at Chester Zoo, said: “Once established, this woodland will provide a richer and more diverse habitat for a range of species, drawing in the likes of green woodpeckers, badgers, harvest mice and butterflies such as the speckled wood."The zoo’s tree planting project contributes to Cheshire West and Chester’s Nature Recovery Strategy – a plan to help wildlife thrive, improve the ecological network and target investment in nature in the region."

It's hoped the new forest will help attract wildlife and provide a home for a variety of plants and animals. Credit: Chester Zoo

Jennifer Kelly, Chester Zoo’s Head of Sustainability, said: “The climate and biodiversity crises are intrinsically linked and must be tackled together. Woodlands and forests are critical to this.

"Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, as well as helping us adapt to the effects of climate change.

"They also have huge benefits to soil health, water and air quality and biodiversity, providing stable ecosystems where wildlife can thrive.

"It’s estimated that the new woodland at Chester Zoo will store around 2,400 tonnes of carbon over its lifetime, whilst providing a haven for some of our most precious UK species."

The woodland planted at the zoo has been funded by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) through the Nature for Climate Fund, and delivered in partnership with the Mersey Forest.

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