Planting for the Future

header image

Q Estate Agents supported the planting of 500 climate resilient trees across the UK in 2024-25

Q Estate Agents is proud to be working in partnership with GreenTheUK and the Royal Forestry Society (RFS) to plant climate-resilient trees across the UK’s woodlands. This collaborative initiative brings together the RFS’ 140+ years of forestry expertise and GreenTheUK’s community-driven approach to ensure every tree planted contributes to a wider, lasting environmental legacy.

The RFS is a leader in sustainable woodland management. With deep-rooted knowledge passed down through generations, they understand that healthy, thriving woodlands depend not only on the trees we plant, but how we care for them. Our woodlands are managed with both climate and biodiversity in mind.

This partnership is helping to strengthen the resilience of UK woodlands against pests, diseases, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. Increasingly frequent extreme weather events including floods, droughts and storms are placing additional stress on trees. Weaker trees are far more vulnerable to disease and pests. By planting a broader mix of tree species, including some non-native and naturalised varieties, we improve the overall health and adaptability of woodland ecosystems, giving them a better chance of survival in the face of climate change.

Map

While native species are brilliant for biodiversity, we simply don’t have enough of them to ensure resilient sustainable woods and trees for the future. Many of our native tree species are under threat from new and existing pests and diseases. That’s why diversifying our woodlands is key. If we plant a wide variety of tree species (both native and non-native) we will help to ensure that at least some species will survive future threats. Tree cover habitats will be maintained and our native wildlife will have new and existing trees that they can depend on. Encouragingly, species like red squirrels have already adapted to living in some non-native conifer woodlands because of the ample food supply their cones provide. According to the Forestry Statistics 2024, woodland cover in the UK now stands at 13.5%, with 20,660 hectares of new woodland created in 2023/24, a positive step toward the government’s target of 30,000 hectares annually. With support from businesses like Q Estate Agents, we can help ensure that number continues to grow each year.

Expanding woodland cover plays a vital role in tackling climate change. Woodlands store an estimated 4,000 million tonnes of carbon in the UK alone, according to the Save Our Wild Isles campaign. Beyond carbon capture, trees help stabilise soils with their extensive root systems, reduce flood risk by intercepting rainfall with their canopies, and improve water retention in the ground. Some trees can even signal distress through chemical messaging when under attack, giving nearby trees a chance to defend themselves, a remarkable form of natural resilience.

Yet despite all this, the UK remains the second-largest importer of wood products in the world, much of it for use as biofuel. Relying on imports not only undermines our green credentials, but also increases the risk of introducing new pests and diseases to our woodlands.

That’s why responsible, UK-based tree planting guided by expert partners, like the Royal Forestry Society and GreenTheUK, is so important. It’s about planting the right trees, in the right places, and caring for them in the right way so our woodlands can thrive for generations to come.

Tree Species Planted:

100 trees planted in Leicestershire

This woodland was planted with poplar trees in the 1990s but sadly they are suffering from disease. The affected trees have been felled (to prevent spread of the disease to other poplars in the area) and have been replaced by a diverse mixture of broadleaves and conifers. The new woodland will be cared for to ensure a supply of chip wood and firewood for the local community. The different types of trees planted will also help to increase biodiversity.

Tree Leaf
15 Trees Planted

Grand Fir: Abies Grandis

Read More

Grand Fir: Abies Grandis

The grand fir is native to the north-west United States and south-west Canada, and the species was first introduced to Britain in the 19th century. Grand firs are seriously impressive trees; they are hardy and grow quickly, in many different types of soil. They can grow up to about 80m tall and live for around 250 years.

Tree Leaf
1 Trees Planted

Field Maple: Acer Campestre

Read More

Field Maple: Acer Campestre

This species is the UK's only native maple and is often grown as an ornamental tree in large gardens and parks, as well as in woods and hedgerows. Its wood is white, hard and strong, and is popular for making furniture, flooring and musical instruments, especially harps. Field maple flowers are hermaphrodite, meaning each flower contains both male and female reproductive parts.

Tree Leaf
16 Trees Planted

Silver Birch: Betula Pendula

Read More

Silver Birch: Betula Pendula

The silver birch is an elegant, majestic-looking tree which can survive in a range of climates, making it a very popular choice for gardeners. It attracts hundreds of insect species, and woodpeckers like to nest in its rough, tough, silver-white trunk. There is a lot of mythology attached to the silver birch, which is said to symbolise purity, new beginnings and protection. Once upon a time, on Midsummer’s Eve, silver birch boughs were hung across the doors of houses to bring good luck to their residents.

Tree Leaf
12 Trees Planted

Hornbeam: Carpinus Betulus

Read More

Hornbeam: Carpinus Betulus

The hornbeam is extremely tough and keeps its leaves all year round, making it an attractive proposition for birds, insects and other animals. Hornbeam wood is very hard, in fact it is also known as “ironwood” and the Romans recognised its durability, using it to make their chariots. Nowadays, this timber is used for tool handles, coach wheels, parquet flooring and chess pieces!

Tree Leaf
1 Trees Planted

Hazel: Corylus Avellana

Read More

Hazel: Corylus Avellana

The common hazel is native to Europe and western Asia and forms an important part of England’s hedgerows. We have all heard of hazelnuts, which are rich in unsaturated fats and protein, and an extremely popular ingredient in many of the world’s cuisines. Did you know that hazel trees were once seen as both magical and a symbol of fertility?

Tree Leaf
1 Trees Planted

Hawthorn: Crataegus Monogyna

Read More

Hawthorn: Crataegus Monogyna

Hawthorn is very much associated with the month of May, and the appearance of its bright, white flowers heralds the change from spring to summer. It is prolific in hedgerows, scrub and woodland throughout the UK and Ireland, and a single tree can grow as tall as 10m. In pagan times, hawthorn was a symbol of marriage and fertility, but in the Middle Ages, it was never brought into homes, as people believed it was a harbinger of illness and death.

Tree Leaf
15 Trees Planted

Norway Spruce: Picea Abies

Read More

Norway Spruce: Picea Abies

This fast-growing evergreen conifer can live for as long as 1000 years and grows to a height of up to 40m. It has red-brown cones, which are the largest of any spruce tree. In 1848, Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert introduced the custom of decorating a Norway spruce for Christmas, and it has been a popular festive tree choice in the UK ever since.

Tree Leaf
12 Trees Planted

Wild Cherry: Prunus Avium

Read More

Wild Cherry: Prunus Avium

Stunning white cherry blossoms burst forth in April, heralding the arrival of spring and bringing joy to parks and gardens. Mature cherry trees can live for up to 60 years, and provide a great source of food for birds, bees, insects and small animals like badgers and mice. Our ancestors would boil wild cherries and make them into a syrup to treat a range of ailments including coughs and anaemia.

Tree Leaf
17 Trees Planted

Pedunculate Oak: Quercus Robur

Read More

Pedunculate Oak: Quercus Robur

Also known as the common or English oak, this is the undisputed king of the woods, supporting more wildlife species than any other native tree in the UK. “Robur” in this oak’s Latin name means “strength” and “hard timber” because this tree produces incredibly durable wood which can be used to make many things, including furniture and flooring. The oak has been considered sacred by many gods in mythology throughout the ages.

Tree Leaf
10 Trees Planted

Western Red Cedar: Thuja Plicata

Read More

Western Red Cedar: Thuja Plicata

The western red cedar’s strength is celebrated in Native American cultures, and it attracts and shelters many species of birds and insects. Its timber is extremely durable, making it a good source of building materials. If you take a bit of western red cedar foliage and crush it between your fingers, it gives off a sweet smell like pineapple.

300 trees planted in County Down

This woodland is long established and much of the woodland has been continuously present for at least 200 years. Much of the habitat was a conifer high forest, which doesn’t provide a great amount of diversity for wildlife habitats. The areas that were clear-felled were replanted with a mix of species, selected with resilience and diversity in mind. The estate is converting to a Low Impact Silvicultural System (LISS) woodland management approach in an effort to enhance the species, structure, biodiversity and landscape aesthetics of the estate woodlands.

Tree Leaf
38 Trees Planted

Japanese Red Cedar: Cryptomeria Japonica

Read More

Japanese Red Cedar: Cryptomeria Japonica

The Japanese red cedar is a low-maintenance evergreen conifer that grows well in parks and gardens and thrives in moist, well-drained soil. It has distinctive red-brown bark which peels off in strips, and it can grow as tall as 70m. It is known as “Sugi” in Japan, where it is the national tree, but despite its name, it is not actually a true cedar; its closest relative is the giant sequoia.

Tree Leaf
191 Trees Planted

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga Menziesii

Read More

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga Menziesii

Douglas fir was first introduced to the UK from North America in the 1800s. These fragrant evergreen members of the pine family can live for up to 1,000 years, but are often cut down for use as Christmas trees. Douglas fir timber has lots of commercial uses, including furniture, flooring and decking, for example.

Tree Leaf
11 Trees Planted

Coast Redwood: Sequoia Sempervirens

Read More

Coast Redwood: Sequoia Sempervirens

Coast redwoods are amongst the oldest living things on Earth, with some dating back over 2,000 years. This giant of the forest can grow to over 100m tall with a trunk around 9m thick. Older coast redwoods are remarkably fire resistant because they have very thick bark which acts as a protective shell; an important quality in this tree’s native California, where forest fires are often a threat.

Tree Leaf
14 Trees Planted

Giant Redwood: Sequoiadendron Giganteum

Read More

Giant Redwood: Sequoiadendron Giganteum

These majestic trees can live for over 3,000 years and are very resistant to pests and diseases because they have tannin in their bark. Their bark is also spongy which makes them fire resistant; in fact they need heat to reproduce, as it opens up their cones and helps their seeds to disperse. The largest giant redwood in the world is named “General Sherwood” and stands over 84m tall and 11m wide in the Sequoia National Park in California.

Tree Leaf
46 Trees Planted

Western Red Cedar: Thuja Plicata

Read More

Western Red Cedar: Thuja Plicata

The western red cedar’s strength is celebrated in Native American cultures, and it attracts and shelters many species of birds and insects. Its timber is extremely durable, making it a good source of building materials. If you take a bit of western red cedar foliage and crush it between your fingers, it gives off a sweet smell like pineapple.

100 trees planted in County Durham

Planting across 11 different sites, this project aims to increase urban woodland cover in County Durham. New woodland spaces have been created in public parks, recreation grounds, commons, open spaces and schools. This project has engaged local communities in volunteering tree planting activities, including schools, local residents, community groups and businesses. These activities have provided opportunities for these groups to access and engage with their green spaces and gain knowledge and skills on planting and establishing trees.

Tree Leaf
5 Trees Planted

Field Maple: Acer Campestre

Read More

Field Maple: Acer Campestre

This species is the UK’s only native maple and is often grown as an ornamental tree in large gardens and parks, as well as in woods and hedgerows. Its wood is white, hard and strong, and is popular for making furniture, flooring and musical instruments, especially harps. Field maple flowers are hermaphrodite, meaning each flower contains both male and female reproductive parts.

Tree Leaf
2 Trees Planted

Alder: Alnus Glutinosa

Read More

Alder: Alnus Glutinosa

Alder can be found across Europe and thrives in moist ground and damp cool areas, which is why you’ll often see alder trees planted near rivers and ponds. Moth caterpillars love alder leaves and the tree’s roots make an ideal nesting site for otters. For humans, the real value of alder wood is that it’s durable when wet, so is useful for making boats and sluice gates. The story goes that outlaws like Robin Hood would have used the green dye from alder flowers to camouflage their clothing!

Tree Leaf
25 Trees Planted

Silver Birch: Betula Pendula

Read More

Silver Birch: Betula Pendula

The silver birch is an elegant, majestic-looking tree which can survive in a range of climates, making it a very popular choice for gardeners. It attracts hundreds of insect species, and woodpeckers like to nest in its rough, tough, silver-white trunk. There is a lot of mythology attached to the silver birch, which is said to symbolise purity, new beginnings and protection. Once upon a time, on Midsummer’s Eve, silver birch boughs were hung across the doors of houses to bring good luck to their residents.

Tree Leaf
5 Trees Planted

Hazel: Corylus Avellana

Read More

Hazel: Corylus Avellana

The common hazel is native to Europe and western Asia and forms an important part of England’s hedgerows. We have all heard of hazelnuts, which are rich in unsaturated fats and protein, and an extremely popular ingredient in many of the world’s cuisines. Did you know that hazel trees were once seen as both magical and a symbol of fertility?

Tree Leaf
6 Trees Planted

Hawthorn: Crataegus Monogyna

Read More

Hawthorn: Crataegus Monogyna

Hawthorn is very much associated with the month of May, and the appearance of its bright, white flowers heralds the change from spring to summer. It is prolific in hedgerows, scrub and woodland throughout the UK and Ireland, and a single tree can grow as tall as 10m. In pagan times, hawthorn was a symbol of marriage and fertility, but in the Middle Ages, it was never brought into homes, as people believed it was a harbinger of illness and death.

Tree Leaf
11 Trees Planted

Beech: Fagus Sylvatica

Read More

Beech: Fagus Sylvatica

If the oak is the king of British trees, then the beech is its queen. A dense canopy of leaves provides a rich habitat for all sorts of insects, its seeds are popular with mice and squirrels, and hole-nesting birds make their homes in beech trunks. Some of the UK’s tallest native trees are beeches, including one that stands at over 44m tall on the National Trust's Devil's Dyke Estate in West Sussex.

Tree Leaf
1 Trees Planted

Wild Cherry: Prunus Avium

Read More

Wild Cherry: Prunus Avium

Stunning white cherry blossoms burst forth in April, heralding the arrival of spring and bringing joy to parks and gardens. Mature cherry trees can live for up to 60 years, and provide a great source of food for birds, bees, insects, and small animals like badgers and mice. Our ancestors would boil wild cherries and make them into a syrup to treat a range of ailments including coughs and anaemia.

Tree Leaf
6 Trees Planted

Blackthorn: Prunus Spinosa

Read More

Blackthorn: Prunus Spinosa

This small, thorny tree grows to around 5m tall and can be used in hedgerows. Its fruit - the sloe berry - looks a little like a small plum or damson and can be made into jam, jelly or even sloe gin. The blackthorn had a sinister reputation in mythology, where it was associated with witches.

Tree Leaf
14 Trees Planted

Pedunculate Oak: Quercus Robur

Read More

Pedunculate Oak: Quercus Robur

Also known as the common or English oak, this is the undisputed king of the woods, supporting more wildlife species than any other native tree in the UK. “Robur” in this oak’s Latin name means “strength” and “hard timber” because this tree produces incredibly durable wood which can be used to make many things, including furniture and flooring. The oak has been considered sacred by many gods in mythology throughout the ages.

Tree Leaf
25 Trees Planted

Rowan: Sorbus Aucuparia

Read More

Rowan: Sorbus Aucuparia

Also known as the mountain ash, rowan trees grow well at high altitudes and are commonly found in the Scottish Highlands, as well as on streets and in gardens across the UK. Many birds eat their scarlet berries in the autumn, then disperse the seeds. Rowan used to be planted next to homes to ward off the threat of witches, as red was once believed to guard against evil.

UN's Sustainable Development Goals

As a GreenTheUK partner, you support projects that are in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

SDG Icon

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

SDG Icon

Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss.

Woodland Animals

Examples of species which could benefit from a woodland habitat.

Tawny Owl: Strix Aluco

Tawny Owl

As you might expect, tawny owls have excellent eyesight, but they also have fantastic hearing, which makes it easier for them to catch their prey. This species can be found living in England, Wales and Scotland, usually in broadleaf woodland. The tawny owl has a ring of dark feathers around its face, surrounding dark eyes.

Green Woodpecker: Picus Viridis

Green Woodpecker

The large green woodpecker has a bright red crown and a black moustache. Green woodpeckers don’t actually peck that much wood, because they have fairly weak bills. This bird used to be known as the “yaffle”, which is how the animated, carved woodpecker bookend - Professor Yaffle - got his name in the classic 1970s children’s television show “Bagpuss”.

Pied Flycatcher: Ficedula Hypoleuca

Pied Flycatcher

The pied flycatcher is a summer visitor to these shores, preferring to spend the winter in West Africa. You’ll find these birds in mature woodlands, mainly in western parts of Great Britain, because they like temperate rainforests. They make their nests in tree trunks and nest boxes, where the females lay up to seven light blue eggs at a time.

Wood Warbler: Phylloscopus Sibilatrix

Wood Warbler

These bright green and yellow birds tend to stick to oak woodland areas across the UK. Their song is a slightly metallic-sounding chirp, which some have compared to the sound of a small coin spinning on a table. Wood warblers migrate to Africa in August and come back to the UK towards the end of April.

Woodcock: Scolopax Rusticola

Woodcock

The woodcock is a large wading bird with short legs and a long, straight bill. Its feathers are mottled and brown, allowing the woodcock to blend in with the woodland floor. Woodcock feathers were used to paint the gold stripe on the side of the Rolls Royce and before that, they were popular with Victorian miniaturists who favoured them for painting on ivory.

Hawfinch: Coccothraustes Coccothraustes

Hawfinch

The hawfinch is the UK’s largest finch and has a very powerful bill. This timid bird can be tricky to spot but tends to nest in woodland or parkland in England, particularly near beech, oak and hornbeam trees. Some hawfinches stay in the UK all year round, but others fly south for the winter.

Willow Tit: Poecile Montanus

Willow Tit

Willow tits tend to live in wet woodland and willow carr across England, Wales and the south of Scotland. Their diet is rich in insects, but they also eat seeds and berries in the winter when there are fewer creepy crawlies about. Willow tits carve out their own nesting holes, usually in trees or rotten stumps.

Goshawk: Accipiter Gentilis

Goshawk

These fierce hawks have a wingspan of around 1.5m and can weave in and out of trees, hunting their prey which includes smaller birds, squirrels and rabbits. The female of the species is larger than the male. The name goshawk comes from the Old English for “goose hawk”.

Red Deer: Cervus Elaphus

Red Deer

These truly majestic animals are the UK’s largest native land mammals, and you’ll find most of them in Scotland, although there are herds dotted all around the country. Red deer can weigh as much as 190kg, and live for up to 20 years. Males (stags) and females (hinds) tend to live apart for most of the year, then they get together to mate in the autumn and their young are born in the late spring and early summer.

Dormouse: Muscardinus Avellanarius

Dormouse

The dormouse, or hazel dormouse, makes its home in the overgrown hedgerows and deciduous woodland of southern England. UK dormouse populations have declined in this century and they are strictly protected by law. You might remember the dormouse who kept falling asleep during the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party in Alice in Wonderland; probably because dormice are nocturnal and the party was during the day!

Pine Marten: Martes Martes

Pine Marten

Pine martens live in woodland habitats across Scotland and Ireland, but are on the verge of extinction in England and Wales. This elusive nocturnal hunter is tricky to spot, but if you do see one you’ll recognise it by the distinctive yellow “bib” on its otherwise rich brown fur. In 2013, an intrepid pine marten caused quite a stir when it invaded the pitch during a football match in Switzerland, biting one of the players!

Badger: Meles Meles

Badger

This black and white striped mammal is the UK’s largest land predator, and can be found living all around the country. Badgers make their homes underground in networks of burrows and tunnels known as setts, with the same family occupying the area for generations. It can be tricky to spot badgers in the wild because they are nocturnal, but during warmer weather in the summer, they occasionally emerge just before sunset.

Roe Deer: Capreolus Capreolus

Roe Deer

Roe deer live on their own or in small groups throughout England and Scotland, feeding on leaves, shrubs, heather and grass. Male roe deer have quite short antlers, which begin to grow in November so that they are ready for the summer rutting season, then fall out again in October. Roe deer mate in July and August, but implantation of the fertilised egg is delayed until January so that the young aren’t born in the winter.

Barbastelle Bat: Barbastella Barbastellus

Barbastelle Bat

This distinctive-looking bat has a flat face and makes its home in deciduous woodland, preferably near water, in England and Wales. The Latin name “barbastella” means “star beard”, because this bat has white hairs growing around its mouth. It is an incredibly rare, protected species, with as few as 5,000 believed to be living in the UK.

Bechstein’s Bat: Myotis Bechsteinii

Bechstein’s Bat

Bechstein’s bat is very rare and lives almost exclusively in woodland areas. This species is hard to detect because its echolocation is very quiet. Like other species of bat, Bechstein’s bat is nocturnal, and listens out for woodland moths, then catches and eats them.

Natterer’s Bat: Myotis Nattereri

Natterer’s Bat

Natterer’s bats are medium-sized with fairly long ears, and although quite rare, they live all over the UK. They feed on insects, many of which they forage straight from the foliage around them. They hibernate in small rock crevices, often in groups, and can contort themselves into all kinds of weird and wonderful positions.

Brown Long-Eared Bat: Plecotus Auritus

Brown Long-Eared Bat

As the name suggests, these medium-sized bats have huge ears: nearly as long as their bodies, in fact! They have grey-brown fur and like to roost in old buildings and holes in tree trunks. They prick up their ears when they are flying to aid with hunting, but can roll them back when resting and even tuck them under their wings.

Stag Beetle: Lucanus Cervus

Stag Beetle

You’ll find the UK’s biggest beetle in parks, gardens and woods in South East England. Stag beetles have huge jaws, but their bite isn’t actually that powerful so they don’t pose much of a threat to humans. It can take as long as seven years for stag beetle larvae to grow into adults, and once they do, they only live for a few months!

Glow Worm: Lampyris Noctiluca

Glow Worm

The female glow worm can light up at night to attract a mate in the darkness. Despite the name, glow worms actually look a bit more like beetles than worms. They are only adults for a very short time in the summer months.

Common Lizard: Zootoca Vivipara

Common Lizard

The common lizard incubates its eggs inside its body, then gives birth to live young, which is unusual for a reptile. If it feels threatened, this clever reptile can shed its tail to confuse the predator for long enough to get out of danger. The common lizard likes the sunshine and you might even be able to spot one in your garden.

Grass Snake: Natrix Helvetica

Grass Snake

Grass snakes pose no threat to humans because they are non-venomous and tend not to bite. Long green and yellow grass snakes can be found throughout England and Wales. You can spot them between April and October, as they hibernate for the rest of the year.

Slow Worm: Anguis Fragilis

Slow Worm

The slow worm looks a bit like a snake, but it is actually Britain’s only native legless lizard. They evolved without legs because they spend a lot of their time burrowing through soil and vegetation. If the slow worm senses danger nearby, it will try pooing in the hope that the smell puts the predator off.

Smooth Newt: Lissotriton Vulgaris

Smooth Newt

You’ll find these newts throughout Britain and Ireland, where they are protected by law. Adults head for ponds to mate and generally stay there from February to June. The female smooth newt wraps each of her eggs in an individual pond weed leaf to keep it safe.

Palmate Newt: Lissotriton Helveticus

Palmate Newt

Britain’s smallest species of newt looks a lot like the smooth newt, but prefers shallow pools and acidic soils. The males grow black webbing on their back feet during the breeding season. Palmate newts don’t exactly hibernate, but they do spend the winter sheltering under rocks, or in compost or mud.

Great Crested Newt: Triturus Cristatus

Great Crested Newt

The UK’s biggest newt is dark brown or black and covered in warts. Males dance on their front legs and wave their tails when trying to court females. The animals and their eggs, breeding sites and resting places are protected by law.

Common Frog: Rana Temporaria

Common Frog

Common frogs have smooth skin and are most active at night. This clever amphibian uses its long, sticky tongue to catch insects like worms, slugs and snails. Garden ponds are very important for common frogs and suburban populations depend on them.

Grey Squirrel: Sciurus Carolinensis

Grey Squirrel

Grey squirrels first arrived in the UK from their native North America in the 1800s. Their introduction to these shores has been a disaster for red squirrels, as greys carry squirrelpox, to which they themselves are immune, but which can infect and kill reds. Grey squirrels also cause mayhem in woods where they strip the bark from trees, damaging them in the process.

Edible Dormouse: Glis Glis

Edible Dormouse

The Romans used to breed edible dormice to eat as a snack. These rodents look a bit like tiny squirrels, with greyish fur and brown tails. Britain’s edible dormouse population is confined to the Chilterns and nearby woodlands.

Muntjac Deer: Muntiacus Reevesi

Muntjac Deer

This small hump-backed deer originally came to the UK from China and can now be spotted here all year round. Muntjac deer are not much bigger than foxes and hang around in small family groups rather than large herds. Sadly, they can damage important wildflower species in the woodlands they visit.

Supported By:

supported company logo

Project Partner:

partner logo GreenTheUK logo

Join Our Mailing List...