Let there be light

N recent decades, trees and tree planting have become central in efforts to mitigate climate change.

- By ERIN MCDAID

So strong is the narrative that it can now be difficult to convince people that in some circumstances trees still need cutting down and that trees and woodland are not always the best habit for wildlife.

Let's be clear - trees are amazing. They provide food and shelter for wildlife, help capture carbon, limiting the impact of atmospheric CO2; they provide shade and cooling in urban environments, help protect our soils and can reduce flood risk.

As well as their value as timber, these environmental benefits, plus their positive impact on health and wellbeing by simply making us feel good and cleaning our air - make them true economic powerhouses.

You might ask, why would a Wildlife Trust, a charity set up to protect and restore nature, spend much of our time cutting trees down, pulling them up or stopping them growing in the first place?

The work of colleagues and volunteers who care for our nature reserves, especially in autumn and winter, is often focused on either harvesting mature trees, clearing and thinning scrub or pulling out young saplings.

We also have hundreds of sheep and a growing number of cattle that help prevent trees taking over rare habitats such as meadows, heathland and reedbeds.