Woodland

Why are woodlands important?

Woodlands take CO2 from the atmosphere helping to stop global warming! They also provide us with timber and wood, which are renewable resources with lots of uses. Best of all they are great for wildlife!

Types of woodland:

Ancient woodland - this is woodland that is known to have been present since at least 1600! Some plants are slow to colonise (that means to settle in an area). If they are spotted in a woodland then it is a good clue that the woodland is very old! These plants include wood anemone and enchanter’s nightshade.

Broad-leaved woodland - this is woodland that has trees that do not have needles. Instead, the trees have leaves that are broad and of different shapes. Most of these trees will be deciduous which means that they lose their leaves in the autumn.

Wet woodland - this is woodland that often has trees such as willows, birches and alder that thrive in poorly drained or seasonally flooded soils.

Caledonian forest - this is woodland that is mainly made up of Scots pine trees. Other trees might also grow here like birch, rowan and willow. You can only find Caledonian forests in Scotland.

Birds

In woodland, make sure you look around carefully. There are often lots of birds, hiding in plain sight! 

Download the woodland bird spotter sheet

Trees and leaves

Woods are awash with colour and light! 

Download the autumn leaf spotter sheet

Minibeasts

Have you taken your magnifying glass to a woodland? You could find many species of snails, woodlice, beetles and butterflies.

Download the woodland butterfly spotter sheet