Part I The National Problem
The Woodland Trust’s 2025 report reveals that our woodlands are in crisis. They have become simplified, uniform, and less full of life. Wildlife that inhabits our woodland are plummeting because of a direct result of the poor health of the woods themselves. Ancient and veteran tree ecosystems, are critically scarce. So is deadwood which provides food and shelter for beetles, fungi, bats, and woodpeckers.
The Facts:
• The variety of plants on the woodland floor has fallen by 22% in 50 years.
• The sound of birdsong is waning. Bird populations have collapsed by 37% since 1970.
• Specialist butterflies have declined by 47% since 1990.
• Only 9% of native woodland in England is in good ecological condition.
• Our woods face pressure from unsustainable deer populations that graze away young trees, a constant stream of new pests and diseases, and the growing impacts of climate change.
Our actions make a difference
There are plenty of things we can be doing – not just as a church but individually at home.
Jackie Orbell
Barrow Benefice ECO Church
RISBY ECO CHURCH ENVIRONMENT OFFICER
