⚠️ Sweet chestnut blight outbreak
🔴 New Demarcated Area established in Devon following detection of airborne spores.
🔴 Movement restrictions placed on susceptible sweet chestnut material to help contain the disease
🔴 Public urged to report suspected findings via TreeAlert
👉 GOV.UK
Staff from Silviculture Research International are assessing roots from Future Trees Trust’s Supersizing Broadleaves trials, comparing cell grown and bare root seedlings. The work at the University of Cumbria helps improve how young broadleaves establish in the field.
At Future Trees Trust we’ve added 50 new wild cherry trees to our clonal seed orchard, filling the last gaps from our planting five years ago.
We’re trialling cactus tree guards to help deter deer responsible for bark stripping. We’ll be tracking how well they work over the next few seasons.
Winter scion collection underway.
Our Researcher James Macintyre joins Ford Treescapes as they climb sessile oak plus trees for our @forestrycommission.bsky.social 🌱 Seed Sourcing Grant project.
The grafts will strengthen orchards at Whitfield Estate and Craven Field.
#ukforestry
It’s Red Squirrel Appreciation Day
We stand with partners across the UK and Ireland working to protect our native squirrels
Today’s highlights:
@uksquirrelaccord.bsky.social webinar on how detection dogs support red squirrel recovery
SSRS announce 250,000 + squirrel sightings.
News & events to celebrate #RedSquirrelAppreciationDay 2026 😊🐿️🥰 Join our #webinar at 12:00 or Pow Hill Country Park stand, #CountyDurham, at 10:00. Celebrate #Scotland reaching 250,000 #squirrel records & record sightings for All #Ireland Survey. Find out more & subscribe: mailchi.mp/0f3a5cab99a9...
Great opps through @uksquirrelaccord.bsky.social
1️⃣ Red Squirrel Entry Level Officer: 10month traineeship. D-line 25 Jan. 🐿️ www.lancswt.org.uk/jobs/entry-l...
2️⃣ Green Skills Symposium: CPD event (29 Jan) on human wildlife coexistence www.york.ac.uk/business/cpd...
Great to be involved in this session at #BritainsForestFuture - a really good panel discussion with the CFP speakers and Jo Clark from @futuretreestrust.bsky.social on the future of ash and genomic approaches to resilient trees more broadly.
The future of UK forests is rooted in research. 🌳
We’re moving forward with core species work, SSBL, and our National Centre at Buscot & Coleshill Estate.
Join us as we bridge the gap between field trials and climate resilience. 🏗️🌲
🌳 Big news for #NationalTreeWeek! Future Trees Trust has secured TPIF funding for Supersizing Broadleaves 2—research into root architecture & mycorrhizal associations to boost broadleaf survival. Learn more: futuretrees.org/news-and-ins...
New Forestry England Forest Resilience Strategy sets out how UK forests will adapt to climate change, pests & biodiversity loss. Watch Dr Eleanor Tew explain the plan: youtu.be/NNMi4UDlrXY?... #ForestResilience #UKForestry
🌿 Continued Hope for Ash Trees 🌿
Future Trees Trust researcher James Macintyre stands beside a resistant ash tree in the RAP trial. Planted in 2003, the trial includes ash provenances from across Europe. Resistant trees have been grafted and planted for future breeding.
🌰 Sweet chestnut update: It’s a mast year (when trees produce a bumper seed crop)!
We’re counting nuts to:
1️⃣ Measure orchard productivity
2️⃣ Ensure all clones contribute—protecting genetic diversity.
Why chestnut? Fast-growing, durable, climate-resilient timber.
#Forestry #MastYear
Forestry Facts & Figures 2025:
UK woodland = 13.5% of land, yet we still import £9.2bn of wood.
Future Trees Trust is tackling this by breeding better broadleaves for timber: stronger, sustainable, home-grown hardwoods.
www.forestresearch.gov.uk/publications...
🌿 We’re excited to welcome Louise Gathercole to our trustee team at Future Trees Trust. With expertise in plant pathology, oak genomics & science communication, Louise brings valuable insight to our mission. #TreeResearch #SustainableForestry #TrusteeUpdate
We’re thrilled to announce a major funding boost from the Wolfson Foundation towards our National Centre—an exciting step forward in creating a space for environmental education, sustainable forestry, and community engagement. Read more: www.futuretrees.org/news-and-ins...
New challenges during fieldwork at the Scottish ash archive this week: checking trees and removing rootstock shoots to prevent unwanted traits. After a dry spring, rain has arrived—along with slugs stripping leaves and damaging grafts.
Last month’s heatwave pushed even our older ash archive trees to the brink. With drought persisting, contractors delivered 20,000L of water weekly to keep them going.
A quiet homage to those managing trees through it all.
📢 PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT 📢
🌳 Can more diverse, complex forests better withstand drought?
🔬 Our scientists are using remote sensing, tree rings & silviculture to explore how structural diversity boosts resilience in UK woodlands.
🔗 Read more: www.forestprotection.uk/project/cfp2...
Thrilled to be involved in this research project 👇🏿
📢 New paper from the Living Ash Project:
Vegetative propagation of ash (Fraxinus excelsior) shows high success from 1–3 yr old material (91% rooting), but not from older trees. Peat-free media performed well; mycorrhizal inoculation had no benefit.
🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s110...
Just back from the 8th @iufro.bsky.social workshop on resistance and breeding in forest trees. Highlights: 20% growth gain in Doug fir from seed orchard stock, Armillaria resistance screening, and a powerful First Nation canoe carving demo. Genetic improvement matters. #TreeImprovement #IUFRO2025
🌱 What could a National Centre for Broadleaved Tree Improvement mean for UK forestry?
Future Trees Trust and the National Trust are exploring the potential to develop a dedicated Centre at a Grade I Listed Granary.
www.futuretrees.org/news-and-ins...
Join our team - we're hiring:
💻 Digital Practice Lead
🎨 Senior Designer
🐛 Scientist – Entomology
🛠️ Workshop Technician
📅 Deadlines: 8 - 15 June
📍 Various UK locations
👉 Find out more and apply now: forestresearch.gov.uk/about-us/car...
#ForestResearchJobs #JoinOurTeam
Our Annual Supporters’ Day last week focused on the future of ash—thank you to all who joined us and continue to support our work.
Spring hit hard: heat, drought, frost—testing young ash trees & our research. How are you adapting to climate stress in the field?
Fraxinus excelsior updated long-read genome reveals the importance of MADS-box genes in tolerance mechanisms against ash dieback
New article on ash analysis in @genetics-gsa.bsky.social -We're using advanced genetic sequencing to find genes that help ash trees resist dieback, identifying key genes involved in dormancy, flowering & aging, which might explain why some trees are more resistant: academic.oup.com/g3journal/ar...
At this years Supporters' Day, we will be providing further updates with speakers from DEFRA and @rbgkew.bsky.social visit: www.futuretrees.org/annual-suppo...
The @royalforestrysoc.bsky.social E-news shared the QJF Editors top 3 features on pests and diseases which includes our Head of Research, Dr Jo Clark's article on The Living Ash Project 10 Yrs On. With more updates presented at our Supporters Day
www.futuretrees.org/resources/?p...
#PlantHealthWeek
