West Duerley, situated in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales National Park. Our vision is to bring woodland back to West Duerley. Research shows that for a significant period of time, the upper dales area including where the proposed woodland is to site, will have been covered in dense woodland, and then the ‘wildwoods’ of the middle ages.

West Duerley

OUR AIMS

Reduce our Carbon Footpront

Biodiversity

Restore Woodland

Climate Change

The Local Environment

By bringing back the woodland that used to be in the Yorkshire dales we can, create new habitats for the local wildlife, whilst also increasing the value for people and the landscape. Trees near water bodies can be significantly useful for flood defences and the prevention of erosion. West Duerley is situated by Duerley Beck. Planting trees within this area could help the biodiversity recover by creating a more natural riverbank by slowing the flow of surface water to reduce the risk of flooding. Trees prevent erosion by intercepting the rain droplets, reducing the amount of water in the soil through transpiration. Through their thick root systems they bind the soil together.

Since 53% of woodland wildlife is in decline, thousands of wildlife species rely on trees for food and refuge. Since 1990, there has been a notable 58% decrease in the number of woodland butterflies. This is because they are reliant on hedges, trees, and woodlands for food, reproduction, and survival. The average tree can absorb around 25 kg of CO2 annually; the typical person in the UK has a carbon footprint of around 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Which would take around 450 mature trees to offset the yearly emissions of one person in the UK.

Deforestation is causing the release of carbon back into the atmosphere, this contributes to 12-20% of greenhouse gas emissions.

The loss of these forests and the damage is the cause of nearly 10% of global warming. Between 2001 & 2021 the UK has lost 105,000 hectares of tree cover. With North Yorkshire seeing a 16% decrease in tree cover.