About Us - Trees & Woodlands Section

Resource

• At least 25 million visits to the city’s parks, woodlands and open spaces

• The most wooded and treed city in Britain (10.4% woodland by area)

• Over 100,000 trees in parks and open spaces

• 80 ancient woodlands

• Ecclesall Woods, at 140 hectares, the largest ancient semi-natural woodland in South Yorkshire

• 4 Scheduled Ancient Monuments, 5 Listed Buildings, and 6 Sites of Special Scientific Interest are managed by the Trees and Woodlands Section

Roles and Responsibilities

• The maintenance, management and development of woodlands, and trees in parks and open spaces

• Community Forestry involving local people in improving their environment

• Organising educational, interpretative and recreational events

• Protecting and enhancing wildlife and historic landscapes

• Ancient woodland restoration and management

• Offering a Commemorative Tree Scheme

• Providing a consultancy service to other Council services

Key Achievements

• Involving 20,000 people in community events.

• Working with 10,000 school children.

• Planting over 50,000 new trees.

• Consulting with and involving over 100 local community groups across the city in improving their local environment.

• Securing additional project funding to the value of £2 million.  For example, from the Heritage Lottery Fund, New Deal for Communities, Local Area Panels, Forestry Commission, Children’s Fund, South Yorkshire Forest Partnership and European Objective 1, amongst many others.

• Leading on the declaration of 17 Local Nature Reserves extending over 580ha, protecting some of the best sites for wildlife in the city including Roe Wood and Crabtree Pond, the Gleadless Valley, Woolley Wood and Woodhouse Washlands.

• International Forest Stewardship Council certification for our sustainable management of Council owned woodlands, involving the harvesting of around 4,000 tonnes of timber a year, and supporting the local economy.

• Green Flag management award - Ecclesall Woods