Train Hugger Planting Projects

Replacing Non Native Trees in NI

Replacing Non Native Trees in NI

Broadleaf Native Trees

At this site, a uniform block of non-native spruce trees have been replaced with a mix of native broadleaved trees and Scots pine. The new trees will grow at different rates and create many different habitats for local wildlife. The new woodland will also connect wooded habitats and features in the local area, helping woodland wildlife to move between habitats more easily.

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Listed below are some of the trees planting on this site

If the oak is the king of British trees, then the beech is its queen.A dense canopy of leaves provides a rich habitat for all sorts of insects, its seeds are popular with mice and squirrels, and hole-nesting birds make their homes in beech trunks.Some of the UK’s tallest native trees are beeches, including one that stands at over 44m tall on the National Trust's Devil's Dyke Estate in West Sussex.‍
Beech
The silver birch is an elegant, majestic-looking tree which can survive in a range of climates, making it a very popular choice for gardeners. It attracts hundreds of insect species, and woodpeckers like to nest in its rough, tough, silver-white trunk. There is a lot of mythology attached to the silver birch, which is said to symbolise purity, new beginnings and protection. Once upon a time, on Midsummer’s Eve, silver birch boughs were hung across the doors of houses to bring good luck to their residents.
Silver Birch
The UK’s only truly native pine is Scotland’s national tree and can be found in abundance in the Highlands.The Caledonian Pine Forest is home to all sorts of wonderful species including the pine marten, red squirrel and rare Scottish wildcat. Scots pine has strong timber which is used for making fences, telegraph poles and other construction materials, and the bark can be tapped for resin to make turpentine.‍
Scots Pine
The common hazel is native to Europe and western Asia and forms an important part of England’s hedgerows. We have all heard of hazelnuts, which are rich in unsaturated fats and protein, and an extremely popular ingredient in many of the world’s cuisines. Did you know that hazel trees were once seen as both magical and a symbol of fertility?
Hazel
Also known as the mountain ash, rowan trees grow well at high altitudes and are commonly found in the Scottish Highlands, as well as on streets and in gardens across the UK.Many birds eat their scarlet berries in the autumn, then disperse the seeds.Rowan used to be planted next to homes to ward off the threat of witches, as red was once believed to guard against evil.‍
Rowan
Other Train Hugger Projects

Continue reading more about our planting projects

Somerset Acorn Project
Replacing Non Native Tres in Lough Neagh
Pembrokeshire Cricket Bat Willow
Storm Recovery in Berwickshire 2
Storm Recovery in Berwickshire 1
Spruce Replacement in West Sussex
Trees not Brambles in Co.Tyrone
Linking Woodlands in County Antrim
County Antrim New and Old
Case Study: County Down 3
Replacing Non Native Trees in NI
South Tyrone planting for biodiversity
Experimental Planting in Country Tyrone
County Armagh: Different Growth Rates for Better Biodiversity
Case Study: County Down 2
Case Study: County Down 1
Devon Gum Trees
Case Study: Planting for Resilience in Buckinghamshire
Case Study: Conversion of Conifer Plantation to Mixed Broadleaves
Hampshire Mixed Woodlands
North Yorkshire Spruce
Case Study: Saving a Hampshire Woodland from Disease
Devon Beech Trees
West Sussex Broadleaf Trees
Norfolk Oaks
Case Study: Storm Resilience in Northumberland
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