Reforest’Action / Great Ayton: restoring the forest
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Great Ayton: restoring the forest

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The 1430 km2 North York Moors National Park is located in North Yorkshire, a county in the north-east of England. In the spring of 2021, forest plots located on the northern border of the park were restored.

The North York Moors National Park is criss-crossed by deep valleys that reveal multiple spaces: moorland, pastures, cliffs, coastal paths, grass and bracken patches, wetlands etc. These unique landscapes are home to a variety of flora and fauna. Among other animals, sheeps, wild gallinaceous birds and many seabirds inhabit this spectacular area covered with birches and willow forests, cotton grass and heathland.

Restoring and diversifying the forest

The restoration project took place on one of Yorkshire's best known hills. In recent years, the woodland has suffered from a lack of maintenance but also an absence of diversity within the stand. In 2015, sylvicultural operations were undertaken to renew the stand and encourage the growth of a native forest at Great Ayton. A variety of species was planted to strengthen the stand. In 2021, this approach was pursued by Reforest'Action, with the support of Arval UK and Colas Rail.

Deciduous trees were introduced in order to create a resilient forest, adapted to the site’s climatic conditions. More resistant, it will be able to deal with possible insect attacks. This fortified and diversified forest ecosystem will provide habitat for the biodiversity. In the long term, it will also contribute to slowing down global warming, thanks to the carbon stored by the trees.