Bourton-on-the-Water

The woodland and shelterbelts were difficult to survey because of very thick thistle growth, and cracks and holes in the ground lurking below the growth to grab at ankles. Some saplings were lost to the cracks appearing below them, exposing their roots to the elements. This is where woodchip mulch comes in brilliantly, but these sites had mulch matts that have long since biodegraded. Growth and survival rates for the rest of the woodland are variable with some notably robust and tall saplings alongside some alive but stunted trees chugging along throughout these tough conditions. Despite the apparent state of things, the woodland and top shelterbelt were both holding firm with a respectable survival rate of 71%, which is not far off the target 80%.

The second shelterbelt to the south was not doing quite so well. A few trees were simply smothered by the vigorously growing grass competing for space and nutrients. The southern end of the shelterbelt meets a small woodland area with a small pond, and here the soil is damper. There is some great willowherb in this area which seems to be less of a problem for the trees.

The surviving trees are strong and healthy, with some almost 3m in height. It will be interesting to see if any longer-term difference in survival rates emerge between the northern and southern ends of the shelterbelt due to different water availability and the likely less aggressive competition from great willowherb. For now, the survival rate is 65%, which also needs some work.

The plan here:

• another smaller restocking in winter, with a focus on getting compost around the soil of each planted tree to reduce the cracking of the clay soil, and some woodchip mulch to go on top.
• In early spring, a quick visit with the electric strimmer to knock back the thistle growth. A handful of volunteers with rakes can turn those cuttings into yet more mulch.

When the team visited in March 2026 we teamed up with seven corporate volunteers from Sozo Design, a company from Cheltenham who had volunteered with us before, to restock with 150 new trees across the site. We recycled the stakes and guards from trees that had to be replaced, and everyone showed great teamwork throughout.

Work included planting new trees, adding stakes and guards, and removing grass from the previously planted trees, with all the volunteers being refreshed on tree-planting techniques and health and safety rules. A big thank you to everyone who came, and to our friendly landowner for the very much appreciated tea and biscuits!

When we return for our next survey, we’ll check how these new saplings are getting on, as well as looking at how the site is progressing as a whole.

Our visit shows generally good establishment across the site, with an overall survival rate of 76%. Many of the failures here are showing brown leaves and drying stems. This is largely attributed to dry conditions, with the ground being very parched and cracked at the time of inspection.

Wildlife activity was also recorded during the visit, including yellowhammers, linnets, goldfinches and song thrushes, indicating positive early habitat use.

Woodland areas have been established in field corners along with a new shelterbelt, which will provide additional habitat and connectivity for these and other species typical of Cotswold farmland.

In February, 2025 we led a group of volunteers from the Bourton-on-the-Water branch of Zenergi to plant 125 new trees to replace those lost in the previous year. They also carried out some general maintenance, removing grass from inside guards, and replacing or repairing damaged guards and stakes as required. There were quite a few brambles to contend with amongst the grass so care was required.

We found some very pregnant sheep in the nearby fields so the volunteers were a little quieter than usual, and were careful not to spook them into an early labour. Tthe group worked really hard and even managed to finish earlier than expected,

The volunteers said “We loved the day planting with you! Thank you for the opportunity. The landowner was very friendly and hospitable, opening his home to us and providing us with pots of tea & coffee and snacks.”

The landowner was equally enthusiastic. “It all went marvellously, as far as I am concerned. And I am glad the volunteers had a good time. They sent me some photos and I have done a post about it in my social media. It mentions Protect Earth and all they have done, for which we are very grateful!”

Protect Earth joined forces with FWAG South West to plant a large shelterbelt on this farm which will act as a windbreak, improve soil conditions, and increase biodiversity as it will provide food and shelter for wildlife. We provided the funding and FWAG provided most of the volunteers, other than our own team. It was a particularly wet and miserable event, but well worth the effort to get these trees planted.

There was a mix of native, broadleaved trees in the centre of the shelterbelt, with shrubs on the outside for a denser, more natural appearance.

We were lucky enough to have a beautiful sunny February day to plant the two shelterbelts and a small woodland required here, which was perfect for the videos taken using a drone. Instead of our normal four-row shelterbelts, we planted just three rows, as here in the Cotswolds the farm is quite sheltered. We planted 15 each of beech, hornbeam, wild cherry and silver birch for the centre of each shelter belt, then filled in along the edges with smaller shrubs to create denser shelterbelts and a more natural look. Offsetting the shrubs helps to break up the wind flow once the saplings have matured. We used two cardboard guards and wooden guards on the trees for better protection, and bamboo canes and clear spirals on the shrubs.

The wonderful landowners kept our team and our volunteers going with hot drinks and an amazing lunch. Much revived, everyone returned to work with a will. Once the shelterbelts were completed we planted around 100 trees and shrubs in a small triangle of land approximately 0.65 of an acre which will help to screen the farm from the road, and given time will rewild naturally.

Thanks to our hardworking volunteers we were able to complete all three areas in one day. Everyone had fun, and went home knowing that they had done something positive to improve the environment.