Environment

Greener Gloucestershire Trees Newsletter.

The Trees team will bring you regular content each month, in relation to trees and greenspaces, including how you can get involved.

What you can expect:

• Project announcements
• Seasonal reminders on tree care and techniques
• Spotlights on special trees
• Suggestions and tips on improving habitat, biodiversity

Craft ideas and inspiration

If you're interested in what we do and how you can help us to plant 1 million trees by 2030, why not come and speak to our team to find out more. You'll find us at the Hartpury Open Farm Sunday on 7th of June Open Farm Sunday | Events | Hartpury University & Hartpury College and Berkeley Show - 28th June 2026

Bird nesting season:

May-June is peak activity season for nesting birds in our hedgerows. Please try and avoid any pruning during nesting season which is between Feb-Aug, to be on the safe side.

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

If you do need to cut back your hedges, always carry out a check to see if there are any signs of a nest in the branches and listen for high-pitched cheeping. Watch for repeated bird activity, particularly going in and out of the same point or if birds are trying to catch you attention as they could be trying to draw you away from their eggs.

Test you bird knowledge here:
UK garden bird quiz (via woodland trust)
Photo credit: WTML / Earnie Janes

Nature Trails, Parks & Open Spaces

Gloucestershire’s green spaces are more than just places to walk—they are part of a carefully managed network of parks, trees, and habitats that support wildlife, improve air quality, and make our communities healthier and more resilient.

With over 140 family-friendly walking routes across the county, there are plenty of opportunities to explore these spaces firsthand and see how trees and green infrastructure benefit everyday life [alltrails.com]

Discover a few of the Gloucester City based Local Green Spaces

Robinswood Hill Country Park
Offering panoramic views across Gloucester, this park includes woodland, grassland, and a restored orchard. Ongoing management helps maintain habitats for wildlife while keeping routes accessible and safe for the public [visitglouc...ster.co.uk]

Barnwood Park & Arboretum
Home to a wide range of tree species—including both historic and newly planted trees—this site highlights the importance of long-term tree management and species diversity in public spaces [visitglouc...ster.co.uk]

Alney Island Nature Reserve
This riverside environment is managed to balance public access with conservation, supporting birdlife, flood resilience, and natural river processes [visitglouc...ster.co.uk]

Trees at the Heart of Our Green Spaces

The trees in these parks are actively managed to ensure they remain:

• Safe for public use (through inspections and maintenance)
• Healthy and resilient to pests, disease, and climate change
• Diverse, reducing reliance on single species and improving long-term sustainability
• Beneficial for wildlife, supporting birds, insects, and habitats

You may notice:

• Deadwood left in place – important for biodiversity
• Newly planted trees with guards or stakes – part of long-term planting programmes
• Areas of longer grass or reduced mowing – supporting pollinators and soil health

Enjoying Green Spaces Responsibly

Our parks and trails are open for everyone to enjoy. You can help protect them by:

• Keeping dogs under control around wildlife areas
• Avoiding damage to young trees (e.g. bikes, strimmers, climbing supports)
• Taking litter home or using bins provided
• Respecting fenced or newly planted areas

Small actions make a big difference in protecting the trees and landscapes we all rely on.

Try the “Spot 5 Things” Nature Challenge

Turn your visit into a simple learning experience:

• A bird
• An insect
• A tree
• A flower
• Water

This is a great way to help children understand how trees support wider ecosystems—from insects to birds and beyond.

Why This Matters

Well-managed green spaces play a key role in:

• Cooling urban areas during hot weather
• Reducing flood risk
• Improving air quality
• Supporting biodiversity
• Enhancing wellbeing and mental health

By spending time in local parks and trails, residents can better understand and appreciate the value of trees—and the work involved in managing them for future generations

Looking After Trees in Dry Weather

Periods of hot, dry weather can place stress on trees—particularly younger ones.

How you can help:

• Water newly planted trees (especially within first 3 years)
• Water slowly and deeply (1–2 watering cans per visit)
• Apply mulch (woodchip or bark) to retain moisture
• Avoid strimming or damaging tree bases

During the hot summer months, evaporation rates are higher, and the soil can dry out quickly. Newly planted trees have not yet developed extensive root systems and thus rely heavily on consistent and adequate watering to establish themselves in their new environment.

The Arboriculture Association recommends newly planted trees be given 50 litres of water per week during summer months for them to establish and thrive. The best practice is to water in the morning or evening to reduce evaporation and sustainably source the water whenever possible.

Trees in urban areas are presented with especially challenging conditions. Not everyone has a garden or convenient access to natural areas, but anyone can water street trees. Click here for more tips to water the trees found on your street!

Tree Spotlight:

Elder (Sambucus nigra)

Steeped in mythology and folklore is the elder tree. Among these tales was the thought that if you burned elder you would see the Devil but planting elder by your house was meant to keep the Devil away. Legends aside,the elder is invaluable to wildlife. Insects suck the nectar from the flowers, birds eat the berries, and small mammals eat the berries and flowers. Elder is widespread throughout the UK and can be found everywhere from hedgerows to grassland scrub and from cemeteries to waste ground and on rubbish tips.

Elder has a wide range of uses. The wood is good for whittling and carving. The foliage has been used to make dyes and to keep flies away. The flowers can be used to make cordial, tea as a remedy for colds and flu-like symptoms, or fried to make fritters. While uncooked berries are poisonous, once prepared they can make preserves, wine, drinks to soothe coughs and sore throats, or can be baked in a pie with blackberries. For more recipes for elderberries, click here and don’t forget to forage sustainably and responsibly.

Should you do No Mow May? The pros and cons... - The Middle-Sized Garden | Gardening Blog

https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/should-do-no-mow-may-pros-cons/

Thinking of buying a bouquet of flowers as a gift? While a cut flower may have symbolic and emotional value, it can have harmful environmental effects. Why not try a more lasting gift?

Alternatives include:

• Gift a potted rose shrub that will live for years to come.
• Dedicate a tree or area of woodland to a loved one.
• Give back to nature with a hedgehog house, a bird box or bee hotel.

Create a wildflower garden with native rose plants such as Dog Rose, Guelder Rose and Primrose.

Give bees a helping hand on World Bee Day

World Bee Day happens every year on 20 May, a day dedicated to raising awareness and celebrating the importance of bees and threats that bees face across the world.

There are over 270 bee species in the UK, including bumblebees, honeybees and solitary bees.

Along with wildlife, we rely on bees and other pollinators, as they are crucial for pollinating our food and other plants, supporting ecosystems and food chains.

Many bee species in Gloucestershire are under threat, but you can help. Here’s four simple ways to help bees in your garden or patio this World Bee Day:

• Set up a ‘nectar café’ with pollinator friendly plants, that give bees sources of nectar and pollen.
• Make abee hotel for solitary bees, to help provide female solitary bees with suitable nesting sites where they can lay their eggs.
  

• Lock away the mower tolet your lawn grow in spring and summer, wildflowers like dandelions and buttercups will provide food for bees, and long grass can provide shelter.

• Avoid usingpesticides, as these can hurt and kill bees, instead try to encourage predators of pests, by creating log piles, leaving areas undisturbed, and growing plants for predators like hoverflies.

To create bee-friendly food corridors we have available, for free, packets of native wild flower seeds. Supplies are limited although we do have quite a few, so first come first served. If you can make good use of a packet please contact the following:

For Coleford - Melanie Getgood melanie.getgood@gmail.com

For Clearwell and Sling - Richard henson richardhenson19@gmail.com

For Newland - Karen Davies karen@birchamphouse.co.uk

For Redbook - June Davies junecaris@icloud.com

A magical new website tool has been launched to help people in Gloucestershire find out how to get rid of items sustainably.

This interactive online tool will allow anyone puzzled by recycling and waste to type in the name of any item along with their postcode to find out whether it can be reused, repaired, donated or recycled, or if it needs to go into a specific bin or collection.

It will help to encourage sustainability and increase the amount of items that are recycled correctly at kerbside, by giving residents clear answers about what goes where in their recycling bins.

One of the biggest barriers to recycling is confusion over which bin, box, or bag to use for an item. Some of the most commonly confused materials for recycling are plastic bags and film, crisp packets, pizza boxes, coffee cups and compostable plastics.

Food is the biggest product that could be recycled that is put in general waste bins – the average bin in Gloucestershire contains 26 per cent food waste, all of which could have been recycled.

For more information and to try out the tool visit: https://www.gloucestershirerecycles.com/waste-wizard/