A total of 6,700 trees have been planted at Westonbirt Arboretum since last year.
Community groups, schools, and colleges joined forces to help with the planting, between November and April this year.
The Silk Wood Community Planting Project saw more than 900 people from 40 groups spend 140 hours planting a mix of mostly native trees, helping to restore three hectares of ancient woodland devastated by ash dieback.
The groups included individuals from 13 schools, one university, 12 youth groups, and 14 other groups based around Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Bristol.
The project specifically engages with young people, people from disadvantaged backgrounds, those with neurodiverse conditions, and a broad range of ethnicities.
Claire McDougall, CEO of mental health and learning disability charity Phoenix Enterprises, said: "This planting project is bringing another dimension to people’s lives.
"They’re growing something, they’re planting something, they’re learning skills you just don’t get in a warehouse environment.
"They’re also having time to think about wellbeing and being present in nature, which really helps with their mental health, and helps broaden their horizons."
One participant, Thomas, said: "Being in nature makes me feel very calm."
Employment specialist at Phoenix Enterprises, Louise Hunt Skelley said:
“It’s been wonderful to see the impact it’s had on everyone we support, being out in the fresh air, getting exercise, and most importantly having fun. It’s also great to leave a legacy on a local area.”
During the summer, Westonbirt is inviting groups back again to help care for the young trees they helped to plant and to engage in several workshops, including green careers, carbon and tree measuring, wildlife surveys, and eDNA soil sampling.
The winter’s planting work is a huge step towards the 9,000 total trees to be planted by April 2026.
This helps to increase biodiversity, build resilience to future threats such as climate change within the woodland, and give as many people as possible access to nature and the outdoors.
The Silk Wood Community Planting Project has been made possible by funding and support from The Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Julia Rausing Trust, and others.
For further information, see the Forestry England website.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereYou must verify your phone number before you can comment.
Please enter your phone number below, and a verification code will be sent to you by text message.
Please enter the six-digit verification code sent to you by SMS.
Your verification code has been sent a second time to the mobile phone number you provided.
Your verification code has been sent a third time to the mobile phone number you provided.
You have requested your verification code too many times. Please try again later.
Didn’t receive a code? Send it againThe code you entered has not been recognised.
Please try again
You have failed to enter a correct code after three attempts.
Please try again later.
Your phone number has been verified.
Your phone number has been stored with your account details. We will never use it for anything other than verifying that you are the legitimate owner of this account.