Angus Stanley

Regenerative Forestry at the Westacre Estate

Westacre Estate sits along the Nar Valley in North Norfolk. It is a Rewilding Project that aims to reclaim agricultural land for nature and create a wildlife corridor to increase biodiversity and slow the risks of climate change.

The initial composition of the land to be rewilded is:

1/3 arable

1/3 pasture

1/3 woodland

A major part of the project is to thin the dense canopy of the woodland to allow to remaining trees to grow to their full potential. A major project of the Forestry Commission is to plant millions of trees in the UK to replenish tree cover to levels comparable with the rest of Europe. Westacre Estate has developed a tree nursery to develop rootstock for this, with trees being sold at the two-year whip stage. I visited the site in Autumn 2021 at the kind invitation of the Head Forester and Ecologist Fraser Bradbury to learn more about regenerative forestry.

Good forestry largely relies on light and space. By looking for the negative spaces in the tree canopy, it is possible to predict the growth of individual stems. Dominant trees can crowd out lesser trees, so conscientious planting is key to a well-managed forest. Not all trees are born equal. Selectively thinning lesser trees promotes the growth of ‘plus’ trees. These ‘plus’ trees can grow for over 60 years and will provide good timber stock. New trees are under constant threat from weeds, brambles, animals such as deer and grey squirrel, as well as parasites such as Dutch Elm Disease. The Rewilding Project is experimenting with different reforestation techniques. This includes Direct Seeding, where trees are planted by foresters with plastic sleeves for protection. Natural reseeding is also happening all the time on the forest floor. If there is a gap in the canopy, you can be sure to see an exciting array of activity and new species growing up below. With light, there is growth.

Natural reforestation is starting to occur around ex-arable land boundaries. The hope is that these areas will grow into scrubby hedgerows as these are areas of the greatest biodiversity. A closer look at the ground also reveals an exciting array of fungi starting to grow up in the ex-arable and ex-pasture lands. If nature is left to do her thing, it does not take long for her to return.