The White Rose Forest is celebrating a highly successful 2025–2026 planting season, with more than 450,000 trees planted across North and West Yorkshire – bringing lasting benefits for communities, landscapes and wildlife.
Delivered through the Government-funded Trees for Climate programme, this year’s work has placed people at the heart of nature recovery. From greener town centres and improved air quality to reduced flood risk and enhanced public access, the programme is helping to create healthier, more resilient places to live, work and visit.
A year of impact
This season’s achievements highlight the scale and breadth of work delivered by the partnership:
- 450,800 trees planted, covering 436 hectares (around 610 football pitches)
- 17,816 metres of hedgerows created
- 9,689 people engaged in planting and related activities
- 2.7 kilometres of new footpaths
- £8 million of investment secured across Yorkshire
Working in partnership with landowners, local authorities and communities, the White Rose Forest continues to expand tree cover, restore landscapes and bring nature closer to people. Every project supports our long-term vision to create a more prosperous Yorkshire that is resilient to our changing climate, improves community health and wellbeing and supports nature recovery.
Supporting landscapes, communities and climate
A total of 92 woodland creation projects have been delivered this season, including:
Snaizeholme: restoring woodland and reducing flood risk
At Snaizeholme in the Yorkshire Dales, a major multi-year partnership with the Woodland Trust reached its final planting phase. Since 2023, the White ROse Forest has supported the planting of 290 hectares of native woodland, improving habitats and strengthening natural flood management at the top of the SUNO (Swale, Ure, Nidd and Ouse) catchment.
Bolton Abbey Estate: trees for river health
At Bolton Abbey, 80,000 trees have been planted across 90 hectares to improve water quality entering the River Wharfe, while also supporting wildlife and helping to capture carbon.
Greener town centres
Tree planting in Dewsbury and Hebden Bridge town centres is helping to transform public spaces—providing shade, improving air quality and enhancing wellbeing for residents and visitors alike.
Community action at Top O’ Th’ Hill
Local volunteers have played a key role at Top O’ Th’ Hill near Todmorden, helping to establish the White Rose Forest’s first directly managed site and strengthening community connections to nature.
Supporting future generations
At the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, a new 18-hectare woodland will boost biodiversity while enhancing the training environment for junior soldiers.
Looking to the future
This year the White Rose Forest partnership, led by the combined authorities, local authorities and national park authorities in North and West Yorkshire, launched a new 25-year Strategic Plan, setting out ambitious targets for woodland creation and management across the region.
Iwan Downey, White Rose Forest Programme Director, said:
““This year represents a major milestone for the White Rose Forest and our partners, not only in terms of scale but in the diversity of outcomes we are delivering – from large-scale landscape recovery at Snaizeholme to tree planting in the heart of our communities.
“These achievements demonstrate the direction we’ve set in our new 25-year Strategic Plan: creating a resilient, connected landscape that benefits climate, nature and people. Through continued partnership working and funded programmes like Trees for Climate, we are building momentum to deliver even greater impact across North and West Yorkshire in the years ahead.”
Landowners in North and West Yorkshire can contact the White Rose Forest team for funding and support to deliver a wide variety of woodland creation projects. Trees for Climate funding will cover up to 100% of project and establishment costs.