In a collaboration between The Mersey Forest, Chester Zoo and the Environment Agency, Cheshire's newest woodland amounts to the size of 40 Olympic swimming pools.

Teams have been carrying out winter planting to establish 5,200 native trees on Chester Zoo property. Lauren Taylor, woodland advisor for The Mersey Forest, says:

“It’s fantastic to be working in collaboration with Chester Zoo on another woodland creation project. We support a wide range of landowners across Cheshire and Merseyside in creating woodlands and habitats that support their objectives and provide benefits for local people, nature, and climate."

Featuring around 200 British trees and woody shrubs, including pedunculate oak, downy birch, wild cherry and alder, the new woodland is located to a section of the zoo's land adjacent to the M53.

Funded by the UK government's Trees for Climate Fund and is managed by The Mersey Forest with additional support from the Environmental Agency.

Katherine Causer, environment programme manager for the environment agency, adds, "we have helped create a living legacy: new woodland that will strengthen local biodiversity, store carbon, and protect our communities for generations to come. These trees are an investment in a healthier, more resilient future."

The project also aligns with the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Cheshire.