Donor support boosts plans for a new woodland at Wytham Woods
Wytham Woods recently revealed plans to create a new woodland area. Almost £50,000 was given by 740 donors to help establish Bear Wood.
Owned and maintained by the University since 1942, the Wytham Estate is home to a range of habitats and continuous ecological research and teaching programmes. The wooded parts are populated with ancient semi-natural woodland dating to the last Ice Age, secondary woodland dating to the seventeenth century, and modern plantations from the 1950s and 1960s.
Wytham Woods’ status as an important ecological research station is widely appreciated. Wytham also provides an important resource for public benefit, such as boosting wellbeing through the power of nature, hosting an array of artistic and school education projects, and encouraging citizen scientists to engage with research.
Last year the Wytham Woods team revealed plans to create a new woodland area to increase the positive environmental impact of the estate and create new opportunities for research and public engagement. Almost £50,000 was given by 740 donors to help establish Bear Wood and in return they were offered a heritage acorn from one of Oxfordshire’s ancient oaks. In 2024 donors will be invited to bring their oak saplings back to be planted in Bear Wood and thereby make a further lasting contribution.
Nigel Fisher, Conservator of Wytham Woods, said: ‘This support will have a long-term impact on the Wytham Estate and will help to ensure that the benefits of the natural world can be enjoyed by the public, researchers and students for generations to come. We could not do this without the generosity of our donors.’
Support Wytham Woods