Bucks Tree Mission

Tree Pack Pilot

This winter, we are offering free tree packs to landowners as part of our continued commitment to improve our environment, help mitigate and adapt to climate change, boost biodiversity and improve our green spaces for communities. This is a pilot programme to support landowners across the county as part of the Bucks Tree Mission target to plant 543,000 trees across Buckinghamshire.

For more information on the scheme, check out our Tree Planting Schemes page.

For any questions, before or after submitting an application, read our FAQs or email us at [email protected]

Apply for the Tree Pack Pilot here

Enhanced grant funding offer with Woodland Trust

Bucks Tree Mission is offering to uplift funding agreements issued through Woodland Trust MOREwoods to encourage more tree planting in our county.

If you're a landowner with land available over 0.5ha, you can find more information on the scheme and our uplift offer on our Tree Planting Schemes page.

Read the full details of Woodland Trust funding and eligibility.

To take advantage of this offer, prospective applicants should apply using the Woodland Trust online application process, listing Buckinghamshire Council as ‘applicant’ and themselves as ‘landowner’.

Interested landowners can also contact the Bucks Tree Mission directly to discuss proposals and application process further [email protected]

We only plant native British species and endeavour to reflect what might be locally successful or important.

The following species have been planted in our woodland schemes:

• black poplar
• blackthorn
• crab apple
• eared/grey willow
• field maple
• hawthorn
• hazel
• heritage fruit trees
• hornbeam
• oak
• rowan
• silver birch
• small-leaved lime
• spindle
• wayfaring tree
• whitebeam
• wild cherry
• wild service tree
• yew

Operationally, all our woodlands are established and managed by silviculture professionals, employing teams of contactors to plant and carry out larger works such as spot spraying and mowing open areas.

To protect the trees as they develop, some sites – particularly larger ones – are best served by deer fencing; however for other, smaller sites we use tree shelters. These are made of recycled plastic, are more cost-effective, and are widely recognised to be more durable than most of the biodegradable alternatives currently available.

Many of the biodegradable products on the market have a life expectancy of only 3 to 5 years, whereas we need tree shelters that are study enough to survive at least 5 years, with anticipated removal by year 7.

We will also use a ‘take back’ scheme for the plastic shelters once their purpose has been served. Protecting our young trees from browsing herbivores is very important. Wild deer, especially native species, are a significant and valued part of our natural heritage. Due to several factors (including changes in land use and lack of natural predators) deer density has dramatically increased and poses a significant risk to our woodlands, other animals that rely on this environment, and deer themselves.

Therefore it is very important that we do all we can to protect our new woodlands and keep any pedestrian access gates closed at all times.

If you are aware of any issues on site, for example deer have accessed a fenced site, a tree has fallen on a fenceline or a gate is not functioning correctly, email [email protected]

We have created 8 new woodlands across the county, largely funded through Forestry Commission’s English Woodland Creation Offer.

These woods are then managed by professional contractors to ensure they meet standards required under the woodland carbon code – the quality assurance standard for woodland creation projects in the UK, and a guarantee that they will generate independently verified carbon units for use to offset the council’s emissions.

These woods are then managed by professional contractors to ensure they meet standards required under the woodland carbon code – the quality assurance standard for woodland creation projects in the UK, and a guarantee that they will generate independently verified carbon units for use to offset the council’s emissions.

Billet Field Wood, on the edge of Black Park Country Park, was the first wood we created in Feb/March 2022. 3,450 trees and shrubs were planted in a space the size of 3 football fields. Species include pedunculate oak, wild cherry, hawthorn and silver birch, and volunteers helped to plant the last 375 trees.

In Winter 2023 to 2024 we created woodland at Bury Farm, just south of Amersham. This 7 hectare site now supports 14,300 trees and shrubs, with species selected that are appropriate to the chalky soils and typical of the adjacent trees at Rogers Wood. This includes oak, rowan, hornbeam, crab apple, beech along with shrubbier species including hazel, dogwood and spindle.

Another site planted in Winter 2023 to 24, this 7.2 hectare site at Grange Farm, near Hazlemere, supports 14,700 trees and shrubs including beech, oak, wild cherry, small-leaved lime and wild service tree.

In Winter 2024 to 2025 we established another 5 woodlands that, collectively, are forecast to sequester 2,498 tonnes of carbon over 100 years. To put this in context, this is roughly equivalent of the annual emissions of 543 cars or the annual energy use of 384 homes.

At 6.5 hectares, the creation of Lower Munt’s Wood is one of our larger tree planting sites. The wood has been designed to incorporate grassland glades to support diverse habitats and biodiversity, and - once established - new woodland paths for the enjoyment of local walkers. We also installed badger gates into our fencing system to ensure that any night time incursions into the open area can continue. Key tree species include hornbeam, oak, beech, birch, wild cherry, small-leaved lime and yew reflecting the mix of species present in the adjoining semi-ancient woodland at Munt’s Wood (and why it has been named 'Lower Munt's Wood').

Over 5,000 trees were planted in Roddimore Wood, located between Winslow and Great Horwood in Spring 2025. Planted in recycled plastic tubes, of note is black poplar - an important species for the local area, and blackthorn - a favoured food source for brown hairstreak butterfly larvae – rated as high priority in the area on butterfly conservation lists.

The Isle of Wight Wood is a small but mighty 1.1 hectare site that was planted with 2,020 trees in tubes: an intimate mix of broadleaf species including silver birch, wild cherry, hornbeam, small-leaved lime and oak alongside species including field maple, hazel and hawthorn.

Covering just over one hectare, the tree species that were selected for this small wood are those found in the adjacent semi-ancient woodland, extending wildlife corridors alongside the busy A413.

Huntsmoor Park Wood has been designed as a community woodland for everyone to enjoy, with an open area where seating will be installed when the wood is opened up for public use. A high proportion of English Oak trees were planted: oaks support more life forms than any other native tree (over 2,300), hosting hundreds of insect species and supplying many birds with shelter and an important food source. Into the autumn, mammals such as squirrels, badgers, and deer feed on the acorns.

As a nod to the rich heritage of fruit tree growing in 19th and early 20th century Buckinghamshire, additional heritage fruit trees in December 2025 through a community event with Groundwork South. The volunteers planted 24 specially selected heritage species including apples (such as pitmaston pineapple, king of the pippins and Feltham beauty along with additional greengage, damson and mirabelle varietals.

Trees have also been planted across the county through the Forestry Commission’s Local Authority Treescape Fund Local Authority Treescapes Fund | Buckinghamshire Council

This has included the creation of 7 ‘tiny forests’ in partnership with environmental organisation, Earthwatch at sites at Buckingham, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury and High Wycombe. At each site, 600 native trees and shrubs are densely planted in a small area (about the size of a tennis court) using the Miyawaki method. This approach ensures trees grow fast and close, outcompeting weeds and creating a wonderful habitat for butterflies, birds, bees and other local wildlife.

The most recent tiny forest was planted at Desborough Recreation Ground in December 2025 with volunteers including Millbrook Combined School student council, Uxbridge High School students who were studying the river bank in the park, local residents who regularly walk through the park, community police officers and Councillors Thomas Broom and Jilly Jordan, formerly Cabinet Member and Deputy for Climate Change and Environment.

We couldn’t achieve our ambitious tree planting targets without the help of our wonderful volunteers.

If you want to get involved in volunteer tree planting events, you can search on local community boards and forums, we will also update this page with information about public planting events.

You can also get in touch via the Bucks Tree Mission mailbox

If you are aware of any issues at our woodlands that we should know about, please email our Tree Planting Team at [email protected]

Read our small scale tree planting FAQs.

View these resources:

• Local Nature Recovery Strategy
• Species Guide (Woodland Trust)
• Video guidance on how to plant a tree (Woodland Trust)