Concern for the natural environment and people is at the heart of everything we do
Nature & Community
Nature supporting Community, community supporting Nature
All living things - plants, animals, people and their physical environments - are interconnected; they impact and depend on each other to survive.
At Andover Trees United, we strive to achieve positive outcomes for the environment, whether that be directly through the creation and management of wild spaces or indirectly, through the education and communication of environmental issues to our community.
We work to increase biodiversity, care for the wood through traditional management practices, reduce and offset carbon emissions and to educate the public about the mitigating need for trees and the importance of conserving the natural environment; we provide opportunities for our community to learn about the wider environmental issues of sustainability, climate change, ecological damage and the implications for people, especially young people.
Growing connections between nature and people
The Great Growing Project [2017-22]
Although ‘Branching Out [2022-27] has taken over as the current business plan, the core aims of connecting nature and people remain at the heart of the work we do. To this end we continue to offer:
For People:
Weekly work days for volunteers, offering opportunities to learn new skills in conservation and traditional woodland management
Weekend conservation days on the second Saturday of each month
Regular events and projects e.g.
Monthly guided walks
Children’s activities during school holidays
Fundraising events
Annual archaeological explorations
Opportunities to connect with others nationally and internationally through partnerships with organisations such as Plant for the Planet and Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots.
Opportunities to work with schools to deliver outdoor learning activities linked to nature through tree planting, wildflower growing and events such as the annual Peace Day procession
A local outdoor learning site Harmony Woods and The Cabin for Youth Organisations, Guiding and Scouting Groups to use
… all of which in turn provides opportunities to socialise, develop communication skills, gain experience in project and events management together with an improved sense of wellbeing, achieved through time spent outside in a beautiful natural setting.
Thinning out reeds in the pond
For Nature:
Enhanced and improved habitats for locally occurring and at risk plant and animal species
Diverse habitats – woodland, coppice, hedgerow, pond, flower meadow, short-cut grass, long grass, ponds
Regular site surveys, data collection and monitoring programmes
… which leads to improved understanding, better management and a positive outlook for nature and for people a base for environmental education, volunteering and training in conservation and habitat management
‘Beating up’, the annual process of identifying the young trees that have failed and tagging them for replacement once winter arrives
"I like volunteering with Andover Trees United because it is about getting outdoors and getting involved. It is also really great to socialise; everyone has a really good sense of humour!
I am learning lots of outdoor skills like I did not know how to do mulching before and I am slowly learning all the different types of trees. I also really liked learning archaeology skills in the summer."
- Matt, 15
How we have directly impacted nature in The Diamond Wood and further afield:
As of Nov 2025:
15,000 British native trees have been planted
34 species of British native trees have been planted
35 species of wildflowers have planted
Key Lepidoptera species, including the Small Blue, have been supported by tree and wildflower planting
The Nature in Harmony wildlife monitoring and data collection project has produced 5 years of data
The butterfly transect across Harmony Woods, registered with Butterfly Conservation in 2017, has produced 9 years of data
Wildlife ponds benefit all wildlife in the wood and provide a habitat for amphibians, aquatic invertebrates and plant diversity.
The ‘Habitat’s Trail’ (2021-22) now provides a learning-in-nature-space
Habitats have been conserved for a range of birds including the red-listed Skylark, Greenfinch, Swift and House Martin
15000 children and 1000s of adults have made a difference to nature, improving biodiversity, emotional connections, personal understanding and encouraging more responsible behaviours