REWILDING WITH GIFT A TREE
Giving Nature the Space to Come Back
At Gift a Tree, planting trees is only part of the story.
Here at our nature reserve in Devon, we’ve been transforming former farmland into a place where trees, wildflowers, ponds and wildlife can flourish.
We’ve learned something remarkably simple along the way:
Give nature a little help, some space and enough time — and extraordinary things can happen.
THEN AND NOW
See What Happens When Nature Is Given a Chance
When we began, much of this land looked very different.
Instead of trying to control every corner, we started working with nature. We planted trees, created ponds, established wildflower areas and allowed other places to regenerate naturally.
Slowly, the landscape began to change.
The same land. A completely different habitat.
Trees grew. Wildflowers returned. Ponds became established. Insects arrived, followed by birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.
We didn’t manufacture an ecosystem. We simply created the conditions that allowed one to return.
OUR APPROACH
Rewilding the Gift a Tree Nature Reserve
There wasn’t one grand plan. Instead, we made lots of relatively simple changes and watched how nature responded.
LET IT GROW
We stopped cutting some areas so frequently and allowed grasses and wildflowers to establish naturally.
That means more pollen and nectar for insects, seeds for birds and shelter for countless small creatures.
Sometimes doing less achieves more.
ADD WATER
Creating ponds has transformed the variety of wildlife we see.
Frogs, toads, newts, insects and birds all benefit, while the vegetation surrounding the water creates another valuable habitat.
Where there’s water, life follows.
THEN STEP BACK
We’ve planted trees and created new habitat, but we’ve also learned when not to interfere.
Fallen branches, long grass, nettles and leaves may look untidy to us, but to wildlife they can mean food, shelter and somewhere to reproduce.
Nature doesn’t need everything to be tidy.
THE RESULTS
And Then the Wildlife Started Coming Back
As habitats developed, we began noticing more and more wildlife.
Some species returned quietly. Others appeared completely unexpectedly.
Every new arrival is a reminder of why protecting and connecting habitat matters.
Every new arrival tells us something important.
If you create the habitat, nature has an extraordinary ability to find it.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
It's About More Than Planting Trees
Planting a tree is a wonderful beginning. But what really matters is what that tree — and the habitat around it — can become.
GIVE WILDLIFE A HOME
Trees, ponds, wildflowers and natural vegetation create places for wildlife to feed, breed, shelter and thrive.
CREATE HEALTHIER LANDSCAPES
Trees, vegetation, healthy soils and wetlands can store carbon, hold water and help create more resilient landscapes.
THINK BEYOND OUR LIFETIME
Some of the greatest things we create are things we’ll never live long enough to see fully grown.
That’s why Gift a Tree isn’t simply about planting trees. It’s about creating something that can continue growing long after we’re gone.
YOUR TURN
You Can Give Nature a Chance Too
You don’t need a nature reserve to make a difference.
A tree. A small pond. Native flowers. An area of grass left uncut. A corner of a garden allowed to become a little wild.
Small changes create opportunities for nature.
And if you’d like to become part of what we’re doing at Gift a Tree, you can start with something wonderfully simple.