B&Q has launched a partnership with the Woodland Trust to support the restoration, protection and creation of native woodland at their newly acquired site; Snaizeholme in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. Our donation will help turn a tree-less landscape into a thriving haven, vital for the protection of wildlife including the native red squirrel.

Snaizeholme is set to become a flagship woodland creation project and will form part of an ambitious plan to revitalise the north of England’s woodland. The regeneration area sits within the wider Northern Forest project, and links in with the woodland strategy of the Yorkshire Dales National Park

Head of Partnerships at the Woodland Trust, Pip Greensmith said: “Our vision for Snaizeholme is a vibrant mosaic of native woodland, and unique, ecological habitat restoration across upland blanket bog, acid grassland, limestone pavement and riparian meadows re-creating a valley with the rich diversity of species that existed there before human activities became dominant, well on the way to becoming a functioning natural ecosystem. It’s vital that businesses like B&Q are supporting the restoration of these habitats and are committing to boosting biodiversity and fighting the effects of climate change in partnership with the Woodland Trust.”

The Woodland Trust and B&Q also have a shared interest in the sustainability of our peatlands. Snaizeholme is home to 250 acres of upland peat bog which the Woodland Trust is looking to restore as a part of its project in the area, preserving its role as a vibrant natural habitat as well as its CO₂ absorbing properties which are vital for the environment. B&Q is on track to meet its commitment to be peat-free across its bagged compost range in 2023 and is continuing to make developments through peat-free product innovations and changes in its supply chain. Already, 100% of B&Q own brand bagged compost is peat-free in Great Britain.

The partnership forms part of B&Q’s wider long-term commitment to encouraging nature.  In April this year B&Q stopped selling disposable barbecues, due to the damage they can cause when discarded. This followed the announcement in 2017 that it has banned suppliers from using neonicotinoid pesticides linked to bee decline in its flowering plant range. Products containing glyphosate and metaldehyde have also been discontinued in previous years. B&Q’s Nature of Gardens report (2017) identified the enormous opportunity for UK gardeners to encourage and protect habitats in their own backyard, with the combined size of gardens in the UK being 500,000 hectares, an area equivalent to the size of the county of Norfolk.

Sam Dyer, Head of Sustainability at B&Q, said: “As a founding member of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in 1994, B&Q has long been committed to the responsible and sustainable management of woodland. Now we are delighted to partner with the Woodland Trust to help restore and regenerate Snaizeholme, and we look forward to seeing it flourish.”