Growing Natural Capital

Natural capital refers to the elements of the natural environment which provide valuable goods and services to people. For example, a woodland can be regarded as a natural capital asset, from which flows valuable benefits, or ecosystem services, such as flood risk reduction and carbon capture.

This contractor is creating 9 new woodlands in partnership with Blenheim Estate in Oxfordshire, planting more than a quarter of a million trees. They have signed an agreement with Blenheim Estate for the project to be delivered in conjunction with ‘Grown in Britain’ ; an independent not for profit that it helped to set up in 2011, focusing on revitalising and investing in woodlands and certifying British Wood products.

The contractor will help fund, design and create the woodlands, in collaboration with the Cotswolds based forestry company Nicholson’s.

The woods will contain the following selection of trees: Hornbeam, Sycamore, Cherry, Oak, Norway Maple, Oak and Alder. There will also be an understorey of shrubs to create a diverse self-sustaining eco system. Experimental species will also be included to assess climate resilience and a small percentage of conifers will be planted to provide winter habitat for wildlife.

The project will improve the biodiversity of the area significantly, improving the quality of the soil, air, water, and biodiversity. The project aims to set new standards for auditing and transparency, with changes to the air, water and soil monitored, and carbon levels tracked using state-of-the-art technology – including drones with Artificial Intelligence – to quantify environmental changes.

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