Conservation

In Harmony with Nature

Conservation is an important part of what we do and we work with a number of organisations. Because of its very special nature, the arboretum contains a huge variety of native flora and fauna and we operate a sympathetic management regime to help encourage these and allow them to thrive.

A Wildlife Haven

Careful management of our arboretum helps create an environment in which animals and insects thrive. Over the past few years we’ve spotted hundreds of different species, making it both a relaxing place to walk and a great place for wildlife watching.

Wildflower Areas

Our wildflower areas around the statue of Daphne have been created to encourage native species to grow, providing a wonderful environment for insects.

Working Together

We’re grateful to various botanic gardens who’ve supplied us with wild collected seeds and plants. These are carefully recorded which means they can be traced if the donator garden needs any information or plant material for future breeding programmes.

Nature Events

Find out more about our wonderful wildlife by joining our events such the dawn chorus bird walks and moth night.

Special Collections

We’re famous for many trees which originate from Japan and China as well as a number of Red Data and Champion Trees. Champion trees are the largest or widest of their kind and Red Data trees are species which are on the verge of extinction or already extinct in the wild – the Giant Pandas of the tree world if you like! Batsford has held the National Collection of Japanese flowering Cherries since 2002 – which means we have at least 70% of known cultivars.

The lifespan of these trees is relatively short at only about 50 years so every 25 to 30 years we graft plant material to replace any losses. Batsford takes part in the International Conifer Conservation Project run by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. You’ll find a selection of some of the most endangered Chilean conifers in the arboretum which acts as a living genebank of dna material in case of extinction in the wild.