On February 6^th David Mason talked to us about The Woodland Trust. The UK has only 13% of its land covered with trees compared with twice as much in France and Germany. This is important for rich habitats, for relaxation, for landscape and for clean air. The Trust aims to create new woods, protect what we have and maintain and restore them.

Much of David’s excellent presentation referred to Hackfall, an ancient woodland set in a steep gorge around the river Ure near Grewelthorpe. Developed by William Aislabie as a woodland garden after his father had purchased and developed the Studley Royal Estate in the early 1700s, the site was filled with woodland paths, waterfalls, intriguing follies with vistas and views of each other and of the river. Many scenes from Hackfall were captured by famous painters such as JMW Turner. There are rich populations of fungi, insects and birds. A major restoration project from 2008 to 2011 sensitively restored the site to its current beautiful state.