Future of British forests rests in new seed bank

By Paul Burnell
BBC News
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The UK’s largest and most advanced seed centre has opened in Cheshire. The store near Delamere Forest will process four tonnes of seeds every year, which Forestry England said was enough to grow millions of trees for decades to come. It added the centre was “a significant milestone in protecting the future resilience of our forests”. Forestry Minister Mary Creagh said the building was “nationally significant” because it was “part of our climate resilience”.  Creagh added: “We are the largest wood importer in the world, and in a climate-constrained future we are going to have to grow more of our own.” The centre, funded through the Nature for Climate Fund and Forestry England, aims to provide seeds to grow climate-adapted trees. …Tristram Hilborn, chief operating officer of Forestry England, said: “What we need to consider for 100 a years’ time is the sort of trees that will thrive in that sort of climate.”

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