Around 200 British tree species and woody shrubs, including pedunculate oak, downy birch, wild cherry and alder, have been planted on a section of the zoo’s land adjacent to the M53.
Uniquely, thousands of experimental pellets were buried alongside a third of the saplings as part of a research project to see if introducing special soil fungi helps trees establish and grow faster, particularly on degraded soils like the former farmland on the our estate.
The pellets provide soil fungi that naturally bonds with tree roots and offers additional protection against soil-borne diseases. The results of the research might shape future planting projects.
Our estate is already home to iconic woodland species like tawny owls and brown long-eared bats, and providing more woodland will help them thrive.
Ruby Merriman, Estate Biodiversity Manager for Chester Zoo, said this was an important step toward the goal of managing 30% of our 265ha estate for biodiversity by 2030.
